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Do you have a state statute, policy, MOU, or other written document
that established your multimedia *small business environmental
assistance program (SBEAP)? If yes, please explain and provide
a link to the document if possible.
Michigan’s Environmental Assistance Program (EAP) is multimedia but
we do not have legislation that mandates multimedia assistance. The
clean air assistance component of the EAP was established under a
Michigan statute.
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How and when did
your SBEAP begin offering multimedia compliance assistance?
The Environmental Assistance Program has provided multimedia
assistance since 1995. The Department realized at the time the
Section 507 program was being created that regulatory assistance was
a necessary component for all of the environmental programs. All of
the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s (MDEQ) regulatory
divisions have contributed at least one staff person to perform
compliance assistance outreach.
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Does your SBEAP provide confidential services? Explain.
We can only hold information in confidence to the extent authorized
under the Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Exemptions
from disclosure include trade secrets and commercial and financial
information. We cannot advertise our services as confidential.
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What role does
the Ombudsman play? Does the office address multimedia issues
or is it strictly strictly an air ombudsman? What agency or
organization does the ombudsman work in? Please provide
contact information.
Ms. Susan Holben was
appointed as the Clean Air Ombudsman but she considers her ombudsman
duties as multimedia. Susan works for the Michigan Economic
Development Corporation (MEDC). The MEDC web site is
www.michigan.org/medc. She spends about 20% of her time on
air related duties. She can be reached at 517-335-2168 or
holbens@michigan.org.
The services provided by the Ombudsman include:
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Assistance with understanding environmental regulations and
compliance issues;
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Mediation in resolving complaints or disputes; and marketing the
technical services of the Environmental Assistance Program to
economic development staff and local chambers of commerce.
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What types of multimedia assistance does your
SBEAP provide (air,
hazardous waste, solid waste, water quality, air, other)?
Describe.
The Environmental Assistance Program provides the following types of
multimedia assistance:
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Air
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Solid, liquid and
hazardous waste
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Water quality
(surface and ground)
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Wetlands protection
and any changes to the land/water interface
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Oil and gas drilling
and mining
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Aboveground and
underground storage tanks
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Brownfields.
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Is your SBEAP’s work prioritized? If yes, explain (e.g., by
media, rule, industry sector).
Yes, our program works closely with the MDEQ regulatory divisions so
we understand what issues businesses may be facing, and therefore we
are able to prioritize our work to meet the compliance assistance
needs of the businesses we help.
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What percent of
your total multimedia assistance effort is delivered through each of
the following methods:
►Direct referrals to appropriate regulatory staff (___%)
►Personal contact with appropriate media staff (e.g., arranging
meetings with regulatory staff from different media, having each
program outline their respective rule requirements, following up as
needed) (___%)
►Internal SBEAP expertise (e.g., gathering all information, walking
client through requirements) (___%).
Direct referrals--10%
Personal contact--10%
Internal expertise--80%
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Describe who
actually provides the assistance. Is the primary role of the
SBEAP staff to refer assistance requests to the appropriate
regulatory staff or do the SBEAP staff possess the knowledge and
experience to provide direct assistance? Explain the
educational background and experience level of SBEAP staff.
The compliance assistance
staff in the Environmental Assistance Program came from the
regulatory divisions and therefore have a very thorough
understanding of the rules and regulations they provide assistance.
Therefore, each one has a specialty, i.e., air, waste, water, etc.
For example, all the waste related calls, publication develop and
training all go to one person, Judy Schaefer. They possess the
knowledge to address the questions directly. All of them have
environmental science related degrees and many years of experience
in the regulatory programs they came from.
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Please identify the compliance
assistance tools your SBEAP provides by completing the table below.
In addition, please elaborate on any of the tools and include
information about compliance assistance tools not included in the
table.
|
Regulatory Program |
Hotline |
Publications |
Onsite Visits |
Workshops |
Permit Assistance |
|
Air |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
|
Waste |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
N/A |
|
Water |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
|
Remediation |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
N/A |
|
Storage Tanks |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
|
Emergency Planning |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
N/A |
|
Wetlands, Land/Water Interface |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
The Environmental
Assistance Program is implementing an Environmental Results Program
for dry cleaners through an EPA grant. We are hoping to implement an
ERP for automotive collision and maintenance repair facilities in
the near future.
We specialize in workshops (go to
www.michigan.gov/deqworkshops and click on “Upcoming DEQ
Workshops.” We train 2,500 to 3,000 people annually and make some
money doing it. If you have questions about training, please
contact us.
The MDEQ receives thousands of calls/month through its Environmental
Assistance Center (EAC) via 800-662-9278. Many of these calls are
forwarded to the Environmental Assistance Program for follow-up.
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Do you have SBEAP staff members with expertise in pollution
prevention/EMS, as well as regulatory compliance?
Yes, we have program staff with expertise in P2 and EMS, but they
are not technically part of the Environmental Assistance Program.
These staff are housed in the Pollution Prevention and Compliance
Assistance Section.
(Please see the organizational chart.)
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Are there any industry sectors for which you cannot provide
assistance or can provide only limited assistance? Explain.
No.
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Where is
the technical assistance component of your SBEAP housed (state environmental regulatory agency,
Small Business Development Center [SBDC], college or university [not
SBDC], other state agency)?
The Environmental Assistance Program is located within the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality which is the state environmental
regulatory agency.
(Please see the
organizational chart.)
- Where does
funding come from for your multimedia SBEAP (air permit fees only,
air permit fees plus other sources, task-specific funding, other)?
What are the funding criteria? Please note that since this could be
sensitive information, this is an optional question.
Funding for the multimedia compliance assistance outreach comes from
Title V fees, waste reduction fees, and other program funding. Some
of the salaries have been covered by registration fees we collect
from our workshops.
- How many staff
does your SBEAP have (using FTE equivalents)? Does your SBEAP
have a documented performance measurement system (system to track
data on activities such as web site hits, hotline/telephone
assistance calls, mailings, onsite visits, publications,
seminars/workshops/trainings, teleconferences/videoconferences,
other)? Describe.
A total of 10.25 FTEs
perform compliance assistance activities.
(Please see the
organizational chart.)
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2.5 FTEs clean air assistance
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5.0 within the Compliance Assistance Unit (1 FTE for each of the
following media and 1 manager: water, waste, land and water,
remediation and redevelopment)
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2.0 FTEs for workshops
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0.75 FTEs for Hotline
In addition, there are workshop logistics staff and environmental
assistance center operators that spend part of their time on
compliance assistance.
We have a recording system where we input data on how many calls we
take, web site hits, emails, mailings, onsite visits, presentations,
workshops, publications developed, trainings/workshops offered, etc.
We also develop and process evaluations on all workshops held, as
well as input those data in a database. We are implementing an
evaluation follow-up program which will include calling those
individuals who provided a workshop evaluation to identify any
behavioral changes due to workshop attendance.
- What have been
the benefits of providing multimedia versus air only assistance?
Have you performed any cost benefit analyses? Describe your
successes.
We are able to meet the needs of the regulated community more
effectively. Businesses, especially small ones, need help with all
of the environmental programs.
- Provide an
overall link or links to your online multimedia assistance web
page(s), checklists, calculation spreadsheets, guidance, factsheets,
publications, and contacts.
The Environmental
Assistance Program is located at:
www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3307_36106---,00.html
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What kind of peer assistance (for other SBO/SBEAP programs) is your
program willing to contribute at this time (information provided
here only, telephone/email assistance, program visits, training,
other)?
The Environmental Assistance Program is willing to provide
information via the web site, telephone/email assistance, program
visits, and training.
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Please list the industry sectors that you assist/have assisted most,
and feel you have "expert" knowledge about. If possible, use
the provided list of industry sector examples to categorize.
You may also be more specific, include additional details, or write
in a category that is not listed. In addition, please provide
contact information for each industry sector "expert."
INDUSTRY SECTOR
EXAMPLES:
Ø
Agriculture Metal Fabrication
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Aircraft
Metal Finishing
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Automotive Mining
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Chemicals
Painting and Coating
Ø
Construction Pesticides
Ø
Die
Casting Petroleum Refining
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Dry
Cleaning Pharmaceuticals
Ø
Electric/Power/Energy Plastics
Ø
Electronics/Computer Printing and Photoprocessing
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Electroplating Pulp and Paper
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Fiberglass Operations Recreation
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Foods
Recycling
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Furniture
Retail
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Hospitals/Medical Rubber and Plastics
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Iron and
Steel Solvents/Cleaning
Ø
Laboratories/Schools Stone/Clay/Glass/Concrete
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Lubricants Textiles/Textile Services
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Lumber
and Wood Transportation
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Machining
Used Oil
Ø
Marine/Shipyard
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Automotive Repair –
Dave Fiedler
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Dry Cleaning – James
Ostrowski
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Fruit and Vegetable
Processors – Amy Kohlhepp
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Stage I – Gas
Stations – Anita Welch
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Mineral Crushers –
Dave Fiedler
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Automotive Recyclers
– Dave Fiedler
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Grain Elevators –
Anita Welch
See Question 20 for contact
information.
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What is your advice to other SBEAPs who want to become multimedia
programs? What particular challenges did you face evolving
into a multimedia program and how did you overcome them?
Your program will end up spending the most resources on liquid and
hazardous waste issues. The majority of businesses need the most
help with those regulations. In everything we do (workbooks,
workshops, phone calls, etc.) the waste component is always the most
significant.
Create a brand for your program and market it not only to trade
associations but to building inspectors, banking and insurance
institutions, and other less obvious groups.
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Provide contact information for peer assistance with your
SBEAP.
7/06,
updated 5/07, 5/08
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