Environmental Innovation
Strategic Approaches for Leading Change
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Environmental
Preface Innovation Portfolio
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created a National Center for
Environmental Innovation to bring creativity to bear on solving pressing
environmental problems. Our long-term goals are to foster a performance-
oriented regulatory system, promote environmental stewardship behavior,
and create a culture of creative problem-solving.
In pursuing the Center's mission, we recognize the challenge State and federal
environmental managers face in finding effective new approaches to achieve
environmental results while robustly operating today's regulatory programs.
The good news is that the last decade has seen an unprecedented level of cre-
ative thinking and experimentation in State and local government and at EPA.
The paradox is that the resulting expansion of available approaches has made
it more difficult for State and federal managers to identify those strategies rele-
vant to their particular priorities.
This Environmental Innovation Portfolio was prepared to help overcome that
barrier by: 1) categorizing the types of strategies that environmental agencies
can use to reap better results; 2) highlighting promising projects as examples
of approaches that can be adopted or adapted; and 3) promoting networking
among people working on similar problems who can benefit from shared
experiences.
Our hope is that the Portfolio will help you take advantage of the wealth
of experience of your fellow travelers in the quest for increasingly effective
environmental protection strategies. We look forward to continuing our part-
nership with you in that journey, and in continuously improving our methods
for sharing our collective experience along the way.
Jay Benforado M C* \
«-» • ^^^^ ^^^^" B
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
National Center for Environmental Innovation ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Contents
Contents
Introduction 1
Setting Strategic Direction and Priorities 4
—Planning
—Measurement and Indicators
Improving Agency Service Delivery 6
—Inspections and Enforcement
—Permitting
—Data Utilization and Information Management
—Public Education, Outreach, and Engagement
Enhancing Regulatory Outcomes 9
—Permit Flexibility
—Pollutant Trading
—Small Business Assistance Programs
Supporting Superior Environmental Performance 12
—Leadership Programs
—Challenge Partnerships
—Sector-Based Performance Strategies
—Environmental Management Systems
Promoting Environmental Sustainability 15
—Green Building
—Green Purchasing
—Green Process and Product Design
—Product Collections,Take-Backs, and Recycling
—Climate Change
Leveraging Partnerships for Environmental Protection 18
—Community-Based Environmental Partnerships
—Government-Industry Partnerships
—Inter-Governmental Partnerships
Designing Targeted Geographic Solutions 21
—Land Conservation and Growth Management
—Brownfields
—Airshed Quality
—Watershed Quality
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Introduction
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
A
s an environmental agency executive, you know that our system of environmental
protection is in transition. More and more, State and federal agencies are trying non-
traditional approaches to:
• Solve increasingly complex problems not easily addressed by conventional regulatory
solutions.
• Harness better information and technology for environmental gains.
• Move beyond the limitations of single media approaches.
• Encourage environmental stewardship to improve environmental performance and rede-
fine business relationships.
• Accomplish more in the face of budget constraints.
Agency leaders recognize that it is no longer possible to simply implement traditional pro-
grams and that it is necessary to identify the most pressing environmental concerns and
apply available tools to solve them.
The Purpose of This Portfolio
In response to this challenge, federal and State agencies have developed many innovative
strategies, ranging from changes in specific programs to changes in organizational systems
and culture.There has been no easy way, however, for other innovators to access and take of
advantage of this body of experience.
The Portfolio highlights a broad array of
projects and programs that are underway in
States and EPA to enhance public agencies'
productivity, drive environmental perform-
ance improvement, and tackle complex
environmental problems.
Therefore, this "Innovation Portfolio" has been developed as a quick navigational guide to the
expanding variety of innovative strategies and practices available to public environmental
agencies.The Portfolio highlights a broad array of projects and programs that are underway in
States and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enhance public agencies'pro-
ductivity, drive environmental performance improvement, and tackle complex environmental
problems.Targeting State and federal environmental executives as the primary audience, the
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Introduction
document helps you effi-
ciently sort through the myri-
ad of "good ideas" and locate
those most relevant to you.
Anyone interested in creative
strategies can use the docu-
ment to stimulate new think-
ing and identify specific
project opportunities.
The document groups inno-
vative approaches into seven
descriptive categories, or
"change areas" for improved
environmental performance.
A quick scan of the Portfolio
will reveal innovation oppor-
tunities relevant to priorities
in your organization. Once
you identify an area of
interest, descriptions of
innovative approaches,
accompanied by a few
illustrative examples, will
help you access ideas and
experiences from other
organizations.
Numerous examples of
specific innovative practices,
projects, and programs devel-
oped by State agencies, EPA,
and partnerships illustrate
promising "real-world"
activities that can be adopted
or adapted in your organiza-
tion. From the expansive
collections of innovations
available, we selected exam-
ples that have been used by
environmental agencies to
address a core agency func-
tion and that have experi-
enced a degree of success.
Seven Change Areas for Improving
Environmental Performance
1. Setting Strategic Direction and Priorities
—Planning
—Measurement and Indicators
2. Improving Agency Service Delivery
—Inspections and Enforcement
—Permitting
—Data Utilization and Information
Management
—Public Education, Outreach, and Engagement
3. Enhancing Regulatory Outcomes
—Permit Flexibility
—Pollutant Trading
—Small Business Assistance Programs
4. Supporting Superior Environmental
Performance
—Leadership Programs
—Challenge Partnerships
—Sector-Based Performance Strategies
—Environmental Management Systems
5. Promoting Environmental Sustainability
—Green Building
—Green Purchasing
—Green Process and Product Design
—Product Collections,Take-backs and Recycling
—Climate Change
6. Leveraging Partnerships for Environmental
Protection
—Community-Based Environmental
Partnerships
—Government-Industry Partnerships
—Inter-Governmental Partnerships
7. Designing Targeted Geographic Solutions
—Land Conservation and Growth Management
—Brownfields
—Airshed Quality
—Watershed Quality
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Introduction
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Leading Change in Your Organization
In addition to the challenge of finding the most appropriate strategy for solving a particular
problem, today's public sector environmental managers have the responsibility—and opportu-
nity—to create an organizational climate conducive to innovative approaches that supplement
and enhance traditional environmental management activities. Modeling and creating space for
"innovativeness"and aligning organizational systems to support development and implementa-
tion of new approaches are key aspects of this broader leadership challenge.The following
strategies have proven effective at creating an innovation-friendly organization:
• Define strategic goals as outcomes, not activi-
ties. Defining outcomes allows individuals and
organizations to develop creative and innovative
solutions to environmental problems.
• Ask questions that encourage creativity. Start
by asking the right questions: What is the environ-
mental problem we are trying to solve? Who cares
about this problem and might partner to meet
shared goals? What are the tools and practices
available for problem solving? Can performance
goals provide flexibility in meeting established
requirements?
• Facilitate horizontal and vertical information
flow. Non-conventional flows of information cre-
ate space for new perspectives and enable employees to connect new ideas to needs.
Involving employees from day-to-day program operations brings front-line experience to
change efforts, helping to ensure effective and durable solutions.
• Encourage collaboration. Collaborative problem-solving, which engages diverse partici-
pant perspectives, is key to crafting innovative solutions to specific environmental chal-
lenges.
• Recognize and reward innovation. Effectively motivating individuals is critical to devel-
oping and successfully applying new practices and tools to environmental protection.
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Setting Strategic
Direction and Priorities
.anning # Measurement and Indicator
The need for strategic planning and
measurement processes has risen as
agencies grapple with complex, cross-
media environmental challenges not easily
addressed through conventional regulatory
programs. Innovative practices are enabling
agencies to improve decision-making, focus
resources on priority needs, measure progress,
communicate results, and continually improve
environmental management efforts.
Planning
Agencies are increasingly recognizing the
importance of strategic planning to
enhance the productivity of public
resources. Improved planning processes are
helping agencies: 1) target resources where
they are needed most and identify activities
for disinvestment^) establish timelines to
address priority problems in a practical man-
ner; and 3) communicate desired outcomes
and measures to internal and external stake-
holders. Planning can be applied at various
levels, targeting agency-wide, sector-focused,
or media-specific activities. Efforts to weave
strategic planning into the organizational
fabric of agencies are linking strategic direc-
tion with budgeting, program execution,and
performance measurement. Adopting an
ongoing management process for aligning
organizational activities with strategic priori-
ties significantly increases the productivity
and impact of planning.Through environ-
mental agreements, such as Performance
Partnership Agreements, States and EPA are
working to align planning and priority-
setting activities to leverage broader impacts
and to clarify roles and accountability.
Agency managers can use innovative prac-
tices to bring planning to life, identifying
strategic priorities and aligning programs,
initiatives, and resources to achieve results.
Compliance Team Planning
Process—Indiana
Incorporates agency-wide, holistic
compliance and enforcement planning
into the Performance Partnership
Agreement through the creation of a
team of senior managers representing
several media divisions and regions.
(http://www.in.gov/idem/enppa/
jointplanningworksharing.html)
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Setting Strategic
Direction and Priorities
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Planning Partnerships—Utah
Coordinates planning efforts
between the Utah Department of
Environmental Quality and U.S. EPA
Region 8 throughout the National
Environmental Performance
Partnership System (NEPPS) and with
12 local health departments to devel-
op an Environmental Service Delivery
Plan, (http://www.eq.state.ut.us/
references/planning/)
Measurement
and Indicators
Public agencies are improving performance
measurement, enabling better informed
priority setting and decision-making.
Significant progress is being made in develop-
ing indicators and performance measures that
shed light on: 1) environmental quality out-
comes at various geographic levels (e.g.,
watershed, State, regional, national); 2) envi-
ronmental performance of specific sources
and sectors; and 3) the implementation status
and effectiveness of agency environmental
improvement programs. Progress is also being
made in developing innovative practices and
tools for managing, sharing, and communicat-
ing performance measures and indicators.
Practices in this area help agency managers
better assess environmental quality and per-
formance outcomes, making it possible to bet-
ter target programmatic and policy inter-
ventions and to evaluate their effectiveness.
Environmental Indicators—U.S. EPA
Provides a framework for States and
U.S. EPA regions to measure and report
geographically scalable information on
environmental conditions and trends
to help construct a robust decision
support framework and the reporting
of environmental progress in a com-
prehensive manner to the public.
(http://www.epa.gov/indicators/)
King County Measuring for
Results—Washington
Publishes an annual report to share
environmental goals, progress, and
results with the public; indicators focus
on measurement of agency program
outcomes, (http://dnr.metrokc.gov/
dnrp/performance/index.htm)
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improving Agency
Service Delivery
Inspections and Enforcement # Permitting * Data Utilization and Information
Management # Public Education, Outreach, and Engagement
Pressures grow each year to improve
the quality and cost-effectiveness of
environmental agency service delivery.
Innovative practices enable agencies to
improve their core functions, minimizing time
and resource requirements while maintaining
or improving environmental outcomes.These
efforts are resulting in better service to part-
ners and customers, while freeing resources
to address additional environmental priorities.
Inspections and
Enforcement
Environmental agencies are improving the
efficiency and effectiveness of compliance
assurance activities. Innovative practices
focus on: 1) tailoring compliance oversight
approaches to risk-based priorities; 2) chang-
ing the way inspections are carried out; and 3)
developing alternatives to inspections. Moving
away from a one-size-fits-all approach, agen-
cies are matching facility or sector compliance
rate and risk profiles with the appropriate level
of inspection, reporting and monitoring, and
compliance assistance. Multimedia facility
inspections are reducing the time and cost of
onsite inspections. Agencies are also reducing
the inspection resources devoted to high-
performing facilities by allowing facility self-
auditing and self-reporting as an alternative to
conventional inspections. Agency managers
can use innovative practices to better target
and enhance the effectiveness of compliance
assurance resources.
Self-Auditing and Reporting—
Rhode Island
Allows certain high-performing indus-
trial facilities to pursue self-auditing
and self-reporting to reduce the fre-
quency of inspections undertaken by
the Narragansett Bay Commission.
(http://www.epa.gov/projectxl/nbc/
index.htm)
Sector-Focused Compliance
Assistance—U.S. EPA
Through a mixture of compliance
assistance and compliance incentives,
EPA worked with the largest trade
association for industrial bakers to
reduce or eliminate leaks of ozone-
depleting substances used in refrigera-
tion equipment.
(http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/
civil/programs/caa/bakery/)
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Improving Agency
Service Delivery
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Permitting
Agencies are applying business manage-
ment tools to reduce permit lead times,
errors, and program costs. Environmental
permitting programs are sometimes the focus
of stakeholder frustration due to permitting
backlogs, long lead times, costs, and uncertain-
ty. State and local permitting authorities are
streamlining air, water, and waste permitting
activities in creative ways. Efforts center on
two areas: 1) improving internal agency per-
mitting processes; and 2) shifting away from
media-specific permitting for individual facili-
ties. Some agencies are applying business
improvement techniques such as Six Sigma
and lean manufacturing to analyze and drive
improvement in their permitting processes.
Agency managers can apply innovative per-
mitting and process improvement practices to
streamline permitting programs and reduce
permitting backlogs and turn-around times.
Data Utilization and
Information Management
New information management systems
are allowing States and EPA to improve
environmental program management and
decision-making. Advances in information
management are enabling agencies to: 1)
access and analyze current and historical
data; 2) share and aggregate data across
jurisdictions; 3) present data in formats that
support improved decision-making;4)
collect data electronically in a stream-
lined manner; and 5) use information
technology to provide new and better
services. For example, implementation
of electronic information exchange
mechanisms between facilities and
agencies improves data quality and
reduces administrative burden. Many
States are enhancing their information
technology systems and are connecting to
the State-EPA Exchange Network, improving
Lean Air Permitting Process—Iowa
Uses "lean" rapid improvement meth-
ods developed in the manufacturing
sector to systematically identify and
eliminate unneeded steps and redun-
dant activities in the permitting
process, while fostering continuous
improvement and employee involve-
ment. (http://www.iowadnr.com/
air/prof/kaizen/kaizen.html)
Environmental Results Program-
Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
and Florida
Implements a multimedia,sector-
based regulatory approach, targeting
sectors with large numbers of small
sources, as an alternative to facility-
specific State permits with industry-
wide environmental performance
standards and annual self-certifica-
tions of compliance.
(http://www.mass.gov/dep/erp,
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/
categories/hazardous/pages/
autocert.htm, http://www.state.ri.us/dem/
programs/benviron/assist/index.htm)
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Improving Agency
Service Delivery
information flows and data sharing. In addi-
tion, innovative geographic information inte-
gration is empowering planning processes
around the country. Agency managers can
use innovative information management
practices to greatly enhance the value of
information that is currently collected—to
better inform decision-making, clarify exter-
nal communications, and reduce the burden
of data collection and management.
communication around important environ-
mental challenges and to solicit input and
support on agency initiatives; and 2) estab-
lishing effective channels for engaging with
public inquiries,comments,and concerns.
Agency managers can enhance the durability
of agency decisions and initiatives through
effective public engagement, and can
strengthen public support through respon-
siveness to questions and concerns.
Electronic Discharge Monitoring
Reports—Michigan
Automates discharge monitoring
reports for NPDES facilities to com-
plete, sign, submit, edit, and re-submit
"eDMR"forms online.
(https://secure1 .state.mi.us/
e2rs/skin/main/FrmGuest.aspx)
Smart Growth INDEX—States
and US. EPA
Simulates alternative land use and
transportation scenarios using CIS
sketch models to incorporate smart
growth principles into planning
processes, (http://www.epa.gov/
smartgrowth/topics/sg_index.htm)
Public Education, Outreach,
and Engagement
Numerous States are pioneering collabo-
rative stakeholder involvement processes
to improve the quality and acceptability of
environmental improvement initiative
outcomes. Environmental agencies are build-
ing trust and understanding—which enables
behavior change—among stakeholder
groups through communication, involve-
ment, and responsiveness. Innovative prac-
tices are: 1) bringing together diverse
stakeholders in creative forums to enhance
Pollution Complaint Response—Indiana
Coordinates an agency-wide, multime-
dia response to citizen inquiries and
complaints using Web-based informa-
tion, enabling the agency to reduce
costs and increase public trust.
(http://www.in.gov/idem/
pollutioncomplaints/)
Ford Good Neighbor Dialogue—Illinois
Brings together stakeholders, academ-
ics, and agency representatives in a
collaborative process to periodically
discuss a large manufacturing facility's
environmental management and per-
formance. (http://www.deka-
institute.org/pollprev/ford.php)
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Enhancing Regulatory
Outcomes
Permit Flexibility # Pollutant Trading # Small Business Assistance Programs
States and EPA are developing innovative
practices to facilitate improved environ-
mental performance outcomes and reg-
ulatory compliance at lower overall cost.
Market-based approaches provide flexibility
that enables regulated entities to direct
resources to least-cost opportunities for meet-
ing requirements. Practices in this area are
improving communication between public
agencies and regulated entities, while focusing
collective attention on performance results.
Permit Flexibility
States, in partnership with EPA, are devel-
oping alternative approaches to permitting
that encourage improved environmental
performance and enhance business com-
petitiveness. These innovative practices
address concerns among the regulated com-
munity related to the time, cost, and certainty
associated with obtaining and operating
under conventional air, water, and waste per-
mits. Innovative permitting practices typically
work in the context of existing applicable
requirements. For instance, innovative permit-
ting practices: 1) focus attention on a facility's
actual environmental performance results;
2) reduce the frequency of reporting where a
facility is well under applicable limits; 3) allow
a facility to make operational changes through
a streamlined process; and 4) move away from
facility-based to general permits. Agency man-
agers can use flexible permitting practices to
address industry requests for increased opera-
tional flexibility while maintaining and
enhancing environmental protections.
Watershed-Based Stormwater
Permits—Michigan
Establishes a voluntary watershed-
based NPDES general permit for
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer
Systems (MS4s) to encourage stormwa-
ter management on a watershed basis;
includes a discharge elimination plan,
public education and participation,
and pollution prevention measures.
(http://www.michigan.gov/deq/
0,1607,7-135-3313_3682_3716-
24366-,OO.htm)
MACT Rule for Pharmaceuticals
-U.S.EPA
Provides industry the option of meet-
ing air toxics requirements by installing
new air emission control equipment or
by meeting an alternative, pollution
prevention, performance-based stan-
dard that shifts the focus to improving
production processes.
(http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/pharma/
pharmpg.html)
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Enhancing
Regulatory Outcomes
Pollutant Trading
States and EPA regions are using
pollutant trading to reduce the cost of
complying with permitted emission and
effluent discharge levels. Pollutant trad-
ing programs create a market in which
sources that reduce pollutants below
required levels are allowed to sell their
excess emission reduction credits to
sources where it may be more expensive to
reduce pollution to required levels.Trading
systems create opportunities to reduce
pollution at lower cost and at a more rapid
pace than conventional permitting sys-
tems.Trading programs can also be
designed to encourage participation (and
emissions reductions) from sources that
may not be required to reduce pollutant
levels, such as non-point agricultural
sources.Trading programs can be imple-
mented at a range of levels, from inter-plant
trading to regional trading, and for a wide
variety of air and water pollutants. Agency
Long Island Sound Nutrient
Trading—Connecticut
Reduces nitrogen loads in Long Island
Sound using a watershed permit for all
wastewater treatment plants. Sources
discharging less than their annual limit
receive credits for overcontrol and
facilities that exceed their limit must
purchase nitrogen discharge credits.
(http://www.dep.state.ct.us/wtr/lis/
lisindex.htm)
RECLAIM—California
Establishes facility-wide emissions lim-
its for refineries, power plants, and
other large stationary sources of NOX
and SOX in the Los Angeles area. Each
year, emissions limits are reduced and
sources can buy or sell emissions cred-
its to meet permitted levels.
(http://www.aqmd.gov/reclaim/
reclaim.html)
managers can use trading systems in cer-
tain situations to lower the cost of pollutant
reductions and to achieve more environ-
mental improvement faster.
10
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Enhancing
Regulatory Outcomes
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Small Business Assistance
Programs
States and EPA are deploying a range of
innovative practices and tools to support
small businesses in understanding and
complying with regulatory obligations
and in continually improving environ-
mental performance. Many small business-
es do not have environmental managers; in
those that do, the managers wear several
functional hats, limiting their ability to devel-
op and maintain sophisticated environmen-
tal and compliance management systems.
Common innovative practices and tools
include: 1) guidebooks and materials that
clearly and concisely articulate requirements
and environmental management opportuni-
ties^) technical assistance and hotlines that
assist small businesses in addressing envi-
ronmental needs; and 3) regulatory and pro-
grammatic approaches that simplify
compliance obligations for small businesses.
Agency managers can use innovative prac-
tices in this area to improve small business
compliance rates and environmental per-
formance, while reducing their overall envi-
ronmental management costs.
Practical Guide to Environmental
Management Systems for Small
Business—U.S. EPA
Provides practical information and a
step-by-step guide for small businesses
on how to organize their environmental
management responsibilities in a sim-
ple, productive, and cost-effective way.
(http://www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org/
html/pdf/EM_Guide0902.pdf)
Small Business Hotline and Assistance
Centers—States and U.S. EPA
Provides direct assistance for small
businesses on a number of environ-
mental topics, both general and pro-
gram-specific. Numerous compliance
assistance documents have been
developed to assist with specific envi-
ronmental compliance and perform-
ance needs.
(http://www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org/
sba/sbpra2002_eparesources.html)
1.1
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Supporting Superior
Environmental
Performance
Leadership Programs # Challenge Partnerships # Sector-Based
Performance Strategies # Environmental Management Systems
nnovative practices seek to build on the
foundation provided by the environmen-
tal regulatory framework, providing incen-
tives for environmental performance above
required levels and forging collaborative rela-
tionships with volunteering organizations.
Leadership Programs
Environmental "leadership programs" are an
important model for encouraging and reward-
ing "beyond compliance"environmental per-
formance among the regulated community.
Voluntary leadership programs typically estab-
lish criteria—such as implementation of an
environmental management system (EMS), a
track record of sound environmental perform-
ance, commitments to improve future per-
formance—that regulated organizations must
meet to gain entry. Participating organizations
receive access to a variety of benefits such as:
1) public recognition;2) regulatory incentives
designed to reduce the organizations'compli-
ance costs; and 3) access to information or
technical assistance designed to facilitate envi-
ronmental improvement. Several programs
rely on a "tiered" approach that links increas-
ing benefits to increasing levels of perform-
ance or commitments. Efforts are underway to
link and align leadership programs at the State
and national levels to improve consistency
and strengthen benefits. Agency managers
can encourage enhanced environmental per-
formance and reduce the compliance cost to
high-performing facilities through the deploy-
ment of leadership programs and associated
incentives.
National Environmental Performance
Track Program—U.S. EPA
Recognizes facilities that consistently
meet legal requirements, implement an
effective EMS, and make commitments
to improving future environmental
performance beyond required levels.
Performance Track provides various
incentives to participating facilities,
such as technical assistance and regula-
tory flexibility, (http://www.epa.gov/
performancetrack/)
Clean Texas Program—Texas
Provides member facilities with vari-
ous State regulatory incentives if they
maintain a high-quality EMS, pollution
prevention program, and compliance
record.The Clean Texas Program works
in conjunction with EPA's National
Performance Track Program.
(http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/exec/
sbea/cleantx/)
12
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Supporting Superior
Environmental Performance
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Challenge Partnerships
Voluntary challenge partnerships can
motivate environmental performance in
new areas or beyond levels required by
law without requiring time-consuming or
expensive regulatory action. These pro-
grams recognize voluntary environmental
improvement actions in targeted areas, such
as reducing water use or emissions of cer-
tain pollutants. Participating companies typ-
ically receive public relations benefits
associated with recognition of their
improvement actions. Some challenge part-
nerships also provide tools and technical
assistance to support organizations in
reaching established challenge goals.
Voluntary challenge partnerships can target
specific industry sectors, or be open to
broader participation. Challenge partner-
ships can also create peer pressure for par-
ticipation and environmental improvement.
Agency managers can use challenge part-
nerships to communicate environmental
improvement priorities to the regulated
community and to motivate cost-effective
performance improvement.
STEP-UP Program—Maine
The Maine Smart Tracks for
Exceptional Performers and Upward
Performers (STEP-UP Program) offers
recognition and other incentives to
businesses interested in implementing
sustainable practices.
(http://www.maine.gov/dep/oc/stepup/)
WasteWise Program—U.S. EPA
Encourages partners to design solid
waste reduction programs and pro-
vides technical assistance, information,
and recognition to participating
organizations.
(http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/)
Sector-Based
Performance Strategies
Sector-based strategies create an oppor-
tunity for regulators and sector represen-
tatives to collaboratively remove factors
that constrain environmental performance
improvement and develop approaches
and tools that encourage continual per-
formance improvement within the sector.
Organizations within a particular industry or
service sector often face common environ-
mental challenges and opportunities that
can differ from those faced by other sectors.
States and EPA are working with many
sectors to: 1) address sector-specific environ-
mental problems; and 2) develop environ-
mental management tools, such as EMS
guides, that can help enhance environmental
performance in the sector. Agency managers
can address priority environmental chal-
lenges in their jurisdiction by working collab-
oratively with relevant industry sectors
through an existing sector-based program or
by launching a new sector-based initiative.
Sector Strategies Program—U.S. EPA
Convenes stakeholders in government
and the private sector to work together
to achieve industry-wide environmen-
tal gains through innovative actions in
12 manufacturing and service sectors.
(http://www.epa.gov/sectors/)
Cleaner Production Challenge-
Washington
Helps companies in the aerospace parts
manufacturing, and plating and circuit
board manufacturing industries reduce
the amount of water used, wastewater
produced, and hazardous sludge gener-
ated by offering onsite technical assis-
tance, employee training, vendor
workshops, and peer exchanges.
(http://www.pprc.org/cpc/index.htm)
13
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Supporting Superior
Environmental Performance
Environmental
Management Systems
States and EPA have been actively pro-
moting the widespread use of EMSs. EMSs
provide organizations of all types with a
structured approach for managing environ-
mental and regulatory responsibilities to
improve overall environmental performance,
including areas not subject to regulation
such as resource conservation and energy
efficiency. EMSs can also help organizations
integrate all these environmental considera-
tions, and get better results, by establishing a
continuous process of checking to make
sure environmental goals are met, and
responding if problems occur. From a busi-
ness perspective, they can often help make
organizations more efficient and more com-
petitive and help address other important
issues such as security at key facilities. EMSs
are not a substitute for strong regulatory and
enforcement programs, but rather comple-
ment them. EMSs can indicate opportunities
for environmental agencies to streamline reg-
ulations, and can be used to support compli-
ance assistance, monitoring, and enforcement.
PEER Centers—U.S. EPA
The Public Entity EMS Resource (PEER)
Initiative provides a broad array of
information and tools to help public
entities (primarily local governments)
understand and adopt EMSs for their
operations.
(http://www.peercenter.net)
Hospitals and Healthcare—U.S. EPA
Encourages the health care industry in
U.S. EPA Region 2 to move beyond
compliance through the use of EMSs.
U.S. EPA Region 2, in collaboration with
hospitals, advocacy groups, and trade
associations, has developed an EMS
template for the industry to better
understand its environmental impacts
and associated regulations.
(http://www.epa.gov/region02/
healthcare)
14
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Promoting
Environmental
Sustainability
Green Building # Green Purchasing # Green Process and Product Design
# Product Collections, Take-backs, and Recycling # Climate Change
Communities are increasingly interest-
ed in reducing the environmental
footprint of economic activities and
are looking to public agencies to encourage
sustainable behaviors. Agencies are imple-
menting sustainability initiatives internally
and are encouraging other organizations
and companies to adopt similar practices.
Innovative sustainability practices are target-
ing buildings and property development,
production processes, products, and waste
generation to cost-effectively lower the
material requirements, energy needs, and
environmental risk of economic activity.
Green Building
Green building practices are reducing envi-
ronmental impacts by influencing design,
construction, and deconstruction choices.
Innovative practices are promoting a variety of
sustainable building techniques, such as use of
green building materials, energy and water-
efficient design, and demolition material reuse
and recycling. Other innovative practices are
taking a broader perspective by facilitating
sustainable design at the neighborhood or
community level. Innovative green building
practices are: 1) disseminating information on
green building techniques; 2) developing
tools to facilitate green design choices; and
3) leveraging government's ability to lead by
example through its building and construc-
tion choices. Agency managers can use these
techniques to address specific waste, energy,
or water challenges, and to complement
broader efforts to encourage environmentally
sustainable behaviors.
Building Deconstruction and
Reuse—Florida
Coordinates the designation of
valuable materials from building disas-
sembly for reuse in a community
organization building expansion, reduc-
ing landfilling and saving resources.
(http://www.deconstructioninstitute.com/)
Green Communities Program
-U.S. EPA Region 3
Extends access to tools, technical assis-
tance, and training to integrate envi-
ronmental goals with economic and
social goals applicable to urban, subur-
ban, and rural communities.
(http://www.epa.gov/greenkit/)
15
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Promoting Environmental
Sustainability
Green Purchasing
Government agencies are stimulating
demand and developing markets for envi-
ronmentally preferable production products
and services using their purchasing power.
Public agencies are: 1) changing their own pro-
curement practices; 2) organizing purchasing
alliances to further leverage buying power; and
3) increasing access to information regarding
environmental attributes of products and serv-
ices. Agency managers can use innovative prac-
tices to increase the availability of environ-
mentally preferable products and to encourage
other organizations to purchase them.
Environmentally Preferable
Purchasing—Washington
Uses procurement guidelines that
integrate environmental impacts and
life cycle assessment to stimulate
demand for green goods and services.
(http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/)
Green Power Purchasing—U.S. EPA
Establishes a green energy purchasing
cooperative and recognizes green ener-
gy buyer leaders to promote renewable
energy generation and reduce the cost
differential of green energy.
(http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/
buygreenpower/guide.htm)
Green Process and
Product Design
Environmental agencies can influence
business process and product design
decisions that improve environmental
outcomes. Innovative practices frequently:
1) target specific product constituents,
such as toxic chemicals, for pollution
prevention, waste minimization, and
resource conservation; 2) partner directly
with companies or industry associations,
particularly in the product design and
development phase, offering design advice
and incentives to adopt green processes
and products; 3) support research into
environmentally preferable substances and
processes; and 4) provide technical assis-
tance and basic tools to small businesses.
Agency managers can use innovative prac-
tices to help businesses understand the full
(and often hidden) costs of process and
product design choices.
Industrial Ecology—New Jersey
and New York
Uses an industrial ecology framework
(examining uses and flows of materials
and energy in products) to recom-
mend pollution prevention strategies
for five toxic chemicals contaminating
New York/New Jersey Harbor.
(http://www.nyas.org/programs/
harbor.asp)
Sustainable Futures Initiative
—U.S.EPA
Applies a structured pollution preven-
tion framework during product devel-
opment to reduce risk and costs of
future processes and products.
(http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/
newchems/sustainablefutures.htm)
16
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Promoting Environmental
Sustainability
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Product Collections,
Take-backs, and Recycling
Agencies are employing innovative prac-
tices to keep toxic substances, and products
containing them, from being landfilled or
improperly discarded. Innovative practices,
such as collection events and take back sys-
tems, are being used to address the logistical
challenge of collecting dispersed, used prod-
ucts and wastes. For example, many jurisdic-
tions have programs to collect scrap tires, used
motor oil, and other automotive product
waste. Efforts are growing to expand collec-
tion of used consumer electronic goods.
Agencies are supplementing targeted waste
collection activities with efforts to repair,
demanufacture, and/or recycle the products,
often teaming with private sector partners.
Agency managers can use product collection
efforts to mitigate the environmental and
human health impacts of specific products or
product constituents until more environmen-
tally preferable designs emerge.
Waste Tires to Heating Fuel—Missouri
Turns scrap tires into tire-derived fuel
that combined with coal; provides fuel
for the University of Missouri at a fuel
cost savings of $ 100,000 per year and
with reduced stack emissions.
(http://www.dnr.state.mo.us/magazine/
1999_spring/resource-honor-roll.htm)
Consumer Electronics Recycling-
Massachusetts
Promotes consumer electronics reuse
and recycling using a four-pronged plan
including market development, collec-
tion infrastructure,statewide recycling
contracts, and regulatory reform to take
cathode ray tubes off the hazardous
waste list, (http://www.mass.gov/
dep/recycle/crt/crthome.htm)
Climate Change
Public agencies are taking steps to reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while
improving energy efficiency and economic
performance. Public agencies are increasingly
realizing that many GHG reduction efforts have
additional benefits,such as reducing criteria pol-
lutant emissions associated with energy use and
combustion activities.Although addressing cli-
mate change issues can involve multi-national
cooperation, efforts on a smaller scale can add
up to big results. Public agencies are pursuing
innovative practices that include: 1) developing
GHG emission inventories;2) establishing and
committing to GHG reduction goals and targets;
and 3) developing action plans to achieve these
goals. Agencies are also implementing specific
GHG reduction projects with or without a link to
broader planning. Agency managers can use
innovative practices to assess the profile of GHG
emissions in their jurisdiction and to collabora-
tively plan an appropriate response strategy.
Greenhouse Gas Action Plan
—New Jersey
Commits to reduce GHG emissions to
3.5 percent below 1990 levels (20 mil-
lion tons), targeting five areas to reach
the goal: energy conservation; pollution
prevention; technology improvements;
recycling and waste management; and
resource protection.
(http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/gcc/
gcc.htm)
Carbon Sequestration—Mississippi
and Tennessee
Sequesters carbon in enhanced land-
scapes through public-private partner-
ships for ecosystem restoration and
reforestation in the lower Mississippi
Valley, (http://www.usbcsd.org/
lowermississippi.htm)
17
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Leveraging Partnerships
for Environmental
Community-based Environmental Partnerships * Government-Industry
Partnerships # Inter-Governmental Partnerships
At times, traditional regulatory and
programmatic remedies are insuffi-
cient to resolve an environmental
problem. Effective solutions might require
the participation of multiple actors, some of
whom are not easily reached through con-
ventional approaches. Innovative, collabora-
tive problem-solving and partnership
models are enabling environmental agencies
to tackle such complex environmental prob-
lems. Successful partnerships distribute the
challenge of finding solutions, enlisting part-
ners'energies and resources to achieve
mutually desired outcomes. Common part-
nership models include community-based
environmental partnerships (CBEPs), govern-
ment-industry partnerships, and inter-gov-
ernmental partnerships.
Community-Based
Environmental
Partnerships
Environmental partnerships are
enabling communities to face complex
environmental challenges that necessi-
tate behavior change on a scale that
cannot easily be secured when a public
environmental agency acts alone. CBEP
models typically focus on problems that:
1) require behavior change among multi-
ple actors, often including individuals and
households; and 2) are targeted in a specif-
ic geographic area.Targeted problems
include reducing the effects of toxic sub-
stances on human health and ecosystems,
improving indoor air quality, and improv-
ing the quality of life in urban areas.These
partnerships often attempt to leverage
existing community-based organizations to
engage in collaborative problem-solving
and to spur broad-based behavior
change. Outreach is a key element of
this model, although incentives can
supplement education efforts. Agency
managers can offer support to groups
pursuing CBEPs as a means to encour-
age greater local participation and
ownership of environmental improve-
ment efforts.
18
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Leveraging Partnerships for
Environmental Protection
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Neighborhood Contamination
Reduction—South Carolina
Enlists numerous community organi-
zations and local businesses to sup-
port education and outreach to
reduce community exposure to lead
and other hazardous substances as
part of the Charleston-North
Charleston Community-Based
Environmental Partnership (CBEP).
(http://www.epa.gov/region4/
programs/cbep/charleston.html)
Omaha Asthma Alliance—Nebraska
Created a coalition to lessen the
impact of asthma in the Omaha
Metropolitan area through the devel-
opment of a strategic plan that
addresses Alliance development, pro-
fessional education/training, public
and patient education, data gathering
and tracking, and advocacy.
(http://www.lungnebraska.org/
whatwedo/aalliance.asp)
Government-Industry
Partnerships
Partnerships among government agen-
cies and specific companies or industry
coalitions can offer a low-cost and more
inclusive approach to improving compli-
ance rates or achieving desired perform-
ance outcomes. While significant
environmental performance improvement
has been achieved through regulatory
approaches, opportunities exist in many sec-
tors to improve compliance rates and to
enhance environmental performance
beyond regulatory minimums. Government-
industry partnership models can include
several elements, such as: 1) research or joint
technology development or testing; 2) edu-
cation and outreach; 3) technical assistance;
4) regulatory or financial incentives; and 5)
public challenges and commitments.Trade
associations and other business organiza-
tions can play an important role by lowering
the transaction costs for interactions
between environmental agencies and indi-
vidual businesses. Agency managers can use
government-industry partnership models, or
piggyback on existing partnerships, to work
collaboratively with industry sectors to
address specific environmental challenges.
Sustainable Environment for
Quality of Life—North Carolina
and South Carolina
Establishes an integrated environmental
initiative for the 15-county metropolitan
Charlotte region in North and South
Carolina involving elected officials, local
government staff, business and industry
groups, economic development groups,
and environmental stakeholder groups
to work toward viable solutions to
regional growth, (http://www.seql.org)
Businesses for the Bay-
Chesapeake Bay Region
Engages State and local government
agencies with local businesses to tar-
get watershed pollution prevention
through voluntary commitments and
business-to-business mentoring.
(http://www.chesapeakebay.net/
b4bay.htm)
19
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Leveraging Partnerships for
Environmental Protection
Inter-Governmental
Partnerships
Inter-governmental partnerships are
enhancing the effectiveness of public
agency efforts to address complex envi-
ronmental challenges.These challenges
often involve diverse issue areas,such as
public health, natural resource management,
land use, transportation, and infrastructure.
Jurisdiction over these dimensions typically
resides in multiple agencies and organiza-
tions, making integrated solutions difficult
without coordination. In addition, some envi-
ronmental problems are better suited to a
regional approach that crosses county or
State lines. Inter-governmental partnerships
can enable public agencies to: 1) coordinate
effectively on solutions that require partici-
pation of multiple agencies; 2) pool
resources to address shared problems; and
3) enhance political or economic clout for
achieving a desired outcome. Agency man-
agers can pursue inter-governmental part-
nerships to align other relevant government
agencies in efforts to address strategic envi-
ronmental priorities.
Western Regional Air Partnership-
Western States,Tribes, and Federal
Agencies
Supports efforts to improve air quality
and visibility in Western States, provid-
ing policy and technical tools to
enable States and tribes to implement
the federal regional haze rule.
(http://www.wrapair.org/)
Great Lakes Commission—U.S. EPA,
Great Lakes States, Canada
Promotes the orderly, integrated, and
comprehensive development, use, and
conservation of the water and related
natural resources of the Great Lakes
basin and St. Lawrence River.
(http://www.glc.org/)
Tram
20
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Designing Targeted
Geographic Solutions
Certain environmental challenges
are strongly linked to place.
They require integrated, multi-
dimensional solutions that balance
competing pressures for preserving or
enhancing quality of life, economic devel-
opment, public health, ecosystem integrity,
and environmental quality. Innovative
practices are helping public environmental
agencies coordinate or participate in effec-
tive responses to such complex challenges
as open space protection, land redevelop-
ment, and maintenance of watershed and
airshed quality.
Land Conservation and
Growth Management
Public agencies are using innovative prac-
tices to conserve land and manage
growth. Managing quality of life and ecosys-
tem integrity is increasingly challenging as
development encroaches on farmland, rural
areas, and open space. Public agencies are
responding by: 1) implementing open space
preservation initiatives; and 2) promoting
high density, low impact development. For
example, States are purchasing land rights,
negotiating conservation easements, and
working with landowners to place lands in
trust. Agencies are also developing increas-
ingly sophisticated modeling tools to sup-
port managed growth without sacrificing
traditional development goals. Education
and outreach efforts are raising awareness of
the costs of sprawl and loss of open space.
Public environmental agency managers can
play an important role—in collaboration
with other partners—in mitigating land use
patterns that undermine aspects of environ-
mental quality that are critical to public
health, economic development, quality of
life, and ecosystem integrity.
Smart Growth Network—States
and U.S. EPA
Promotes economic development that
simultaneously fosters healthy commu-
nities, strong neighborhoods, and trans-
portation choices by providing tools,
resources, and information sharing.
(http://www.smartgrowth.org)
Livable Communities Program—
Minnesota
Creates a fund through the State legis-
lature to invest in local communities to
encourage affordable housing oppor-
tunities, investment in brownfields
redevelopment, and promotion of effi-
cient and connected development.
(http://www.metrocouncil.org/
services/livcomm.htm)
21
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Designing Targeted
Geographic Solutions
Brownfields
Numerous initiatives are underway to
speed the redevelopment of vacant, under-
used, and potentially contaminated prop-
erties in urban and rural areas. Cleaning up
and reinvesting in these"brownfields" proper-
ties both improves environmental quality and
relieves development pressures on undevel-
oped/'greenfields" land. Agencies are improv-
ing their brownfields and voluntary cleanup
programs to reduce factors that constrain
contaminated site cleanup and reuse, such as
uncertainty around liability and complexity of
cleanup and redevelopment requirements.
Agencies also use various economic tools,
such as loan and tax incentives, usually sup-
ported by State and federal appropriations, to
encourage contaminated site reuse by lower-
ing the cost relative to greenfields develop-
ment. Agency managers can use innovative
practices in this area to expedite cleanup of
contaminated sites and to rapidly return
properties to productive use.
The Independent Cleanup Pathway
—Oregon
Assists parties in cleaning up low and
medium priority contaminated sites,
under the state's Voluntary Cleanup
Program, without full agency over-
sight, but with State approval and
issuance of No Further Action determi-
nation upon completion.
(http://www.deq.state.or.us/wmc/
cleanup/icp-main.htm)
Tax Increment Financing-
Alabama and Other States
Uses the incremental difference in
tax revenues anticipated from growth
in property taxes generated by
cleanup and reuse to finance brown-
fields redevelopment.
(http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/
bftaxinc.htm)
Airshed Quality
Addressing airshed quality and the associ-
ated public health impacts, particularly in
urban nonattainment areas requires inno-
vative approaches to meet guidelines
while maintaining flexibility and promot-
ing economic growth. Federal mandates for
air quality, particularly ground-level ozone,
have set challenging limits for many cities,
especially those in nonattainment.To balance
growth and support business, States are turn-
ing to innovative practices that reduce ozone
creating pollutants. Incentives for business
action promotes emission reductions and
mitigates urban heat island effects. In addi-
tion, offset programs can enable continued
economic development while ensuring
overall pollution reductions are achieved.
Further State-federal cooperative efforts
provide flexibility in managing airsheds.
Atlantic Station—Georgia
and U.S. EPA Region 4
Classifies a brownfields redevelop-
ment on the former Atlantic Steel site
for its myriad of design and develop-
ment strategies to reduce transporta-
tion emissions as a Transportation
Control Measure (TCM) within the
State Implementation Plan (SIP).
(http://www.atlanticstation.com/
index.htm)
Ozone Flex Program—U.S. EPA
Region 6 and States in Region 6
Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) to
outline specific, voluntary, locally tai-
lored pollution control plans to reduce
or maintain ozone levels below the
one-hour standard, providing flexibili-
ty to meet federal mandates in areas
that currently exceed the eight-hour
standard.
(http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6pd/
air/pd-l/flex.htm)
22
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Designing Targeted
Geographic Solutions
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Watershed Quality
Whereas water quality management has
traditionally focused on permitted point
sources and their discharges, innovative
practices are taking a broader view by con-
sidering total watershed quality and exam-
ining solutions that simultaneously
address water quality, water quantity, and
habitat conditions.These efforts are supple-
menting point source, end-of-pipe regulatory
activity by: 1) targeting nonpoint water pollu-
tion sources; 2) enabling pollution controls to
be established where the most cost effective
improvements can be achieved; and 3) build-
ing partnerships with a full range of interest-
ed parties. States are turning to market
mechanisms such as upstream prevention
measures to reduce or eliminate the need for
plant site water treatment and wetlands miti-
gation banks to increase water quality and
habitat preservation cost effectively. Agencies
simultaneously are targeting diffuse, nonpoint
sources such as stormwater, animal feedlots,
and septic systems with voluntary incentive
programs and encouraging more effective
and widespread use of treated wastewater
through targeted water recycling efforts.
New York City Watershed
Protection—New York
Establishes watershed microbial con-
tamination protection measures
through land acquisition, land use
alteration, and stringent watershed
rules to avoid building a costly filtra-
tion plant for its drinking water.
(http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dep/
html/watershed.html)
Western Iowa Environmental
Stewardship Program—Iowa
Brings together livestock producers
and processors, federal and State regu-
lators, and academics to implement
voluntary, comprehensive nutrient
management plans to reduce soil ero-
sion and manure runoff.
(http://www.sectorstar.org/state/
Project.cfm?ProjectlD=103&StatePic=IA)
For More Information
EPA's National Center for Environmental
Innovation (NCEI) is dedicated to working with
public environmental agency managers to
connect innovative approaches to impor-
tant organizational needs and environ-
mental challenges.The Innovation
Portfolio, as well as additional examples of
innovative approaches that may be helpful
for States, can be found on NCEI's website at:
www.epa.gov/innovation
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