EPA/,100/F-97/003
-I"'
Small Business
Compliance Assistance
Centers
Overview The Office of Compliance (OC) - in partnership with industry, academic institutions,
environmental groups, and other federal and state agencies - has established national
Compliance Assistance Centers for four specific industry sectors heavily populated
' ' •'- with small businesses that face substantial federal regulation. These sectors are
• \- •.'. printing, metal finishing, automotive services and'repair, and agriculture. .OC is
working on four new centers for: manufacturers of printed wiring boards, small •
chemical manufacturers, municipalities, and transportation.
Products1 & The purpose of the Centers is 'to improve compliance of the customers they serve by
Services increasing their, awareness of the pertinent federal regulatory requirements and by
providing the information that will enable them to achieve compliance. The Centers
accomplish this by offering the following: . _
^ ^'First-Stop Shopping" - serve as the first place that small businesses and
technical assistance providers go to get comprehensive, easy to understand ,
compliance information targeted specifically to industry sectors.
0- "Improved Information Transfer"-via the Internet and other means,
create linkages (1) between the small busmess community andproviders of
technical and regulatory assistance and (2) amongst the providers themselves
• to share.tools and knowledge and prevent duplication of Efforts.;
•<>> "Compliance Assistance Tools" - develop and disseminate plain-English
. ' guides, consolidated checklists, fact sheets, and other tools where needed by
small businesses and their information providers. .
• ',-..'• •• '•--'•.••' ' . , ' / •* . ' , '
•0> "Links Between Pollution Prevention and Compliance Goals" r provide
easy access to information and technical assistance on technologies to help
minimize waste generation and maximize environmental performance.
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Existing NATIONAL METAL FINISHING RESOURCE CENTER (NMFRC). NMFRC provides
Centers technical assistance and information on environmental compliance and pollution
prevention to the metal finishing industry. Contacts: National Center for
Manufacturing Science-Paul Chalmer (313-995-4911); EPA -Scott Throwe (202-
564-7013); Internet: http://www.nmfrc.org
PRINTER'S NATIONAL COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE CENTER (PNEAC). PNEAC provides
compliance assistance and pollution prevention information to the printing industry.
Contact: Illinois Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center-Gary Miller (217-
333-8942); EPA - Doug Jamieson (202-564-7041); Internet
http://www.hazard.uiuc.edu/pneac/pneac.html
GREENLINK™ -- THE AUTOMOTIVE COMPLIANCE INFORMATION ASSISTANCE
• CENTER. GreenLink™ provides compliance assistance to the automotive service
industry. To access'the center to get voice, facsimile, or mailed information, call the .
1 ' toll-free number at 1-888-GRN-LINK, or contact the web site at http://www.ccar-
greenlink.org: Contacts: U.S. EPA, Everett. Bishop (202) 564-7032; and CCAR,
Sherman Titens (816) 561-8388. - •/' .
THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURE COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE CENTER. The Center
provides information to help producers of agricultural commodities and their supporting
businesses meet their environmental requirements; prevent pollution before it occurs;
. and reduce costs by identifying flexible, common-sense ways to achieve compliance,
• Contacts: U.S. EPA, Ginah Mortensen, Telephone: (913) 551-7207: Fax: (913) 551-
7270; Internet http://es.inel.gov/oeca/ag/aghmpg.html
Future Chemical Manufacturers: Emily Chow (202-564-7071)-
Centers Printed Wiring Board Manufacturers. Keith Brown (202-564-7124).
- Municipalities: Wendy Miller (202-564-71-02) or John Dombrowski (202-564-7036).
Transportation Industry: Virginia Lathrop (202-564-7057).
General For general information regarding EPA5 s compliance assistance centers, contact Lynn
Contact Vendinello at (202) 564-7066.
' The overridiaffM&sioii of the Office of Compliance at EPA Headquarters is to improve compliance with
environmental fiwfc The Office of Compliance achieves this by setting nationfi-iorities, developing and
implementing in»ivative compliance monitoring techniques, collecting and analyzing compliance data,
'.promoting unique and varied compliance assistance to the regulated community, and supporting
' enforcementactivity. ThisFact Sheet is one in a series, intended to provide general information regardm
j the Office of Compliance activities. - _^____ '
THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE FACT SHEET SERIES
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Agriculture Compliance
Assistance Center
AGRICULTURE COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE CENTER
(AG CENTER)
OVERVIEW
\ . '
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) Office of Compliance, with the
support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture '(USD A), has'developed a national
\ ' Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center (Ag Center) to provide a base for "first-stop
shopping" for the agriculture community. The Ag Center provides a central location.for
obtaining comprehensive, easy-to-understand information abouf approaches to
compliance that are both environmentally protective and agriculturally sound. TheAg .
Center seeks to improve compliance by helping the agricultural community identify
flexible, common sense ways to comply with the many environmental requirements that
- affect their business. Initial efforts will focus on providing information about EPA's
requirements. ' ' ,
,„'=."_ ' '- . , ' ' - •' f - : .
INFORMATION ACCESS
The Ag Center will rely heavily oh existing sources of agricultural information and
established distribution mechanisms. The Ag Center is designed so growers, livestock
, producers, other agribusinesses and[agricultural information/education providers can
access its resources easily -- through telephone, fax,' mail, and Internet. The Internet
address is: http://es.inel.gov/oeca/ag/aghmpg.html. .
The Ag Center is coordinated from EPA's Kansas City regional office. This gives it
direct access to a large segment of the agriculturalcommunity, and first-hand information
on factors that affect the compliance of producers and agribusinesses.
INTEGRATING WITH OTHER AGRICULTURAL AGENCIES
Although-USDA and other agricultural agencies provide educational and technical
information, assistance in complying with environmental requirements has not been.as
.. readily accessible. The Ag Center will work.with USDA and other federal and state
. agencies to provide the .agricultural community with a definitive source for environmental
compliance information. . . ' ' -
THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE FACT SHEET SERIES
JANUARY 1997
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The Ag Center plans to provide information on a variety of topics, including:
Pesticides
Non-point source pollution
Grouridwater, surface water and
drinking water protection
Animal waste management
Agricultural worker protection
Wetlands protection
Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operations (CAFOs)
In addition, the Ag Center will support regional and state regulatory agencies in their
efforts to provide compliance assistance to local agricultural communities.
AG CENTER PRODUCTS & SERVICES
• Plain-Language Materials. User-friendly materials that consolidate information about
compliance requirements, pollution prevention, and technical assistance resources for use
by regional and state assistance and educational programs, trade associations, individual
businesses, citizens., and local governments.
• Links between Pollution Prevention and Compliance Goals.' Information related to . _
agriculture to help reduce pollution and increase use of the latest pollution prevention
methods and technologies. • •
' • Identify Ways to Reduce Compliance Costs. Identification of common sense, flexible
methods of reducing the costs of meeting environmental requirements, including
identification of barriers to compliance.
• Internet Home Page. A home page regularly updated and expanded with current news,
compliance policies, and guidelines, pollution prevention information, sources of
additional information, and expertise and summaries of regulatory initiatives and
requirements.
CONTACT
Ginah K. Mortensen ' .
EPA's Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center
726 Minnesota Avehue, Kansas City, KS 66lOl
Telephone: (913) 551-7207
• Fax:(913)551-7270 :
The overriding mission of the Office of Compliance at EPA Headquarters is to improve compliancywith
environmental law*. The Office of Compliance achieves this by setting national priorities, developing and
implementing innovative compliance monitoring techniques, collecting and analyzing compliance data,
promoting unique and varied compliance assistance to the regulated community, and supporting
enforcement activity. This Fact Sheet is one in a series, intended to provide general information
regarding the Office of Compliance activities.
THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE FACT SHEET SERIES
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Automotive Service & Repair
Compliance Assistance
Center - GREENLINK™
OVERVIEW
As a commercial/industrial sector, automotive service and'repair shops constitute the largest
small quantity generators of hazardous waste in the United States. These shops also may be
• subject to a variety of other eriyirdnmental regulations, including those affecting underground
-storage tanks, air emissions, and'wastewater discharge. Automotive service and repair shops ,
throughout the United States can now take advantage of a national compliance information . .
.assistance center, known as GreenLink™. ; .- ' ; - ..'•••
In a joint undertaking, EPA's Office of Compliance and the Coordinating Committee for
Automotive Repair (CCAR), a consortium of 38 industry affiliates, have developed a'centralized,
multi-accessible information system on compliance requirements, technology updates, and
pollution prevention programs. The Center also provides referrals to state compliance and
•technical assistance providers. The goal of GreenLink™ is to improve compliance by helping
the automotive service and repair community identify flexible, common sense ways to comply
with the many environmental requirements that automotive businesses are .subject to on a daily
basis. •.',-.'•'. : • '-. , " . • -... , T ' •
TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED
GreerihikTM provides information on a variety of topics, including:
Used Oil Management
Floor Drains (Storrhwater)
Antifreeze
Asbestos
Underground Storage Tanks
Pollution Prevention Alternatives
Hazardous Waste Identification
T Emergency Spill Procedures
Part Solvents •
Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning Repair
Air Emissions, Fuels and Vehicle Tampering
Paints and Thinners
ACCESSING THE CENTER
"By using a variety of communications technologies, GreenLink™ is available to anyone 24
hours;aday, 365 days a year. A user can call the toll-free number to get voice, facsimile, or
mailed information or use. the Internet or bulletin board services (e.g., COMPUSERVE, AMERICA
ON-LINE) to access GreenLink's™ computerized information system containing the same -
THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE FACT SHEET SERIES
JANUARY 1997
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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
• The P VE4C World Wide Web home page, regularly updated and expanded with'current
news, providing summaries of regulatory initiatives.and requirements for Peters,
• compliance policies and guidelines, pollution prevention case studies, sources of additional
• information and expertise, schedules of c9nferences and training events, answers to
common questions, and a place to post questions to industry compliance and pollution
prevention experts. ' .
• Fact sheets on a broad range of topics from ink recycling to alternatives for shop, towels .
and press cleaners.
'.. Participant manual and video from the Green and Profitable Printing video conference.
« • PRINTECH and PRINTREG listservs, which provide electronic links to technical
information and expertise on pollution prevention technologies and regulatory issues of •
concern to printers and government agencies..
• Model training packages on printing processes, regulatory issues, and pollution prevention
strategies.
• 800 number and far • ..'•-serv-ce.
• Clearinghouse of injc.- <«on, ..uaing summaries of regulations (federal and selected
states), "best in class" re -is *»•.« wnuals, checklists, and other guides. ,
• Environmental information and assistance focus group meetings conducted to determine
the needs of small printers.
CONTACTS '
Graphic Arts Technical Foundation-Gary Jones (412-621-6941).
Printing Industries of America-Ben Cooper (703-519-8114) Jt^v^
STs Waste Management and Research Center-Gary Miller (217-333-8940) and Deb Kramer
UnivSstyrf "wisSnsin-Wayne Pferdehirt (608-265-2361) and Tom Blewett (608-262-0936)
EPA - Doug Jamieson (202-564-7041)
activity. This Fact Sheet is one in a series, intended to provide general information
Compliance activities.
THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE FACT SHEET SERIES
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