JvEPA State Innovation Grant Program: Indiana
Implementing an ERP to Reach Measurable Environmental Results in the
Compliance of Indiana's Auto Salvage Sector (2005 Competition)
In 2002 EPA introduced the State Innovation Grant Program to support
efforts led by state environmental agencies to test innovative approaches for
achieving better environmental results and improved efficiency in permitting
programs. Between 2002 and 2007, the State Innovation Grant program
competition awarded over six million dollars to support 35 state projects that
test permitting innovation for a variety of regulated entities including several
small business sectors. A summary of the awards by year appears in the
table below.
State Innovation Grant Program Statistics, 2002-2007
I Competition Proposals Proposals
Year Submitted Selected
2002/2003 I 9Q i fi
Total Program
Funding ($)
$618,000
$1.425 Million
$1.479 Million
Cumulative
$1.243 Million
$1.611 Million
$6.376 Million
"Innovation in Permitting" has been the theme of the State Innovation Grant
competition since its inception. In the last three competition cycles states
received awards for projects in the following three categories:
• The Environmental Results Program (ERP) is an innovative
approach to improving environmental performance based on a system
of the interlocking tools of compliance assistance, self-certification
(sometimes, where permissible, in lieu of permitting), and
statistically-based measurement to gauge the performance of an entire
business sector. The program utilizes a multimedia approach to
encourage small sources to achieve environmental compliance and
pollution prevention. (See: http://www.epa.gov/permits/erp/)
• Environmental Management System (EMS) is a system involving a
continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the
processes and actions that an organization undertakes to meet its
business and environmental goals. EMSs provide organizations of all
types with a structured system and approach for managing environmental
and regulatory responsibilities to improve overall environmental
performance and stewardship. (See: www.epa.gov/ems/info/index.htm)
• Performance Track is a partnership that recognizes top
environmental performance among participating US facilities of all types,
sizes, and complexity, both public and private.
(See: http://www.epa.gov/performancetrack/)
NCEI has provided awards also for projects testing watershed-based
permitting, and for permit process streamlining in past competitions. For
more information on the history of the programs, including information on
solicitations, state proposals, and project awards, please see the EPA State
tion Grants website at httD://www.eDa.aov/innovation/state
Project Background:
Historically, the Indiana Department of Environmental
Management (IDEM) has had difficulty ensuring
environmental compliance by the auto salvage sector.
Investigations conducted at these business sites resulted
solely from citizen complaints rather than through regular
compliance assessments. Significantly, IDEM's responses
to complaints contained no uniform standards or
guidelines for addressing cases involvingthe auto salvage
sector. These complaint-driven investigations often
revealed serious violations with significant impacts to the
air, land, and water. In the past, IDEM also lacked an
organized system for estimating the extent of unobserved
violations.
Project Description
Using resources from a US EPA State Innovation Grant,
IDEM is adapting the Environmental Results Program
(ERP) model, first demonstrated by the Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection for the dry
cleaning sector and subsquently modified for the Auto
Salvage Sector by the State of Rhode Island, to promote
measurable improvement in compliance in the auto
salvage sector. IDEM will use the ERP approach to
assist the Auto Salvage Recyclers (ASR) sector in
understanding and complying with program regulations
and going beyond compliance to prevent pollution and
enhance protection of public health and die environment.
IDEM will implement the ERP program with the
following activities:
Phase 1: Initial compliance inspection and
information-sharing
IDEM will identify and meet with external stakeholders,
including ASR and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV),
to explain, coordinate, collaborate, and plan for project
implementation. In addition to those meetings, IDEM
will conduct baseline inspections of randomly selected
NCEI
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
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facilities using a facility listing database provided by the
BMV.
Phase 2: Compliance assistance and information
development
The next phase of die project includes outreach efforts,
self-certifications, and compliance assistance, including
guidance manuals, a web site, workshops, confidential
phone assistance, and oil-site compliance assistance.
IDEM will encourage the use of Best Management
Practices (BMPs), and other effective business methods
to reduce pollution and achieve improved compliance.
This phase will also include utilization of a previously
designed manual for the auto salvage sector. This phase
will last approximately two years.
Phase 3: Second round of enforcement inspections
IDEM will complete this phase in the third quarter of
2009. After facilities have an opportunity to participate
in a self-certification program, IDEM will again establish
a random inspection process from the same BMV
database described above. IDEM will prepare the
appropriate multi-media enforcement response and track
the data from these inspections.
Phase 4: Analysis of the data and the development
of a report documenting results
IDEM will analyze and compare baseline, self-
certification and post-certification data to understand
changes in facility performance and overall outcomes
of interest. Compliance results from baseline inspections
will be compared to compliance results from this second
round of random inspections. Improved performance
will be determined through compliance rates, pollution
prevented, and the company's incorporation of BMPs
in salvage-yard practices. Any inherent biases will be
recorded and evaluated.
In addition, the information developed and gathered
during this project will have potential transferability to
other sectors.
Connection to EPA's Goals
Indiana's Auto Salvage Sector ERP Program will address
EPA's strategic goals by (Goal 2) protecting water sources
through cleanup, remediation, and compliance with
standards, (Goal 3) increasing the number of sites cleaning
up historical soil contamination, and (Goal 4) improving
relations with community members through reduction
in groundwater and soil pollution and increased dialogue
between community residents and facility owners/
operators. The program also supports EPA's strategic
goal (Goal 5) of promoting overall environmental
innovation and stewardship.
Project Contacts:
Rosemary Cantwell
Section Chief
Office of Land Quality
100 North Senate Avenue (MC: 66-20-2)
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251 (317) 308-
3003; (317) 308-3063-fax
rcantwel@idem. IN.gov
Marilou Martin
US EPA Region 5
77 WJackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-9660; (312) 353-5374-fax
martin.marilou@epa.gov
Scott Bowles
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460; MC (18071)
(202) 566-2208; (202) 566-2211-fax
bowles.scott@epa.gov
Program Contact:
grant-funded project will last three years until
September 2009.
This
Sherri Walker
State Innovation Grant Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460 (MCI 8071)
(202)-566-2186; FAX (202) 566-2220
walker.sherri@epa.gov
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation
(1807T)
October 2007
EPA-100-F-07-035
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