State Innovation Grant Program: Indiana
Indiana Environmental Stewardship Program (2006 Competition)
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. Asummary of the awards by year appears in the table
below.
State Innovation Grant Program Statistics, 2002-2007
Competition Proposals Proposals Total Program
Year Submitted Selected Funding ($)
2002/2003
$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 Innovation Grants
te at httD://www.eDa.aov/innovation/statearar
Project Background:
For several years, the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management's (IDEM) Office of
Pollution Prevention & Technical Assistance (OPPTA)
has offered environmental recognition programs and
forums to Indiana businesses and industry to encourage
beyond compliance activities to protect die environment.
To further promote the use of environmental
management systems within Indiana, IDEM developed
a program to challenge business and industry to improve
and offer incentives beyond simple recognition.
ID EM's OPPTA has received a US EPA State
Innovation Grant to develop and implement the Indiana
Environmental Stewardship Program. The program
rewards businesses and industry that have committed to
continual improvement of their processes in order to
decrease negative environmental impacts through
regulatory and recognition incentives. With funds from
the EPA State Innovation Grant, IDEM is developing
its new state program as a stepping stone to becoming a
member in EPA's National Environmental Performance
Track.
Project Description
IDEM is implementing the Indiana Environmental
Stewardship Program (ESP) to achieve improved
environmental compliance, focusing on outcomes
(reduced emissions and higher compliance rates) over
traditional regulatory outputs (number of inspections and
permits issued) to measure performance. The goals of
the ESP are to promote continuous environmental
improvement and the use of environmental management
systems; provide opportunities through regulatory
flexibility incentives for members to shift resources to
continuous improvement activities; and focus limited state
resources on those facilities not proactively managing their
environmental responsibilities.
IDEM will provide specific regulatory flexibility to
companies that go beyond the compliance threshold
established by regulations, and who meet the complete
NCEI
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
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criteria of die ESP in order to help diem adopt innovative
approaches. A facility or corporation must meet diree
criteria to participate in the ESP:
• establishment and maintenance of an Environmental
Management System to integrate environmental
improvement in their business operation;
• maintenance of a satisfactory compliance record;
and
• establishment of a tangible commitment to
continuous environmental improvement.
To encourage companies to participate in the ESP, IDEM
will include within its incentives: permitting flexibility and
expedited permit applications and renewals; reduced
recordkeeping, reporting, and monitoring requirements;
and reduced routine inspections at die facility. Three new
rules are enacted in the Indiana Administrative Code,
specifically to establish support for these regulatory
incentives from die Indiana Air Pollution Control Board,
Indiana Water Pollution Control Board, and the Indiana
Solid Waste Management Board. The rules also outline
die program requirements.
The work will take three years to complete.
Connection to EPA's Goals
This program directly supports EPA's Strategic Goals by
(Goal 1) creating healthier outdoor air; (Goal 2) protecting
water quality; (Goal 3) reducing adverse effects to land by
reducing waste generation, increasing recycling, ensuring
proper management of waste and petroleum products,
and reducing chemical risks at facilities; and by (Goal 5)
improving environmental performance through pollution
prevention and innovations.
Project Contacts:
For more specific information on the Indiana State
Innovation Grant, please visit IDEM's ESP website at
http:// www.in.gov/idem/preveiitioii/esp / or contact
one of the individuals below:
Stacey Martindale
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Office of Pollution Prevention & Technical Assistance
100 North Senate Avenue
Mail Code 64-00
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251
(317) 233-5554
SMARTIND@idem.IN.gov
Marilou Martin
US Environmental Protection Agency — Region 5
77 W Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-9660; FAX (312) 353-5374
Martin. Marilou(5),ep a.gov
Scott Fontenot
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460; MC (1807T)
(202) 566-2236; FAX: (202) 566-2212
Foiitenot.Scott@.ep a.gov
Program Contact:
Sherri Walker
State Innovation Grant Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460 (MC1807T)
(202)-566-2186; FAX (202) 566-2220
walker.shem@epa.gov
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation
(1807T)
November 2007
EPA-100-F-07-043
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