State Innovation Grant Program
Sustainabile Washington (2007 Competition)
Washington
The State Innovation Grant Progi
In 2002 EPA introduced the State Innovation Grant Program to supp
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. 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
$1.243 Million
$1.611 Million
$0.825 Million
Cumulative
$7.201 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
ittD://www.eDa.aov/innovation/statear
Project Background:
Washington State Department of Ecology (WA DoE) is
working to integrate an Auto Body Environmental Results
Program (ERP) with a voluntary "beyond compliance"
small business environmental certification program. The
goal of this pilot is to improve small-business compliance
with air, water, and waste requirements while
encouraging entities to voluntarily implement pollution
prevention and sustainable business practices.
Project Description
The WA DoE pilot program is based on the ERP model—
sector-specific technical assistance, incentives,
compliance self-certification, site-assistance visits, and
statistically-based environmental business performance
indicators to measure sector compliance.
WA DoE is working in partnership with the auto body
industry and local governments to merge the ERP model
with the EnviroStars Program, a voluntary program that
certifies businesses for their efforts in preventing
pollution. EnviroStars is a service that was created by the
Local Hazardous Waste Program in King County and is
also offered in Jefferson, Kitsap, Pierce, and Whatcom
counties.
WA DoE has three primary objectives for its innovative
pilot program: 1) to conduct an integrated multi-media
ERP/EnviroStars pilot; 2) to work with the existing
EnviroStars Program partners toward an enhanced air,
water, and waste reduction program which incorporates
sustainability and environmental leadership, and 3) to
evaluate the pilot results and consider the enhancement
and expansion of the ERP and EnviroStars model—to
other sectors, and possibly statewide. The pilot project
will reach approximately 850 auto body businesses in the
Puget Sound region and Spokane River watershed in
Washington State. Technical assistance will be provided
to help with compliance and beyond compliance auto-
body industry performance.
WA DoE will distribute ERP materials, including an Auto
Body Pilot Technical Assistance Manual to all facilities in
the pilot area. The manual includes an overview of state
requirements and best management practices for air,
NCEI
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
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water, and hazardous waste, and shop management.
Technical assistance will include the opportunity for shops
to complete a return-to-compliance plan, in the event they
find areas of non-compliance during the self-certification
process. Follow-up technical assistance will be available.
Voluntary business participation in the EnviroStars program
will be tested in five local government jurisdictions through
the ERP self-certification and the site-visit process. The
EnviroStars criteria are included in the ERP checklist to
allow businesses to self-certify at as a three-star EnviroStar
level. EnviroStar businesses are given a two-to-five star
rating base on performance and commitments.
In addition, and in partnership with the EPA, WADoE has
incorporated the new Area Source Rule Notice of
Compliance (NOG) requirements into the self-certification
process, which will allow auto body shops to meet NOG
requirements when they self-certify compliance.
Local government partners play a key role in the delivery of
this pilot through the Local Source Control Partnership
established in 2008 to help restore and protect the Puget
Sound and Spokane River. The Local Source Control
Partnership includes 14 local governments which are
providing small businesses technical assistance to improve
business practices.
The emerging issues such as stormwater management
and new clean air regulations provide opportunities for WA
DoE to work in collaboration with local governments and
industry to produce measurable environmental results. WA
DoE expects that its collaboration with local governments
and the auto body industry will produce beneficial results
that can be considered when evaluating the pilot as a
statewide model for expansion into other sectors.
Project Update:
Project start date: February 1, 2007
As of October 2008, Ecology had:
• Finalized the Inspectors' Checklist
• Completed the draft Self-Certification Checklist
• Trained the local specialists conducting site visits
• Initiated baseline site visits
• Partnered with industry and vetted technical assistance
materials with stakeholders, and incorporated
comments
• Finished the draft Auto Body Pilot Technical Assistance
Manual
The work will be completed by 2010.
Connection to EPA's Goals
This program directly supports EPA's Strategic Goals by
(Goal 5) improving compliance and environmental
stewardship by emphasizing sustainability, private sector
incentives and business assistance. WA DoE's multi-media
approach addresses all five goals included in EPA's
Strategic Plan.
Project Contacts:
For information on the Washington State Innovation Grant
project, please visit WA DoE's website at http://
www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/lsp/index.html, the US EPA's
State Innovation Grant Program website at: http://
www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants/washington2007.htm ,
or contact one of the individuals below:
Alison Chamberlin, State Project Manager
Environmental Results Coordinator
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia.WA 98504-7600
360/407-7337; FAX 360/407-6715
acha461@ecy.wa.gov
Jack Boiler, EPA Grant Project Officer
US Environmental Protection Agency- Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
206-553-2953
boller.jack@epa.gov
Beth Termini, NCEI Technical Liaison
National Center for Environmental Innovation (MC1807T)
US Environmental Protection Agency (Region 1)
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100
Boston, MA021114
617-918-1662; FAX-617-918-1809
termini.beth@epa.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.sherri@epa.gov
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Policy,
Economics and Innovation
(1807T)
November 2008
EPA-100-F-08-078
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