Compliance Assistance Centers
FY2008 Fact Sheet
May 2009
Office of Compliance
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (MC 2221-A)
Washington, D.C. 20460
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/assistance/centers/index.html
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Compliance Assistance Centers:
2008 Results
Innovative
Solutions
to your
Environmental
Challenges
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sponsored partnerships with industry,
academic institutions, and other agencies to launch 16 sector-specific Compliance
Assistance Centers (Centers). Each web-based Center addresses real world issues
in language that speaks to the regulated entities. Using virtual plant tours, telephone
assistance lines, "ask the expert", e-mail discussion groups, and other tools the Centers
are helping businesses, local governments, and federal facilities understand and comply
with federal environmental requirements and save money through pollution prevention
techniques.
www.assistancecenters.net
Center users tell us
that the Centers:
"Provide information
not available elsewhere
in a concise and well
organized manner."
"Provide better
understanding of
regulatory application to
my industry and answers
to specific questions."
"Make me aware of new
regulations and provide
examples and on-line
help and reports with
detailed examples."
"Assure that projects
I manage are suitably
designed to meet
regulatory intent and
requirements to the
greatest extent possible."
For more information
contact: Tracy Back
202.564.7076
back.tracy@epa.gov
Is Center Use Growing?
Yes, Center activity for FY
2008 increased 12% from FY
2007. In FY 2008, the Centers'
Websites were visited 2,220,000
times and experienced over 7
million requests for web pages
and compliance assistance
documents.
How is Center Satisfaction
and Use Assessed?
The Centers use two methods
to evaluate site activity, user
satisfaction, and use of Center
information. First, the Centers
uniformly filter and evaluate
their site activity data to
reflect as closely as possible
Center use by their intended
audiences. Second, the Centers
annually survey their users.
FY 2008 Survey results are
based on responses from 532
respondents.
Are Center Users Satisfied?
Yes, Center survey respondents
expressed a high degree of
satisfaction with Center services.
86% of the regulated community
respondents agreed or strongly
agreed that the Centers helped
them understand regulations that
apply to a business or government
sector. Likewise, 77% of the
assistance provider respondents
agreed or strongly agreed that the
Centers helped them understand
applicable environmental
requirements.
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2008
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www.assistancecenters.net
33%
How is Center Information Being Used?
Survey responses are consistent with previous
years' results and indicate that Center information
is well used. In fact, 72% of the survey
respondents from the regulated community took
action to improve environmental management
practices. Actions ranged form changing a
process or practice to contacting a regulatory
agency.
The assistance provider community is also
making changes based on Center information.
68% of the assistance provider community
respondents took one or more actions as a result
of Center use. Actions included helping clients
to: identify pollution prevention opportunities;
change processes or practices; change handling
of waste or emissions; and obtain a permit or
certification.
What Are the Benefits Of These Actions?
46% of the regulated community and 43% of
the assistance provider community respondents
indicated that they reduced, treated, or eliminated
pollution as a result of Center use.
Note: these measures are not calculated from a representative sample
of the regulated entity universe. The percentages are based, in part,
on the number of regulated entities that answered affirmatively to
these questions on voluntary surveys. The percentages do not ac-
count for the number of respondents who chose either not to
answer these questions or the survey
Regulated Entities
Actions Taken
• Identified poUution
prevention opportunity
• Performed self-audit
D Took other action
• Changed handling of
waste/emission
• Contacted vendor
• Contacted regulatory
agency
D Changed process /
practice
D Obtained permit /
32%
Assistance Providers
Helped Clients
22%
19%
17% 12%
• Identify poUution
prevention opportunity
• Change process or
practice
D Perform self-audit
D Change handling of
waste or emission
D Contact a regulatory
agency
• Contact regulatory
vendor
• Take other action
• Obtain a permit or
certification
Environmental Benefits- All Survey Responents
D Reduced or
eliminated
waste
• Reduced or
liminated air
emissions
• Reduced or
emliminated
emssions in
wastewater
In Summary:
The Centers are serving their intended purpose by providing
appropriate and current information which users indicate increases
their understanding of applicable regulations.
Center information is being put to good use. Respondents:
• Took action as a result of Center use
• Reported environmental improvements
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