Environmental Innovation
Strategic Approaches for Leading Change
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I
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Environmental
Preface Innovation Portfolio
Preface
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created a National Center for
Environmental Innovation to bring creativity to bear on solving pressing
environmental problems. Our long-term goals are to foster a performance-
oriented regulatory system, promote environmental stewardship behavior,
and create a culture of creative problem-solving.
In pursuing the Center's mission, we recognize the challenge State and federal
environmental managers face in finding effective new approaches to achieve
environmental results while robustly operating today's regulatory programs.
The good news is that the last decade has seen an unprecedented level of cre-
ative thinking and experimentation in State and local government and at EPA.
The paradox is that the resulting expansion of available approaches has made
it more difficult for State and federal managers to identify those strategies rel-
evant to their particular priorities.
This Environmental Innovation Portfolio was prepared to help overcome that
barrier by: 1) categorizing the types of strategies that environmental agencies
can use to reap better results; 2) highlighting promising projects as examples
of approaches that can be adopted or adapted; and 3) promoting network-
ing among people working on similar problems who can benefit from shared
experiences.
Our hope is that the Portfolio will help you take advantage of the wealth
of experience of your fellow travelers in the quest for increasingly effective
environmental protection strategies. We look forward to continuing our part-
nership with you in that journey, and in continuously improving our methods
for sharing our collective experience along the way.
Jay Benforado ^ . -^ — .
Director N O C. I
National Center for Environmental Innovation NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Contents
Contents
Introduction 1
Setting Strategic Direction and Priorities 4
—Planning
—Measurement and Indicators
Improving Agency Service Delivery 6
—Inspections and Enforcement
—Permitting
—Data Utilization and Information Management
—Public Education, Outreach, and Engagement
Enhancing Regulatory Outcomes 9
—Permit Flexibility
—Pollutant Trading
—Small Business Assistance Programs
Supporting Superior Environmental Performance 12
—Leadership Programs
—Challenge Partnerships
—Sector-Based Performance Strategies
—Environmental Management Systems
Promoting Environmental Sustainability 15
—Green Building
—Green Purchasing
—Green Process and Product Design
—Product Collections, Take-Backs, and Recycling
—Climate Change
Leveraging Partnerships for Environmental Protection 18
—Community-Based Environmental Partnerships
—Government-Industry Partnerships
—Inter-Governmental Partnerships
Designing Targeted Geographic Solutions 21
—Land Conservation and Growth Management
—Brownfields
—Airshed Quality
—Watershed Quality
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Introduction
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
A
s an environmental agency executive, you know that our system of environmental
protection is in transition. More and more, State and federal agencies are trying non-
traditional approaches to:
• Solve increasingly complex problems not easily addressed by conventional regulatory
solutions.
• Harness better information and technology for environmental gains.
• Move beyond the limitations of single media approaches.
• Encourage environmental stewardship to improve environmental performance and rede-
fine business relationships.
• Accomplish more in the face of budget constraints.
Agency leaders recognize that it is no longer possible to simply implement traditional pro-
grams and that it is necessary to identify the most pressing environmental concerns and
apply available tools to solve them.
The Purpose of This Portfolio
In response to this challenge, federal and State agencies have developed many innovative
strategies, ranging from changes in specific programs to changes in organizational systems
and culture. There has been no easy way, however, for other innovators to access and take of
advantage of this body of experience.
The Portfolio highlights a broad array of
projects and programs that are underway in
States and EPA to enhance public agencies'
productivity, drive environmental perfor-
mance improvement, and tackle complex
environmental problems.
Therefore, this "Innovation Portfolio" has been developed as a quick navigational guide to the
expanding variety of innovative strategies and practices available to public environmental
agencies. The Portfolio highlights a broad array of projects and programs that are underway in
States and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enhance public agencies' pro-
ductivity, drive environmental performance improvement, and tackle complex environmental
problems. Targeting State and federal environmental executives as the primary audience, the
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Introduction
document helps you effi-
ciently sort through the myri-
ad of "good ideas" and locate
those most relevant to you.
Anyone interested in cre-
ative strategies can use the
document to stimulate new
thinking and identify specific
project opportunities.
The document groups inno-
vative approaches into seven
descriptive categories, or
"change areas" for improved
environmental performance.
A quick scan of the Portfolio
will reveal innovation oppor-
tunities relevant to priorities
in your organization. Once
you identify an area of
interest, descriptions of
innovative approaches,
accompanied by a few
illustrative examples, will
help you access ideas and
experiences from other orga-
nizations.
Numerous examples of
specific innovative practices,
projects, and programs devel-
oped by State agencies, EPA,
and partnerships illustrate
promising "real-world"
activities that can be adopted
or adapted in your organiza-
tion. From the expansive
collections of innovations
available, we selected exam-
ples that have been used by
environmental agencies to
address a core agency func-
tion and that have experi-
enced a degree of success.
Seven Change Areas for Improving
Environmental Performance
1. Setting Strategic Direction and Priorities
—Planning
—Measurement and Indicators
2. Improving Agency Service Delivery
—Inspections and Enforcement
—Permitting
—Data Utilization and Information
Management
—Public Education, Outreach, and Engagement
3. Enhancing Regulatory Outcomes
—Permit Flexibility
—Pollutant Trading
—Small Business Assistance Programs
4. Supporting Superior Environmental
Performance
—Leadership Programs
—Challenge Partnerships
—Sector-Based Performance Strategies
—Environmental Management Systems
5. Promoting Environmental Sustainability
—Green Building
—Green Purchasing
—Green Process and Product Design
—Product Collections, Take-backs and Recycling
—Climate Change
6. Leveraging Partnerships for Environmental
Protection
—Community-Based Environmental
Partnerships
—Government-Industry Partnerships
—Inter-Governmental Partnerships
7. Designing Targeted Geographic Solutions
—Land Conservation and Growth Management
—Brownfields
—Airshed Quality
—Watershed Quality
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Introduction
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Leading Change in Your Organization
In addition to the challenge of finding the most appropriate strategy for solving a particular
problem, today's public sector environmental managers have the responsibility—and opportu-
nity—to create an organizational climate conducive to innovative approaches that supplement
and enhance traditional environmental management activities. Modeling and creating space for
"innovativeness" and aligning organizational systems to support development and implemen-
tation of new approaches are key aspects of this broader leadership challenge. The following
strategies have proven effective at creating an innovation-friendly organization:
• Define strategic goals as outcomes, not activi-
ties. Defining outcomes allows individuals and
organizations to develop creative and innovative
solutions to environmental problems.
• Ask questions that encourage creativity. Start
by asking the right questions: What is the environ-
mental problem we are trying to solve? Who cares
about this problem and might partner to meet
shared goals? What are the tools and practices
available for problem solving? Can performance
goals provide flexibility in meeting established
requirements?
• Facilitate horizontal and vertical information
flow. Non-conventional flows of information
create space for new perspectives and enable
employees to connect new ideas to needs. Involving employees from day-to-day program
operations brings front-line experience to change efforts, helping to ensure effective and
durable solutions.
• Encourage collaboration. Collaborative problem-solving, which engages diverse partici-
pant perspectives, is key to crafting innovative solutions to specific environmental chal-
lenges.
• Recognize and reward innovation. Effectively motivating individuals is critical to devel-
oping and successfully applying new practices and tools to environmental protection.
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Setting Strategic
Direction and Priorities
Planning # Measurement and Indicators
Tne need for strategic planning and
measurement processes has risen as
agencies grapple with complex, cross-
media environmental challenges not easily
addressed through conventional regulatory
programs. Innovative practices are enabling
agencies to improve decision-making, focus
resources on priority needs, measure progress,
communicate results, and continually improve
environmental management efforts.
Planning
Agencies are increasingly recognizing
the importance of strategic planning
to enhance the productivity of public
resources. Improved planning processes are
helping agencies: 1) target resources where
they are needed most and identify activities
for disinvestment; 2) establish timelines to
address priority problems in a practical man-
ner; and 3) communicate desired outcomes
and measures to internal and external stake-
holders. Planning can be applied at various
levels, targeting agency-wide, sector-focused,
or media-specific activities. Efforts to weave
strategic planning into the organizational
fabric of agencies are linking strategic direc-
tion with budgeting, program execution, and
performance measurement. Adopting an
ongoing management process for aligning
organizational activities with strategic priori-
ties significantly increases the productivity
and impact of planning. Through environ-
mental agreements, such as Performance
Partnership Agreements, States and EPA are
working to align planning and priority-
setting activities to leverage broader impacts
and to clarify roles and accountability.
Agency managers can use innovative prac-
tices to bring planning to life, identifying
strategic priorities and aligning programs,
initiatives, and resources to achieve results.
Compliance Team Planning
Process—Indiana
Incorporates agency-wide, holis-
tic compliance and enforcement
planning into the Performance
Partnership Agreement through the
creation of a team of senior managers
representing several media divisions
and regions.
(http://www.in.gov/idem/5476.htm)
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Setting Strategic
Direction and Priorities
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Planning Partnerships—Utah
Coordinates planning efforts
between the Utah Department of
Environmental Quality and U.S. EPA
Region 8 throughout the National
Environmental Performance
Partnership System (NEPPS) and with
12 local health departments to devel-
op an Environmental Service Delivery
Plan, (http://www.eq.state.ut.us/
references/planning/)
Measurement
and Indicators
Public agencies are improving performance
measurement, enabling better informed
priority setting and decision-making.
Significant progress is being made in devel-
oping indicators and performance measures
that shed light on: 1) environmental quality
outcomes at various geographic levels (e.g.,
watershed, State, regional, national); 2) envi-
ronmental performance of specific sources
and sectors; and 3) the implementation status
and effectiveness of agency environmental
improvement programs. Progress is also being
made in developing innovative practices and
tools for managing, sharing, and communi-
cating performance measures and indicators.
Practices in this area help agency managers
better assess environmental quality and per-
formance outcomes, making it possible to
better target programmatic and policy inter-
ventions and to evaluate their effectiveness.
Environmental Indicators—U.S. EPA
Provides a framework for States and
U.S. EPA regions to measure and report
geographically scalable information on
environmental conditions and trends
to help construct a robust decision
support framework and the report-
ing of environmental progress in a
comprehensive manner to the public.
(http://www.epa.gov/indicators/)
King County Measuring for
Results—Washington
Publishes an annual report to share
environmental goals, progress, and
results with the public; indicators
focus on measurement of agency
program outcomes, (http://www.king-
county.gov/environment/data-and-
trends/indicators-and-performance.
aspx)
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improving Agency
Service Delivery
Management # Public Education, Outreach, and Engagement
Pressures grow each year to improve
the quality and cost-effectiveness of
environmental agency service deliv-
ery. Innovative practices enable agencies to
improve their core functions, minimizing time
and resource requirements while maintaining
or improving environmental outcomes. These
efforts are resulting in better service to part-
ners and customers, while freeing resources to
address additional environmental priorities.
Inspections and
Enforcement
Environmental agencies are improving the
efficiency and effectiveness of compliance
assurance activities. Innovative practices
focus on: 1) tailoring compliance oversight
approaches to risk-based priorities; 2) chang-
ing the way inspections are carried out; and 3)
developing alternatives to inspections. Moving
away from a one-size-fits-all approach, agen-
cies are matching facility or sector compliance
rate and risk profiles with the appropriate level
of inspection, reporting and monitoring, and
compliance assistance. Multimedia facility
inspections are reducing the time and cost of
onsite inspections. Agencies are also reducing
the inspection resources devoted to high-
performing facilities by allowing facility self-
auditing and self-reporting as an alternative to
conventional inspections. Agency managers
can use innovative practices to better target
and enhance the effectiveness of compliance
assurance resources.
Self-Auditing and Reporting—
Rhode Island
Allows certain high-performing indus-
trial facilities to pursue self-auditing
and self-reporting to reduce the
frequency of inspections undertaken
by the Narragansett Bay Commission.
(http://www.epa.gov/projectxl/nbc/
index.htm)
Sector-Focused Compliance
Assistance—U.S. EPA
Through a mixture of compliance
assistance and compliance incentives,
EPA worked with the largest trade
association for industrial bakers to
reduce or eliminate leaks of ozone-
depleting substances used in refrig-
eration equipment, (http://www.epa.
gov/Compliance/civil/programs/caa/
bakery/)
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Improving Agency
Service Delivery
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Permitting
Agencies are applying business manage-
ment tools to reduce permit lead times,
errors, and program costs. Environmental
permitting programs are sometimes the focus
of stakeholder frustration due to permitting
backlogs, long lead times, costs, and uncer-
tainty. State and local permitting authorities are
streamlining air, water, and waste permitting
activities in creative ways. Efforts center on two
areas: 1) improving internal agency permitting
processes; and 2) shifting away from media-
specific permitting for individual facilities. Some
agencies are applying business improvement
techniques such as Six Sigma and lean manu-
facturing to analyze and drive improvement in
their permitting processes. Agency managers
can apply innovative permitting and process
improvement practices to streamline permit-
ting programs and reduce permitting backlogs
and turn-around times.
Data Utilization and
Information Management
New information management systems
are allowing States and EPA to improve
environmental program management
and decision-making. Advances in informa-
tion management are enabling agencies to:
1) access and analyze current and historical
data; 2) share and aggregate data across juris-
dictions; 3) present data in formats that
support improved decision-making; 4)
collect data electronically in a stream-
lined manner; and 5) use information
technology to provide new and bet-
ter services. For example, imple-
mentation of electronic information
exchange mechanisms between facili-
ties and agencies improves data qual-
ity and reduces administrative burden.
Many States are enhancing their informatio
technology systems and are connecting to
the State-EPA Exchange Network, improvir
Lean Air Permitting Process—Iowa
Uses "lean" rapid improvement meth-
ods developed in the manufactur-
ing sector to systematically identify
and eliminate unneeded steps and
redundant activities in the permitting
process, while fostering continuous
improvement and employee involve-
ment. (http://www.iowadnr.com/
air/prof/kaizen/kaizen.html)
Environmental Results Program-
Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
and Florida
Implements a multimedia, sector-
based regulatory approach, targeting
sectors with large numbers of small
sources, as an alternative to facility-
specific State permits with industry-
wide environmental performance
standards and annual self-certifica-
tions of compliance.
(http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/
envrespr.htm, http://www.state.ri.us/
dem/programs/benviron/assist/index.
htm, http://www.dep.state.fl.us/
waste/categories/hazardous/pages/
AutomotiveCompliance.htm, http://
www.epa.gov/permits/erp/index.htm)
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Improving Agency
Service Delivery
information flows and data sharing. In addi-
tion, innovative geographic information
integration is empowering planning process-
es around the country. Agency managers
can use innovative information manage-
ment practices to greatly enhance the value
of information that is currently collected—to
better inform decision-making, clarify exter-
nal communications, and reduce the burden
of data collection and management.
creative forums to enhance communication
around important environmental challenges
and to solicit input and support on agency ini-
tiatives; and 2) establishing effective channels
for engaging with public inquiries, comments,
and concerns. Agency managers can enhance
the durability of agency decisions and initia-
tives through effective public engagement,
and can strengthen public support through
responsiveness to questions and concerns.
Electronic Discharge Monitoring
Reports—Michigan
Automates discharge monitoring
reports for NPDES facilities to com-
plete, sign, submit, edit, and re-submit
"eDMR" forms online.
(https://secure1.state.mi.us/e2rs/)
Smart Growth INDEX—States
and U.S. EPA
Simulates alternative land use and
transportation scenarios using CIS
sketch models to incorporate smart
growth principles into planning pro-
cesses.
(http://www.epa.gov/ smartgrowth/
topics/sg_index.htm)
Pollution Complaint Response—Indiana
Coordinates an agency-wide, multime-
dia response to citizen inquiries and
complaints using Web-based informa-
tion, enabling the agency to reduce
costs and increase public trust.
(http://www.in.gov/idem/5274.htm)
Ford Good Neighbor Dialogue—Illinois
Brings together stakeholders, academ-
ics, and agency representatives in a
collaborative process to periodically
discuss a large manufacturing facility's
environmental management and per-
formance.
(http://www.delta-institute.org)
Public Education, Outreach,
and Engagement
Numerous States are pioneering collabora-
tive stakeholder involvement processes
to improve the quality and acceptability
of environmental improvement initiative
outcomes. Environmental agencies are build-
ing trust and understanding—which enables
behavior change—among stakeholder groups
through communication, involvement, and
responsiveness. Innovative practices are: 1)
bringing together diverse stakeholders in
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Enhancing Regulatory
Outcomes
Permit Flexibility # Pollutant Trading # Small Business Assistance Programs
States and EPA are developing innova-
tive practices to facilitate improved
environmental performance outcomes
and regulatory compliance at lower overall
cost. Market-based approaches provide flex-
ibility that enables regulated entities to direct
resources to least-cost opportunities for meet-
ing requirements. Practices in this area are
improving communication between public
agencies and regulated entities, while focusing
collective attention on performance results.
Permit Flexibility
States, in partnership with EPA, are devel-
oping alternative approaches to permitting
that encourage improved environmental
performance and enhance business com-
petitiveness. These innovative practices
address concerns among the regulated com-
munity related to the time, cost, and certainty
associated with obtaining and operating
under conventional air, water, and waste
permits. Innovative permitting practices typi-
cally work in the context of existing applicable
requirements. For instance, innovative permit-
ting practices: 1) focus attention on a facility's
actual environmental performance results;
2) reduce the frequency of reporting where a
facility is well under applicable limits; 3) allow
a facility to make operational changes through
a streamlined process; and 4) move away
from facility-based to general permits. Agency
managers can use flexible permitting practices
to address industry requests for increased
operational flexibility while maintaining and
enhancing environmental protections.
Watershed-Based Stormwater
Permits—Michigan
Establishes a voluntary watershed-
based NPDES general permit for
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer
Systems (MS4s) to encourage stormwa-
ter management on a watershed basis;
includes a discharge elimination plan,
public education and participation,
and pollution prevention measures.
(http://www.michigan.gov/deq/
0,1607,7-135-3313_3682_3716-
24366-,OO.htm)
MACT Rule for Pharmaceuticals
-U.S. EPA
Provides industry the option of meet-
ing air toxics requirements by installing
new air emission control equipment
or by meeting an alternative, pollution
prevention, performance-based stan-
dard that shifts the focus to improving
production processes.
(http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/pharma/
pharmpg.html)
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Enhancing
Regulatory Outcomes
Pollutant Trading
States and EPA regions are using
pollutant trading to reduce the cost of
complying with permitted emission and
effluent discharge levels. Pollutant trad-
ing programs create a market in which
sources that reduce pollutants below
required levels are allowed to sell their
excess emission reduction credits to
sources where it may be more expensive
to reduce pollution to required levels.
Trading systems create opportunities to
reduce pollution at lower cost and at a
more rapid pace than conventional permit-
ting systems. Trading programs can also be
designed to encourage participation (and
emissions reductions) from sources that
may not be required to reduce pollutant
levels, such as non-point agricultural sourc-
es. Trading programs can be implemented
at a range of levels, from inter-plant trading
to regional trading, and for a wide variety
of air and water pollutants. Agency man-
Long Island Sound Nutrient
Trading—Connecticut
Reduces nitrogen loads in Long Island
Sound using a watershed permit for all
wastewater treatment plants. Sources
discharging less than their annual limit
receive credits for overcontrol and
facilities that exceed their limit must
purchase nitrogen discharge credits.
(http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.
asp?a=2719&q=325572&depNav_
GID=1654)
RECLAIM—California
Establishes facility-wide emissions
limits for refineries, power plants, and
other large stationary sources of NOX
and SOX in the Los Angeles area. Each
year, emissions limits are reduced and
sources can buy or sell emissions cred-
its to meet permitted levels, (http://
www.aqmd.gov/reclaim/reclaim.html)
agers can use trading systems in certain
situations to lower the cost of pollutant
reductions and to achieve more environ-
mental improvement faster.
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Enhancing
Regulatory Outcomes
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Small Business Assistance
Programs
States and EPA are deploying a range of
innovative practices and tools to support
small businesses in understanding and
complying with regulatory obligations
and in continually improving environ-
mental performance. Many small business-
es do not have environmental managers; in
those that do, the managers wear several
functional hats, limiting their ability to devel-
op and maintain sophisticated environmen-
tal and compliance management systems.
Common innovative practices and tools
include: 1) guidebooks and materials that
clearly and concisely articulate requirements
and environmental management opportu-
nities; 2) technical assistance and hotlines
that assist small businesses in addressing
environmental needs; and 3) regulatory
and programmatic approaches that simplify
compliance obligations for small businesses.
Agency managers can use innovative prac-
tices in this area to improve small business
compliance rates and environmental perfor-
mance, while reducing their overall environ-
mental management costs.
Practical Guide to Environmental
Management for Small Business—
U.S. EPA
Provides practical information and a
step-by-step guide for small businesses
on how to organize their environmental
management responsibilities in a sim-
ple, productive, and cost-effective way.
(http://www.smallbiz-enviroweb.
org/Resources/smallbizfiles/Elvl_
Guide0902.pdf)
Small Business Hotline and Assistance
Centers—States and U.S. EPA
Provides direct assistance for small
businesses on a number of envi-
ronmental topics, both general and
program-specific. Numerous com-
pliance assistance documents have
been developed to assist with specific
environmental compliance and perfor-
mance needs.
(http://www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org)
11
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Supporting Superior
Environmenta
Performance
Performance Strategies # Environmental Management Systems
12
nnovative practices seek to build on the
foundation provided by the environmen-
tal regulatory framework, providing incen-
tives for environmental performance above
required levels and forging collaborative rela-
tionships with volunteering organizations.
Leadership Programs
Environmental "leadership programs" are an
important model for encouraging and reward-
ing "beyond compliance" environmental
performance among the regulated commu-
nity. Voluntary leadership programs typically
establish criteria—such as implementation
of an environmental management system
(EMS), a track record of sound environmental
performance, commitments to improve future
performance—that regulated organizations
must meet to gain entry. Participating organi-
zations receive access to a variety of benefits
such as: 1) public recognition; 2) regulatory
incentives designed to reduce the organi-
zations' compliance costs; and 3) access to
information or technical assistance designed
to facilitate environmental improvement.
Several programs rely on a "tiered" approach
that links increasing benefits to increasing
levels of performance or commitments. Efforts
are underway to link and align leadership
programs at the State and national levels to
improve consistency and strengthen benefits.
Agency managers can encourage enhanced
environmental performance and reduce the
compliance cost to high-performing facilities
through the deployment of leadership pro-
grams and associated incentives.
Clean Texas Program—Texas
Provides member facilities with vari-
ous State regulatory incentives if they
maintain a high-quality EMS, pollu-
tion prevention program, and compli-
ance record.
(http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assis-
tance/cleantexas/cleantexas.html)
Drycleaners Five Star Recognition
Program—Wisconsin
Recognizes drycleaners that volun-
tarily are working to minimize waste.
The system is designed to help con-
sumers identify those businesses that
are making a difference in the envi-
ronment.
(http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cea/assis-
tance/drycleaning/Sstar/)
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Supporting Superior
Environmental Performance
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Challenge Partnerships
Voluntary challenge partnerships can
motivate environmental performance in
new areas or beyond levels required by
law without requiring time-consuming
or expensive regulatory action. These
programs recognize voluntary environ-
mental improvement actions in targeted
areas, such as reducing water use or emis-
sions of certain pollutants. Participating
companies typically receive public relations
benefits associated with recognition of
their improvement actions. Some chal-
lenge partnerships also provide tools and
technical assistance to support organiza-
tions in reaching established challenge
goals. Voluntary challenge partnerships can
target specific industry sectors, or be open
to broader participation. Challenge part-
nerships can also create peer pressure for
participation and environmental improve-
ment. Agency managers can use challenge
partnerships to communicate environmen-
tal improvement priorities to the regulated
community and to motivate cost-effective
performance improvement.
Environmental Leaders of
Maine (Formerly Maine STEP-UP
Program)—Maine
Offers assistance and recognition to
businesses interested in implementing
sustainable practices.
(http://www.maine.gov/dep/innovation/
elm/)
WasteWise Program—U.S. EPA
Encourages partners to design solid
waste reduction programs and pro-
vides technical assistance, information,
and recognition to participating orga-
nizations.
(http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/)
Sector-Based
Performance Strategies
Sector-based strategies create an oppor-
tunity for regulators and sector repre-
sentatives to collaboratively remove
factors that constrain environmental
performance improvement and develop
approaches and tools that encourage con-
tinual performance improvement within
the sector. Organizations within a particular
industry or service sector often face common
environmental challenges and opportunities
that can differ from those faced by other sec-
tors. States and EPA are working with many
sectors to: 1) address sector-specific envi-
ronmental problems; and 2) develop envi-
ronmental management tools, such as EMS
guides, that can help enhance environmental
performance in the sector. Agency man-
agers can address priority environmental
challenges in their jurisdiction by working
collaboratively with relevant industry sectors
through an existing sector-based program or
by launching a new sector-based initiative.
Sector Strategies Program—U.S. EPA
Convenes stakeholders in government
and the private sector to work together
to achieve industry-wide environmen-
tal gains through innovative actions in
12 manufacturing and service sectors.
(http://www.epa.gov/sectors/)
Cleaner Production Challenge-
Washington
Helps companies in the aerospace parts
manufacturing, and plating and circuit
board manufacturing industries reduce
the amount of water used, wastewa-
ter produced, and hazardous sludge
generated by offering onsite technical
assistance, employee training, ven-
dor workshops, and peer exchanges.
(http://www.pprc.org/cpc/index.htm)
13
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Supporting Superior
Environmental Performance
Environmental
Management Systems
States and EPA have been actively pro-
moting the widespread use of EMSs. EMSs
provide organizations of all types with a
structured approach for managing environ-
mental and regulatory responsibilities to
improve overall environmental performance,
including areas not subject to regulation such
as resource conservation and energy efficien-
cy. EMSs can also help organizations integrate
all these environmental considerations, and
get better results, by establishing a continu-
ous process of checking to make sure envi-
ronmental goals are met, and responding if
problems occur. From a business perspective,
they can often help make organizations more
efficient and more competitive and help
address other important issues such as secu-
rity at key facilities. EMSs are not a substitute
for strong regulatory and enforcement pro-
grams, but rather complement them. EMSs
can indicate opportunities for environmental
agencies to streamline regulations, and can
be used to support compliance assistance,
monitoring, and enforcement.
PEER Centers—U.S. EPA
The Public Entity EMS Resource (PEER)
Initiative provides a broad array of
information and tools to help public
entities (primarily local governments)
understand and adopt EMSs for their
operations.
(http://www.peercenter.net)
Hospitals and Healthcare—U.S. EPA
Encourages the health care industry
in U.S. EPA Region 2 to move beyond
compliance through the use of EMSs.
U.S. EPA Region 2, in collaboration
with hospitals, advocacy groups, and
trade associations, has developed
an EMS template for the industry to
better understand its environmental
impacts and associated regulations.
(http://www.epa.gov/region02/
healthcare)
14
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Promoting
Environmenta
Sustainability
Green Building # Green Purchasing # Green Process and Product Design
# Product Collections, Take-backs, and Recycling # Climate Change
Communities are increasingly inter-
ested in reducing the environmental
footprint of economic activities and
are looking to public agencies to encourage
sustainable behaviors. Agencies are imple-
menting sustainability initiatives internally
and are encouraging other organizations
and companies to adopt similar practices.
Innovative sustainability practices are target-
ing buildings and property development,
production processes, products, and waste
generation to cost-effectively lower the
material requirements, energy needs, and
environmental risk of economic activity.
Green Building
Green building practices are reducing envi-
ronmental impacts by influencing design,
construction, and deconstruction choices.
Innovative practices are promoting a variety of
sustainable building techniques, such as use
of green building materials, energy and water-
efficient design, and demolition material reuse
and recycling. Other innovative practices are
taking a broader perspective by facilitating
sustainable design at the neighborhood or
community level. Innovative green building
practices are: 1) disseminating information on
green building techniques; 2) developing
tools to facilitate green design choices; and
3) leveraging government's ability to lead by
example through its building and construc-
tion choices. Agency managers can use these
techniques to address specific waste, energy,
or water challenges, and to complement
broader efforts to encourage environmentally
sustainable behaviors.
Building Deconstruction and
Reuse—Florida
Coordinates the designation of
valuable materials from building disas-
sembly for reuse in a community orga-
nization building expansion, reducing
landfilling and saving resources.
(http://www.deconstructioninstitute.com)
Green Communities Program
-U.S. EPA Region 3
Extends access to tools, technical
assistance, and training to integrate
environmental goals with economic
and social goals applicable to urban,
suburban, and rural communities.
(http://www.epa.gov/greenkit/)
15
-------
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Promoting Environmental
Sustainability
Green Purchasing
Government agencies are stimulating
demand and developing markets for envi-
ronmentally preferable production products
and services using their purchasing power.
Public agencies are: 1) changing their own
procurement practices; 2) organizing purchas-
ing alliances to further leverage buying power;
and 3) increasing access to information regard-
ing environmental attributes of products and
services. Agency managers can use innovative
practices to increase the availability of environ-
mentally preferable products and to encourage
other organizations to purchase them.
Environmentally Preferable
Purchasing—Washington
Uses procurement guidelines that
integrate environmental impacts and
life cycle assessment to stimulate
demand for green goods and services.
(http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/)
Green Power Purchasing—U.S. EPA
Establishes a green energy purchasing
cooperative and recognizes green ener-
gy buyer leaders to promote renewable
energy generation and reduce the cost
differential of green energy.
(http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/
buygreenpower/guide.htm)
Green Process and
Product Design
Environmental agencies can influence
business process and product design
decisions that improve environmental
outcomes. Innovative practices frequently:
1) target specific product constituents,
such as toxic chemicals, for pollution
prevention, waste minimization, and
resource conservation; 2) partner directly
with companies or industry associations,
particularly in the product design and
development phase, offering design advice
and incentives to adopt green processes
and products; 3) support research into
environmentally preferable substances and
processes; and 4) provide technical assis-
tance and basic tools to small businesses.
Agency managers can use innovative prac-
tices to help businesses understand the
full (and often hidden) costs of process and
product design choices.
Industrial Ecology—New Jersey
and New York
Uses an industrial ecology framework
(examining uses and flows of materi-
als and energy in products) to recom-
mend pollution prevention strategies
for five toxic chemicals contaminating
New York/New Jersey Harbor.
(http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/
index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstract-
Detail/abstract/7534/report/F/)
Sustainable Futures Initiative
-U.S. EPA
Applies a structured pollution preven-
tion framework during product devel-
opment to reduce risk and costs of
future processes and products.
(http://www.epa.gov/oppt/sf/)
16
-------
Promoting Environmental
Sustainability
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Product Collections,
Take-backs, and Recycling
Agencies are employing innovative practic-
es to keep toxic substances, and products
containing them, from being landfilled or
improperly discarded. Innovative practices,
such as collection events and take back sys-
tems, are being used to address the logisti-
cal challenge of collecting dispersed, used
products and wastes. For example, many
jurisdictions have programs to collect scrap
tires, used motor oil, and other automotive
product waste. Efforts are growing to expand
collection of used consumer electronic goods.
Agencies are supplementing targeted waste
collection activities with efforts to repair,
demanufacture, and/or recycle the products,
often teaming with private sector partners.
Agency managers can use product collection
efforts to mitigate the environmental and
human health impacts of specific products or
product constituents until more environmen-
tally preferable designs emerge.
Waste Tires to Heating Fuel—Missouri
Turns scrap tires into tire-derived fuel
that combined with coal; provides fuel
for the University of Missouri at a fuel
cost savings of $ 100,000 per year and
with reduced stack emissions.
(http://www.dnr.mo.gov/magazine/
1999-spring.pdf)
Consumer Electronics Recycling-
Massachusetts
Promotes consumer electronics reuse
and recycling using a four-pronged plan
including market development, collec-
tion infrastructure, statewide recycling
contracts, and regulatory reform to take
cathode ray tubes off the hazardous
waste list, (http://www.mass.gov/ dep/
recycle/crt/crthome.htm)
Climate Change
Public agencies are taking steps to reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while
improving energy efficiency and economic
performance. Public agencies are increasingly
realizing that many GHG reduction efforts have
additional benefits, such as reducing criteria
pollutant emissions associated with energy use
and combustion activities. Although addressing
climate change issues can involve multi-national
cooperation, efforts on a smaller scale can add
up to big results. Public agencies are pursuing
innovative practices that include: 1) developing
GHG emission inventories; 2) establishing and
committing to GHG reduction goals and targets;
and 3) developing action plans to achieve these
goals. Agencies are also implementing specific
GHG reduction projects with or without a link
to broader planning. Agency managers can use
innovative practices to assess the profile of GHG
emissions in their jurisdiction and to collabora-
tively plan an appropriate response strategy.
Greenhouse Gas Action Plan
—New Jersey
Commits to reduce GHG emissions to
3.5 percent below 1990 levels (20 mil-
lion tons), targeting five areas to reach
the goal: energy conservation; pollution
prevention; technology improvements;
recycling and waste management; and
resource protection.
(http://www.state.nj.us/globalwarm-
ing/initiatives/)
Carbon Sequestration—Mississippi
and Tennessee
Sequesters carbon in enhanced land-
scapes through public-private partner-
ships for ecosystem restoration and
reforestation in the lower Mississippi
Valley.
(http://www.secarbon.org)
17
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Leveraging Partnerships
for Environmental
Protection
Community-based Environmental Partnerships # Government-Industry
Partnerships # Inter-Governmental Partnerships
At times, traditional regulatory and
programmatic remedies are insuf-
ficient to resolve an environmental
problem. Effective solutions might require
the participation of multiple actors, some
of whom are not easily reached through
conventional approaches. Innovative, col-
laborative problem-solving and partnership
models are enabling environmental agen-
cies to tackle such complex environmental
problems. Successful partnerships distribute
the challenge of finding solutions, enlisting
partners' energies and resources to achieve
mutually desired outcomes. Common part-
nership models include community-based
environmental partnerships (CBEPs), gov-
ernment-industry partnerships, and inter-
governmental partnerships.
Community-Based
Environmental
Partnerships
Environmental partnerships are
enabling communities to face complex
environmental challenges that neces-
sitate behavior change on a scale that
cannot easily be secured when a public
environmental agency acts alone. CBEP
models typically focus on problems that:
1) require behavior change among mul-
tiple actors, often including individuals and
households; and 2) are targeted in a spe-
cific geographic area. Targeted problems
include reducing the effects of toxic sub-
stances on human health and ecosystems,
improving indoor air quality, and improv-
ing the quality of life in urban areas. These
partnerships often attempt to leverage
existing community-based organizations to
engage in collaborative problem-solving
and to spur broad-based behavior
change. Outreach is a key element of
this model, although incentives can
supplement education efforts. Agency
managers can offer support to groups
pursuing CBEPs as a means to encour-
age greater local participation and
ownership of environmental improve-
ment efforts.
18
-------
Leveraging Partnerships for
Environmental Protection
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Neighborhood Contamination
Reduction—South Carolina
Enlists numerous community organi-
zations and local businesses to sup-
port education and outreach to reduce
community exposure to lead and
other hazardous substances as part
of the Charleston-North Charleston
Community-Based Environmental
Partnership (CBEP).
(http://www.epa.gov/Region4/)
Omaha Asthma Alliance—Nebraska
Created a coalition to lessen the
impact of asthma in the Omaha
Metropolitan area through the
development of a strategic plan that
addresses Alliance development, pro-
fessional education/training, public
and patient education, data gathering
and tracking, and advocacy.
(http://breathehealthy.org/index.php/
communities/omaha/)
Government-Industry
Partnerships
Partnerships among government agen-
cies and specific companies or indus-
try coalitions can offer a low-cost and
more inclusive approach to improving
compliance rates or achieving desired
performance outcomes. While significant
environmental performance improvement
has been achieved through regulatory
approaches, opportunities exist in many
sectors to improve compliance rates and
to enhance environmental performance
beyond regulatory minimums. Government-
industry partnership models can include
several elements, such as: 1) research or joint
technology development or testing; 2) edu-
cation and outreach; 3) technical assistance;
4) regulatory or financial incentives; and 5)
public challenges and commitments. Trade
associations and other business organiza-
tions can play an important role by lower-
ing the transaction costs for interactions
between environmental agencies and indi-
vidual businesses. Agency managers can use
government-industry partnership models,
or piggyback on existing partnerships, to
work collaboratively with industry sectors to
address specific environmental challenges.
Sustainable Environment for
Quality of Life—North Carolina
and South Carolina
Establishes an integrated environmental
initiative for the 15-county metropolitan
Charlotte region in North and South
Carolina involving elected officials, local
government staff, business and industry
groups, economic development groups,
and environmental stakeholder groups
to work toward viable solutions to
regional growth.
(http://www.seql.org)
Businesses for the Bay—
Chesapeake Bay Region
Engages State and local government
agencies with local businesses to
target watershed pollution preven-
tion through voluntary commitments
and business-to-business mentoring.
(http://www.acb-online.org/b4b/)
19
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Leveraging Partnerships for
Environmental Protection
Inter-Governmental
Partnerships
Inter-governmental partnerships are
enhancing the effectiveness of public
agency efforts to address complex envi-
ronmental challenges. These challenges
often involve diverse issue areas, such as
public health, natural resource management,
land use, transportation, and infrastructure.
Jurisdiction over these dimensions typically
resides in multiple agencies and organiza-
tions, making integrated solutions difficult
without coordination. In addition, some
environmental problems are better suited to
a regional approach that crosses county or
State lines. Inter-governmental partnerships
can enable public agencies to: 1) coordinate
effectively on solutions that require partici-
pation of multiple agencies; 2) pool resourc-
es to address shared problems; and
3) enhance political or economic clout for
achieving a desired outcome. Agency man-
agers can pursue inter-governmental part-
nerships to align other relevant government
agencies in efforts to address strategic envi-
ronmental priorities.
Western Regional Air Partnership—
Western States, Tribes, and Federal
Agencies
Supports efforts to improve air qual-
ity and visibility in Western States,
providing policy and technical tools to
enable States and tribes to implement
the federal regional haze rule.
(http://www.wrapair.org/)
Great Lakes Commission—U.S. EPA,
Great Lakes States, Canada
Promotes the orderly, integrated, and
comprehensive development, use, and
conservation of the water and related
natural resources of the Great Lakes
basin and St. Lawrence River.
(http://www.glc.org/)
20
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Designing Targeted
Geographic Solutions
Land Conservation and Growth Management # Brownfields # Airshed Quality # Watershed Quality
Certain environmental challenges
are strongly linked to place.
They require integrated, multi-
dimensional solutions that balance
competing pressures for preserving or
enhancing quality of life, economic devel-
opment, public health, ecosystem integrity,
and environmental quality. Innovative
practices are helping public environmental
agencies coordinate or participate in effec-
tive responses to such complex challenges
as open space protection, land redevelop-
ment, and maintenance of watershed and
airshed quality.
Land Conservation and
Growth Management
Public agencies are using innovative
practices to conserve land and manage
growth. Managing quality of life and ecosys-
tem integrity is increasingly challenging as
development encroaches on farmland, rural
areas, and open space. Public agencies are
responding by: 1) implementing open space
preservation initiatives; and 2) promoting
high density, low impact development. For
example, States are purchasing land rights,
negotiating conservation easements, and
working with landowners to place lands in
trust. Agencies are also developing increas-
ingly sophisticated modeling tools to sup-
port managed growth without sacrificing
traditional development goals. Education
and outreach efforts are raising awareness of
the costs of sprawl and loss of open space.
Public environmental agency managers can
play an important role—in collaboration
with other partners—in mitigating land use
patterns that undermine aspects of envi-
ronmental quality that are critical to public
health, economic development, quality of
life, and ecosystem integrity.
Smart Growth Network—States
and U.S. EPA
Promotes economic development that
simultaneously fosters healthy commu-
nities, strong neighborhoods, and trans-
portation choices by providing tools,
resources, and information sharing.
(http://www.smartgrowth.org)
Livable Communities Program—
Minnesota
Creates a fund through the State legis-
lature to invest in local communities to
encourage affordable housing oppor-
tunities, investment in brownfields
redevelopment, and promotion of
efficient and connected development.
(http://www.metrocouncil.org/
services/livcomm.htm)
21
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Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Designing Targeted
Geographic Solutions
Brownfields
Numerous initiatives are underway to
speed the redevelopment of vacant,
underused, and potentially contami-
nated properties in urban and rural areas.
Cleaning up and reinvesting in these "brown-
fields" properties both improves environ-
mental quality and relieves development
pressures on undeveloped, "greenfields" land.
Agencies are improving their brownfields and
voluntary cleanup programs to reduce fac-
tors that constrain contaminated site cleanup
and reuse, such as uncertainty around liability
and complexity of cleanup and redevelop-
ment requirements. Agencies also use various
economic tools, such as loan and tax incen-
tives, usually supported by State and federal
appropriations, to encourage contaminated
site reuse by lowering the cost relative to
greenfields development. Agency managers
can use innovative practices in this area to
expedite cleanup of contaminated sites and
to rapidly return properties to productive use.
The Independent Cleanup Pathway
—Oregon
Assists parties in cleaning up low and
medium priority contaminated sites,
under the state's Voluntary Cleanup
Program, without full agency over-
sight, but with State approval and
issuance of No Further Action determi-
nation upon completion. (http://www.
deq.state.or.us/lq/cu/cupathway/inde-
pendent.htm)
Tax Increment Financing—Multiple
States
Uses the incremental difference in
tax revenues anticipated from growth
in property taxes generated by
cleanup and reuse to finance brown-
fields redevelopment. (http://www.
nemw.org/images/stories/documents/
TaxlncrementFinancingOct2008.pdf)
Airshed Quality
Addressing airshed quality and the associ-
ated public health impacts, particularly
in urban nonattainment areas requires
innovative approaches to meet guidelines
while maintaining flexibility and promot-
ing economic growth. Federal mandates for
air quality, particularly ground-level ozone,
have set challenging limits for many cities,
especially those in nonattainment. To bal-
ance growth and support business, States are
turning to innovative practices that reduce
ozone creating pollutants. Incentives for
business action promotes emission reduc-
tions and mitigates urban heat island effects.
In addition, offset programs can enable con-
tinued economic development while ensur-
ing overall pollution reductions are achieved.
Further State-federal cooperative efforts
provide flexibility in managing airsheds.
Atlantic Station—Georgia
and U.S. EPA Region 4
Classifies a brownfields redevelop-
ment on the former Atlantic Steel site
for its myriad of design and develop-
ment strategies to reduce transporta-
tion emissions as a Transportation
Control Measure (TCM) within the
State Implementation Plan (SIP).
(http://www.atlanticstation.com/
index.htm)
Ozone Flex Program—U.S. EPA
Region 6 and States in Region 6
Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) to
outline specific, voluntary, locally tai-
lored pollution control plans to reduce
or maintain ozone levels below the
one-hour standard, providing flex-
ibility to meet federal mandates in
areas that currently exceed the eight-
hour standard, (http://www.epa.gov/
earth 1 r6/6pd/air/pd-l/index.htm)
22
-------
Designing Targeted
Geographic Solutions
Environmental
Innovation Portfolio
Watershed Quality
Whereas water quality management has
traditionally focused on permitted point
sources and their discharges, innovative
practices are taking a broader view by
considering total watershed quality and
examining solutions that simultaneously
address water quality, water quantity,
and habitat conditions. These efforts are
supplementing point source, end-of-pipe
regulatory activity by: 1) targeting nonpoint
water pollution sources; 2) enabling pollution
controls to be established where the most cost
effective improvements can be achieved; and
3) building partnerships with a full range of
interested parties. States are turning to market
mechanisms such as upstream prevention
measures to reduce or eliminate the need
for plant site water treatment and wetlands
mitigation banks to increase water quality and
habitat preservation cost effectively. Agencies
simultaneously are targeting diffuse, nonpoint
sources such as stormwater, animal feedlots,
and septic systems with voluntary incentive
programs and encouraging more effective and
widespread use of treated wastewater through
targeted water recycling efforts.
New York City Watershed
Protection—New York
Establishes watershed microbial
contamination protection measures
through land acquisition, land use
alteration, and stringent watershed
rules to avoid building a costly fil-
tration plant for its drinking water.
(http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/
watershed_protection)
Western Iowa Livestock External
Stewardship Pilot Project—Iowa
Brings together livestock producers
and processors, federal and State reg-
ulators, and academics to implement
voluntary, comprehensive nutrient
management plans to reduce soil ero-
sion and manure runoff.
(http://www.epa.gov/ispd/pdf/
wilespp.pdf)
For More Information
EPA's National Center for Environmental
Innovation (NCEI) is dedicated to working
with public environmental agency managers
to connect innovative approaches to impor-
tant organizational needs and environmen-
tal challenges. The Innovation Portfolio, as
well as additional examples of innovative
approaches that may be helpful for States,
can be found on NCEI's website at:
www.epa.gov/innovation
23
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