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Seven Projects Selected Under 2005 State Innovation Grant Competition
Twenty-six States responded to this year’s State Innovation Grant Competition, representing all ten EPA Regions. We received 32 pre-proposals, including 23 individual and 9 team pre-proposals. Collectively, the pre-proposals amounted to $6.1 million worth of funding requests and covered a wide variety of ideas related to this year’s topic area of innovation in environmental permitting.
The seven projects funded under the 2005 competition represent a diversity of project types from a variety of geographic areas. The projects cover six EPA Regions (1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10) and include four Environmental Results Program (ERP) projects, one Environmental Management Systems (EMS) project, and two Performance Track projects and total nearly $1.5 million.
The seven pre-proposals selected for this year’s competition are:
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The Massachusetts (Region 1) Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) is leading a consortium of seven states to further promote implementation of Environmental Results Programs (ERP), a tool for improving environmental compliance by small business sectors. The collaborative effort will develop and test a set of common, core business sector performance measures designed to assess improvement in environmental performance. The effort will collect information from participating states for at least one common business sector among these states. Participating states expect that the common performance measures will enable them to quantify their environmental improvements and lead to more effective use of states’ resources. Massachusetts Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 72K)
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The New Hampshire (Region 1) Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is developing a state-based Environmental Leadership Program that will complement their participation in EPA’s National Performance Track Program. Planned project tasks include: building a “virtual EMS” tutorial through the NH college/university system; “greening the supply chain” mentoring projects; and implementing Performance Track incentives for applicable member facilities. Robust public processes have been built into the project. New Hampshire Fact Sheet (PDF)(2 pp, 57K)
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The Virginia (Region 3) Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) is implementing an Environmental Results Program (ERP) for their Underground Storage Tank/Leaking Underground Storage Tank (UST/LUST) Program, one of the state’s largest environmental regulatory programs, and seventh largest active UST population in the nation. As part of this project, VADEQ is developing a series of tools for UST operators including an operator’s UST ERP workbook, and a CD-ROM/online interactive version of EPA’s compliance workbook. VA DEQ plans to implement the ERP approach for nearly 1,000 UST owner/operators across the State. Virginia Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 67K)
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Kentucky (Region 4) Department of Environmental Protection (KDEP) is expanding the State’s environmental leadership program – the State’s adaptation of the National Performance Track Program under this grant. Implementation of this program is one of the top three KDEP state-wide priorities. KDEP is working in partnership with environmental agencies from other states bordering Kentucky to develop shared membership criteria and support for common business sectors (e.g., agriculture and mining). Kentucky’s program will work to align previously separate leadership projects such as OSHA’s Voluntary Partnership Program, Energy Star, Green Buildings, and Smart Growth with their environmental leadership program. Kentucky Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 61K)
- The Indiana (Region 5) Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is implementing an Environmental Results Program (ERP) for auto salvage yards in the State. The auto salvage ERP will address compliance for air, water, toxic materials and waste. The project provides the opportunity for an integrated, result-oriented approach to ameliorate environmental problems associated with the auto salvage sector. IDEM staff who are trained as cross-media inspectors will be providing technical assistance to facilities, and also conducting audits to ensure the accuracy of the facilities’ compliance self-certifications in a statistically-based sample of participating facilities. Indiana Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 78K)
- The Nevada (Region 9) Division of Environmental Protection (NVDEP) is implementing an Environmental Results Program (ERP) for the dry cleaning sector in the State’s two most populated counties–Washoe (Reno/Sparks) and Clark (Las Vegas/Henderson). NVDEP has set a goal of a 25 percent improvement in permit compliance and a 20 percent increase in the use of best management /pollution prevention practices. NVDEP will assess use of best management practices using the Environmental Business Practice Indicator (EBPI), a management tool for measuring how often facilities use practices that minimize environmental impacts and reduce waste and energy use. The dry cleaner ERP project will be conducted in collaboration with the Nevada Small Business Development Center, and county and city regulatory officials, and will use the existing Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network and the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange Center to further promote innovative permitting strategies. Nevada Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 73K)
- Washington (Region 10) Department of Ecology (WADOE) is implementing an Environmental Management System Program for the pulp and paper sector in the State. The WADOE project is adapting the use of EMS to give facilities in the sector an Industrial Footprint” measurement that they can use to assess their overall environmental impact. The facilities can then use the measurement to improve their environmental performance. This will result in an improvement in the effectiveness of state permitting and non-regulatory efforts at complex facilities. Initially, the project will assess the “Industrial Footprint” of eight chemical pulp and paper mills in Washington. Footprint measurement will spotlight opportunities for facilities to reduce waste and pollution as well as saving energy, water, materials, and money. The Industrial Footprint project offers regulated facilities an opportunity to integrate better efficiency and profitability with improved environmental performance. Washington Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 59K)