§ 138 — Small business pollution prevention and environmental compliance ombudsman program

§ 138. Small business pollution prevention and environmental\ncompliance ombudsman program. 1. There is hereby established within the\ndivision for small businesses a small business pollution prevention and\nenvironmental compliance ombudsman program. The primary purpose of such\nprogram is to represent small businesses on issues relating to pollution\nprevention and compliance with the environmental conservation law.\n 2. The department shall, through the small business pollution\nprevention and environmental compliance ombudsman program, provide the\nfollowing services:\n a. soliciting input from small businesses regarding pollution\nprevention and compliance with the environmental conservation law,\nincluding interacting with organizations representing small businesses\nsuch as trade associations or other entities;\n b. participating in, facilitating and promoting the participation of\nsmall businesses in the development and implementation of rules and\nregulations adopted pursuant to the environmental conservation law;\n c. participating in and sponsoring meetings with the department of\nenvironmental conservation, local environmental agencies, industry\ngroups and small business representatives;\n d. providing guidance and recommendations to the department of\nenvironmental conservation on the development, content and operation of\nthe small business pollution prevention and environmental compliance\nassistance program as created by section 28-0109 of the environmental\nconservation law;\n e. distributing to small businesses information and materials on\npollution prevention and the requirements of the environmental\nconservation law;\n f. reporting to the pollution prevention and environmental compliance\ncoordinating council as established pursuant to section 28-0111 of the\nenvironmental conservation law on any problems or difficulties\nexperienced by small businesses in complying with the environmental\nconservation law, including the degree and severity of enforcement;\n g. aiding in the investigation and resolution of complaints and\ndisputes from small businesses against the department of environmental\nconservation and local environmental authorities;\n h. conducting periodic evaluations of all aspects of the small\nbusiness pollution prevention and environmental compliance assistance\nprogram created pursuant to section 28-0109 of the environmental\nconservation law including reviewing the work and services of the\nprogram with trade associations and representatives of small business;\n i. reviewing and providing comments and recommendations to the United\nStates environmental protection agency and the department of\nenvironmental conservation regarding the development and implementation\nof regulations that impact small businesses;\n j. arranging for and assisting in the preparation of guidance\ndocuments by the small business pollution prevention and environmental\ncompliance assistance program as required pursuant to section 28-0109 of\nthe environmental conservation law to ensure that the language is\nreadily understandable by the layperson;\n k. referring small businesses to specialists for information and\nassistance on affordable alternative technologies, process changes,\nproducts and operational methods to help achieve pollution prevention;\n l. providing information to small businesses on state-sponsored\nprograms offering financial and technical assistance, and in locating\nsources of funding for pollution prevention and compliance with the\nrequirements of the environmental conservation law; and\n m. establishing procedures for assuring the confidentiality of\ninformation received from small businesses.\n 3. The small business pollution prevention and environmental\ncompliance ombudsman program shall coordinate its services with the\noffice of waste prevention services established pursuant to article\nfourteen of this chapter.\n