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EPA Awards $2.9 Million to Support State Regulatory Innovation Efforts

Release Date: 11/28/2006
Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / [email protected]

(11/28/06) EPA is awarding $2.9 million in grants to12 states to help them improve environmental permitting – the legal process by which regulatory requirements to protect health and the environment are translated into operating procedures for businesses and facilities.

Five states receiving grants – New Jersey, Virginia, Louisiana, Indiana and Nevada – are setting up programs to improve environmental performance in small businesses, such as dry cleaning, oil and gas well operations, retail gasoline sales, and dental facilities. These programs will be applying the Environmental Results Program (ERP) model to improve compliance and other aspects of environmental performance while reducing regulatory burden and increasing regulatory agency awareness of small business operations.

In addition, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will receive grants to quantify how ERPs benefit state permitting programs.

Two states – Washington and Georgia — will examine how the comprehensive focus of environmental management systems can be used to reduce the overall environmental impacts of manufacturing facilities.

Five states – New Hampshire, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia and Arizona – will set up programs to provide public recognition and other incentives for facilities that exceed environmental permitting requirements.

Since 2002, EPA has provided 23 states 29 State Innovation Grants totaling nearly $5 million. These grants are an outgrowth of EPA's 2002 Innovation Strategy, which calls for strengthening the agency's innovation partnership with states. The 12 states receiving grants today were selected by EPA's National Center for Environmental Innovation, in consultation with EPA programs and regions, under the 2005 and 2006 State Innovation Grant competitions.

The specific awards are as follows (all numbers in thousands): Arizona ($225), Georgia ($80), Indiana ($453), Kentucky ($189), Louisiana ($250), Massachusetts ($225), Nevada ($200), New Hampshire ($243), New Jersey ($180), Rhode Island ($250), Virginia ($475), and Washington ($182).

This week, EPA is also announcing a solicitation for additional grants under the 2007 State Innovation Grants competition. It will appear soon in the Federal Register.

More information on the State Innovation Grants program and the latest solicitation: epa.gov/innovation/stategrants

More information about EPA's Innovation Strategy: epa.gov/innovation/strategy.htm

More information on the Environmental Results Program (ERP): epa.gov/permits/erp/index.htm