Compliance Assistance Office Small Business Assistance Home Page
Helping small businesses overcome hurdles in environmental regulations.
Section 507 of the 1990 Clean Air Act requires each state to establish a Small Business Environmental Compliance Assistance Program.
The Compliance Assistance Office (CAO) was established within the Department of Health (DOH) in 1998 to help small businesses overcome the hurdles they face in their efforts to succeed in business while following environmental regulations. Our free and confidential services help support our mission to:
- promote communication between the DOH and small businesses, and help distribute materials explaining regulations to small businesses;
- intercede in disputes between small businesses and DOH;
- promote the inclusion of small business perspectives in rule-making; and
- work with DOH staff to increase their understanding of small businesses.
The CAO is staffed by an Environmental Ombudsman and a secretary. With such a small staff, we rely heavily on a team of staff from the various regulatory offices who have expertise in the full range of environmental topics.
Have you recently applied for or received an environmental permit?
- Fill in and submit your permit survey. The survey can also be accessed and submitted on the Environmental Health Administration’s e-Permitting Portal here.
State Links for further information:
- Need an applicability tool for R.I.C.E. or compliance information for boilers, Subparts IIII, JJJJ, and ZZZZ? Click here to go to the EPA-funded Combustion Portal for more information.
- Did you know you can apply and pay for certain environmental permits online? Click here to go to the e-Permitting Portal. The Compliance Assistance Office Branch has produced two videos to show users how to use the portal to apply for their 2012 NOI renewals. Part 1 2012 Renewal NOI Instructions (youtube.com) Part 2 2012 Renewal NOI Instructions (youtube.com
- Need government records? Request for governmental records form may be found at Office of Information Practices.
- Do you know if the waste you generate is hazardous? You may use the matrix provided from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response at 808-586-4249 or call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
- Clean Air Branch dry cleaner compliance assistance calendar.
Other State Link for further information:
- Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection offers a Hazardous Waste Management online course to assist businesses in meeting the initial and annual training requirements for hazardous waste generators under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). It is designed as a general overview of the regulatory requirements for handling hazardous waste and IS NOT intended to satisfy all of your RCRA training requirements. The link is https://moodle.ctdlc.org/dep.
- The Garment Care and Dry Cleaning Fact Sheets outline basic regulatory requirements and best management practices for the garment care industry. Connecticut has a web page with links to specific guidance and fact sheets. This is the link.
- Building Industry Association of Hawaii link.
- National Compliance Assistance Centers – The Centers provide access to information in a way that helps make sense of the different regulations that you and/or your business may need in order to be in environmental compliance. Visit the Centers’ website for more information : https://www.assistancecenters.net/
The Environmental Warehouse:
- The Environmental Warehouse provide information on underground storage tank sites, National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits, etc. This site can be assessed from the Environmental Health Administration site.
- If you have questions or comments, please contact our office at [email protected].
Federal Links for further information:
- EPA Collision Repair Campaign Video is available for online viewing. (youtube.com)
- To increase transparency, public accountability drives better facility, individual, community and governmental performance. The US EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) site will assist you with information on (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water and others) inspections, violations, enforcement and releases.
- New interactive tool for area source boilers regulation. EPA has posted an interactive, online tool to assist in determining area source regulatory requirements for industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers (NESHAP part 63 subpart JJJJJJ). This interactive tool leads the user through a series of questions to determine the regulatory requirements for a specific boiler. The direct link to this tool is https://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/regnavboiler/quiz.html. It can also be found under “More Information.”
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) hosted Industry Day on October 21, 2014 at EPA’s Potomac Yard. The goal of OSWER’s Industry Day was to educate and assist contractors interested in the various OSWER programs and upcoming contracting opportunities within those programs. For information on the program and presentations, you may visit www.epa.gov/osbp; and https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=3f3754a1c06b87803694e9c0cedfe37c
- Second Integrated Urban Air Toxics Report sent to Congress. On August 21, 2014, EPA released the Second Integrated Urban Air Toxic Report to Congress – the final of two reports required under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to informCongress of EPA’s actions and progress in reducing public health risks from urban air toxics. For additional information on the report, visit: https://www2.epa.gov/urban-air-toxics/second-integrated-urban-air-toxics-report-congress
- EPA released three final risk assessments for specific uses of three chemicals found in common household products. For additional on this article, visit: https://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/9B8C8609521A27BC85257D420059DA44. Additional information on these final risk assessments and other TSCA Work Plan chemicals can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/riskassess.html
- Thousands of facilities use solvents in the workplace for many different purposes such as feedstocks, degreasing, cleaning and more. Hazardous waste determination for spent solvents as well as unused solvents destined to be disposed are sometimes difficult to make. This user-friendly, mobile device-navigable guidance for solvents is now available on EPA’s website at: https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/guide-how-determine-if-solvents-can-no-longer-be-used-workplace-are-hazardous-waste.
- Construction Industry Compliance Assistance. To learn more about compliance for the construction industry, go to www.cicacenter.org.
- The Small-Biz@EPA Bulletin provides an opportunity to highlight information on Agency activities and rulemakings and to share information about ongoing initiatives from the State Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs (SBEAPs). Our new website for the Bulletin is at: https://www2.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses/small-business-epa-bulletin.
The National Small Business Environmental Assistance Program is another way to learn more of our services and the link is https://nationalsbeap.org.
Environmental Ombudsman, Compliance Assistance Office
Hawaii State Department of Health
2827 Waimano Home Road, Room 119
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782