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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?

State Links for further information:

Other State Links 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 Garment Care and Dry Cleaning Fact Sheets (PDF) 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.
  • Building Industry Association of Hawaii.
  • 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.

The Environmental Warehouse:

  • The Environmental Warehouse provides information on underground storage tank sites, National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits, etc.  This site can be assessed from the Environmental Health Administration site.

Federal Links for further information:

  • View the EPA Collision Repair Campaign Video (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.
  • 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 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.
  • 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 inform Congress of EPA’s actions and progress in reducing public health risks from urban air toxics.  For additional information on the report, visit.
  • EPA released three final risk assessments for specific uses of three chemicals found in common household products. 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
  • 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).

Learn more about CAO services by viewing the CAO brochure (PDF) and CAO PowerPoint.

The National Small Business Environmental Assistance Program is another way to learn more of our services and the link is https://nationalsbeap.org.

Contact Us

Address:

Environmental Ombudsman, Compliance Assistance Office

Hawaii State Department of Health

2827 Waimano Home Road, Room 119

Pearl City, Hawaii  96782
Phone: (808) 586-4528
Fax: (808) 586-7236
E-mail: [email protected]