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 COMPLIANCE: SMALL COMMUNITIES ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE

Bisbee Arizona   A Guide for Developing and Implementing a Small Community Environmental Protection Plan (SCEPP)
This manual is designed to be used by small communities and special districts in identifying, prioritizing, correcting, and preventing future environmental compliance problems by addressing all levels of infrastructure.

New! Download a quick reference SCEPP presentation in pdf format.

On Nov. 3, 2005, Director Owens announced the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality's program to provide compliance assistance to Arizona's small communities. This effort has been launched with the assistance of a grant from the Environmental Council of States (ECOS).

ECOS supported three pilot projects Leaving ADEQ Web site to develop and promote sustained comprehensive environmental compliance by small local governments. Grants were awarded to Arizona, South Carolina and Tennessee.

ADEQ is seeking to make it easier for small communities to meet the requirements of the law, especially small communities in rural Arizona. The goal is to provide small communities with the assistance they may need in light of their limited resources. The focal point of this project is ADEQ's policy, entitled "Small Community Policy".

With funding provided by ECOS, a Small Communities Environmental Compliance Assistance brochure has been prepared to inform small communities of the benefits of this program and the assistance which can be provided by ADEQ.

Additional guidance documents and templates for small communities will be made available on-line as they are developed. Small communities are encouraged to visit this site periodically and to contact ADEQ for more information.

Other Small Community Resources

Community Outreach Program
ADEQ's Community Outreach Program was created to better serve the needs of Arizona residents. The program consists of five ADEQ employees: four Community Liaisons, and the agency's Ombudsman. With funding provided by ECOS, an Arizona's Small Communities Outreach Program brochure has been prepared to detail who these ADEQ staff are, what they do and how to contact them.

Asbestos and Open Burning Resources

Drinking Water Resources

Wastewater Resources

Brownfields Resources
Brownfields are abandoned or under-used properties with an active redevelopment potential that is complicated by either real or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields funding assistance is a tool available to small communities.

Solid Waste Resources

Hazardous Waste Resources

Underground Storage Tanks Resources
The Municipal Tank Closure Program assists small communities with removal of abandoned underground storage tanks, and funding is available to reimburse local governments for application costs.

Statutes and Rules

Funding Assistance
ADEQ's Web site contains funding assistance information.

Additionally, water and wastewater funding and technical assistance organizations include the following:

ADEQ Compliance Assistance
ADEQ's Web site contains broad compliance assistance resources, including a copy of the Compliance and Enforcement Handbook.

Permit Assistance
Small communities can use the ADEQ permitting page to determine which environmental permits are potentially applicable to an operation or activity, and track the status of a permit application.

Stormwater permits are applicable to small communities:

  1. Construction projects anywhere in the state (except on Indian lands) which will disturb at least one acre of land (and those projects disturbing less than one acre but are part of a common plan of development) must file a Notice of Intent (NOI) for coverage under the Construction General Permit;
  2. The requirements of the Multi-Sector General Permit often apply to certain small community-owned facilities, including landfills, airports, equipment maintenance facilities and wastewater treatment plants with a design flow of at least one million gallons per day; and
  3. The term, "Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems" (MS4) refers to any city, town, county or other municipality's storm sewer system. Some of these MS4s are regulated under the MS4 storm water permits program. A list of these regulated communities is available online.

Comments?
Do you have any comments about this Web page? Is there information which your small community or special district would like added? Please contact Byron James, ADEQ Community Liaison, with your comments.

Additional Contact Information

Community Liaisons

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Disclaimer/Privacy Statement | Feedback Leaving ADEQ Web site | Web Site Services | Last Revision May. 12, 2008
Any ADEQ translation or communication is unofficial and not binding on the State of Arizona.
Cualquier traducción o comunicación de ADEQ no es oficial y no sujetará a ninguna responsabilidad legal al estado de Arizona.