[ADEQ Media] Willcox and Safford Become First Communities to Join ADEQ's Small Communities Compliance Assistance Program

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

Willcox and Safford Become First Communities to Join ADEQ's Small
Communities Compliance Assistance Program

 

PHOENIX (April 4, 2008) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Director Steve Owens announced today that the City of Willcox in Cochise
County and the City of Safford in Graham County have become the first
small municipalities in Arizona to participate in ADEQ's statewide
program to help communities comply with state and federal environmental
regulations. 

 

ADEQ unveiled its Small Communities Environmental Compliance Assistance
project in 2007 for small towns and special water and wastewater
districts to sustain compliance with state and federal environmental
laws and reduce the number of violations and enforcement actions. 

 

The project was funded by a $12,000 grant from the Environmental Council
of States (ECOS) for the communities to develop Small Community
Environmental Protection Plans (SCEPP) to improve compliance. Guidance
materials, including a comprehensive manual, have been prepared to train
small communities on environmental requirements and help with SCEPP
development.

 

"We are very pleased that Willcox and Safford are leaders in this
effort," Director Owens said. "We are committed to providing small
communities with the assistance they need in light of their limited
resources to comply with the various environmental laws.  Our experience
is that small communities want to do the right thing and just need a
little help to do that.  We hope that other small towns throughout
Arizona will follow Willcox's and Safford's lead and take part in this
program."

 

As part of the program, Willcox and Safford agree to disclose known
environmental violations within the cities, request compliance
assistance before enforcement actions begin, participate in compliance
evaluation to identify violations and to promptly correct known
violations. In so doing, the cities will be eligible for up to a 100
percent penalty reduction if they have future environmental violations. 

 

"This is really a win-win for everyone," Owens said.  "The environment
and public health is protected by getting environmental problems
identified and addressed, and the communities benefit by getting the
compliance assistance they need and avoiding potentially costly
penalties. The result will be increased compliance, enhanced
relationships with small communities and a cleaner environment for all
Arizonans."

 
-30-
 
News Media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215.
 

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