For Release: Thursday, June 11, 2009
DEC Offers Help for Auto Body Shops
New Guide, Workshops to Help Owners Understand and Comply with Environmental Laws
To help automobile body shops prevent pollution and "green" their operations, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) created two new, user friendly manuals titled "The Environmental Compliance Guide for Auto Body Shops" and "Environmental Report Packet for Auto Body Shops" and has scheduled a series of workshops to help shops capably meet environmental reporting requirements.
DEC launched its statewide program by sending out the first set of materials to business owners in New York's Capital District region as part of the agency's Auto Body Shops Environmental Results Program (ERP), which incorporates a new approach to improving and monitoring environmental performance. The documents are available on the DEC website or at www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/autobodygd.pdf.
The new guide has been written specifically for the auto body repair industry to help business owners understand and comply with a wide array of laws and regulations meant to limit pollution. It also provides information regarding best management practices, pollution prevention and energy efficiency that can help shops minimize human health risks and environmental impacts -- and save money.
"Auto repair business owners have to cope with many environmental issues dealing with paints, solvents, gasoline, brake fluids and air and water pollution just to name a few," DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said. "Knowing where to turn to for help is the first step toward success. The launch of this new initiative is further evidence of the state's commitment to helping businesses meet both their economic and environmental goals."
The Auto Body Shops ERP applies to shops that perform collision repair, painting, paint stripping or sanding, body work, antique automobile restoration and student training in any of the above areas.
A shop is considered an auto body shop even if it does other kinds of work along with auto body work. For example, dealers or general automotive repair shops that also do auto body repair are considered an auto body shop.
This guide was developed with assistance from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation and Empire State Development. The New York State Small Business Pollution Prevention/Compliance Assistance Council Members also contributed to the content of the guide.
The Environmental Report Form for Auto Body Shops must be submitted by all auto body shops that generate any hazardous waste or that are not exempt from the New York State air regulations for surface coating processes. Shops that are not required to submit the Environmental Report Form are encouraged to participate in this program voluntarily.
For all Capital District areas that have been part of the launch of this program, the Environmental Report Form must be submitted to NYSDEC by August 15, 2009. Deadlines for all other areas of the state will be noted in the material packets as they are sent regionally throughout the next year.
The New York State Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) will be holding several free workshops in the Capital District region on the Environmental Report Form for Auto Body Shops over the next few weeks. SBEAP is a non-regulatory program administered by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation and provides free confidential technical assistance to help small businesses comply with environmental regulations. A list of currently scheduled workshop locations is below. All begin at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Italian American Community Center
257 Washington Avenue Extension
Albany, NY 12205
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Amsterdam River Front Center
Community Room (downstairs by snack bar)
Amsterdam, NY 12010
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hudson Valley Community College
Bulmer Telecommunications Center
Conference Room #1
80 Vandenburgh Avenue
Troy, NY 12180
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Otsego Northern Catskill BOCES
Frank W. Cyr Center Conference Room
159 West Main Street
Stamford, NY 12167
Contact the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) at 1-800-780-7227 to register for a workshop or for more information. Pre-registration is not required to attend the workshops, however, space may be limited at some locations.
