REINVENTION AGREEMENT WILL STREAMLINE PERMITTING

[Margaret Nover <pdxp2@hevanet.com>]

Sounds good.  Anyone from Massachusetts have additional information to share?

         REINVENTION AGREEMENT WILL STREAMLINE PERMITTING AND 
        REPORTING PROCEDURES FOR 5,000 MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESSES

An agreement has been reached by EPA and the Massachusetts Department 
of Environmental Protection to streamline permitting and reporting 
processes for approximately 5,000 dry cleaners, photo processors and 
printers.  Instead of adhering to the traditional permitting process, 
these small businesses will self-certify compliance with new standards 
that exceed those currently in effect.  The agreement was reached 
under EPA's Project XL (which stands for eXcellence and Leadership), a 
national program which tests innovative ways of achieving public 
health and environmental protection in a better and more cost-
effective way.  For the first time ever, the companies will certify 
annually that their facilities are in compliance with all applicable 
air, water and hazardous waste management performance standards.  
Facilities not in compliance will be required to specify interim 
milestones toward achieving compliance by a certain date.  The 
expectation is that after an initial evaluation and revision phase, 
this permitting alternative could be transferred to other industry 
sectors throughout Massachusetts and other states.  This is the tenth 
such effort under Project XL, the first one with a state and the first 
one involving the small businesses sector.  Other innovative 
approaches are being tested with major corporations, such as Merck, 
Intel, Lucent and Weyerhaeuser.