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Hotlines, Helplines & Clearinghousies <br />(www.epa.gov/epahome/hotline.htm) <br />EPA sponsors many free hotlines and clearinghous0s that <br />provide convenient assistance regarding environmental <br />requirements. A few examples are listed below: <br />Clean Air Technology Center <br />(www.epa.gov/ftn/catc or 1-919-541-0800) <br />Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act <br />(www.epa.gov/superfund/resources/infocenter/epcra.htm or <br />1-800-424-9346) <br />EPA's Small Business Ombudsman Hotline provides <br />regulatory and technical assistance information. <br />(www.epa.gov/sbo or 1.800-368-5888) <br />The National Environmental Compliance Assistance <br />Clearinghouse provides quick access to compliance assis- <br />tance tools, contacts, and planned activities from the U.S. <br />EPA, states, and other compliance assistance providers <br />(www.epa.gov/clearinghouse) <br />National Response Center to report oil and hazardous <br />substance spills. <br />(www.nrc.uscg.mil or 1-800-424-8802) <br />Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse <br />(www.epa.gov/opptintr/ppic or 1-202-566-0799) <br />Safe Drinking Water Hotline <br />(www.epa.gov/safewater/hotline/index.html or 1-800-426-4791) <br />Stratospheric Ozone Refrigerants Information <br />(www.epa.gov/ozone or 1-800-296-1996) . <br />Toxics Assistance Information Service also includes asbestos <br />inquiries. <br />(1-202-554-1404) <br />Wetlands Helpline <br />(www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/wetline.html or 1-800-832-7828) <br />State Agencies <br />Many state agencies have established compliance assis- <br />tance programs that provide on-site and other types of <br />assistance. Contact your local state environmental agency <br />for more information or the following two resources: <br />EPA's Small Business Ombudsman <br />(www.epa.gov/sbo or 1-800-368-5888) <br />Small Business Environmental Homepage <br />(www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org or 1-724-452-4722) <br />Compliance Incentives <br />EPA provides incentives for environmental compliance. By <br />participating in compliance assistance programs or <br />voluntarily disclosing and promptly correcting violations <br />before an enforcement action has been initiated, <br />businesses may be eligible for penalty waivers or reductions. <br />EPA has two policies that potentially apply to small <br />businesses: <br />The Small Business Compliance Policy <br />(www.epa.gov/compliance/incentives/smallbusiness) <br />Audit Policy <br />(www.epa.gov/compliance/incentives/auditing) <br />Commenting on Federal Enforcement <br />Actions and Compliance Activities <br />The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act <br />(SBREFA) Established an SBA Ombudsman and 10 Regional <br />Fairness Boards to receive comments from small businesses <br />about federal agency enforcement actions. If you believe that <br />you fall within the Small Business Administration's definition <br />of a small business (based on your North American Industry <br />Classification System (NAICS) designation, number of <br />employees, or annual receipts, defined at 13 C.F.R. 121.201; <br />in most cases, this means a business with 500 or fewer <br />employees), and wish to comment on federal enforcement <br />and compliance activities, call the SBREFA Ombudsman's <br />toll-free number at 1-888-REG-FAIR (1-888-7343247). <br />Every small business that is the subject of an enforcement <br />or compliance action is entitled to comment on the <br />Agency's actions without fear of retaliation. EPA <br />employees are prohibited from using enforcement or any <br />other means of retaliation against any member of the <br />regulated community in response to comments made under <br />SBREFA. <br />Your Duty to Comply <br />If you receive compliance assistance or submit comments <br />to the SBREFA Ombudsman or Regional Fairness Boards, <br />you still have the duty to comply with the law, including <br />providing timely responses to EPA information requests, <br />administrative or civil complaints, other enforcement <br />actions or communications. The assistance information <br />and comment processes do not give you any new rights or <br />defenses in any enforcement action. These processes <br />also do not affect EPA's obligation to protect public health <br />or the environment under any of the environmental statutes <br />it enforces, including the right to take emergency remedial <br />or emergency response actions when appropriate. Those <br />decisions will be based on the facts in each situation. The <br />SBREFA Ombudsman and Fairness Boards do not <br />participate in resolving EPA's enforcement actions. Also, <br />remember that to preserve your rights, you need to comply <br />with all rulE!s governing the enforcement process. <br />EPA is disseminating this information to you <br />without making a determination that your business <br />or organization is a small business as defined by <br />Section 222 of the Small Business Regulatory <br />Enforcement Fairness Act or related provisions.