Lexie Andrews and Katie Courtright

Each year the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program/Small Business Ombudsman (SBEAP/SBO) National Steering Committee (NSC) recognizes outstanding environmental leadership among small businesses and small business assistance providers. Because of COVID, 2020 awards were mailed to awardees and photos of awardees with new releases continue being added to their website.

Did you know that Ohio EPA has free and confidential services to help you understand and follow environmental laws and save you money? DEFA’s Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention (OCAPP) provides free and confidential assistance to help Ohio businesses and organizations comply with Ohio’s environmental requirements, such as completing permit applications and recordkeeping forms. Our environmental specialists can answer your questions regarding air, waste, water and other environmental issues.

Save the date!!!

To better align our sustainability, pollution prevention and recycling efforts, our Recycling and Litter Prevention Grant Program (R&LP) is transferring to DEFA’s Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention (OCAPP).

On September 18, against the backdrop of beautiful Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler presented 10 Ohio organizations with the agency’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) Awards. Ohio EPA’s E3 Awards program recognizes businesses, non-profits, and government agencies in the Buckeye State for going above and beyond to demonstrate environmental excellence. “These organizations are leaders in environmental stewardship. Their activities are conserving energy and water, and keeping reusable materials out of landfills, thereby, improving Ohio’s water and air quality. At the same time, these activities are reducing long term operating costs, proving that good environmental policy is good economic policy,” Director Butler said.

Free and confidential on-site compliance assessments are one of the services DEFA’s Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention (OCAPP) offers to small business owners (100 employees or less).

In May, 2015 Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler presented Sherwin-Williams Breen Technology Center in Cleveland with the gold-level award in Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence (Ɛ3) program.

Since initiated in 2011, Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) program has recognized more than 30 Ohio businesses and organizations making a commitment to environmental excellence. Small to large businesses, non-profit organizations, schools, governments and others who reduce waste, improve efficiency and work to continuously improve their operations have been acknowledged through the program

In May 2015, Ohio EPA merged its Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention (OCAPP) and its Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance (DEFA) to create a “one-stop shop” for customers seeking our technical and financial resources to help them achieve compliance.