The Environmental Protection Agency this week released a 23-page guide for environmental protection program managers on the expanding variety of innovative strategies and practices available to public environmental agencies.

The document was made available at the spring meeting of the Environmental Council of the States, the national association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders.

The "Environmental Innovation Portfolio: Strategic Approaches for Leading Change" highlights a broad array of projects and programs used by states and EPA to enhance public agencies' productivity and environmental performance.

The report categorizes the types of strategies that environmental agencies can use to obtain better results. It highlights promising projects as examples of approaches that can be adopted or adapted and promotes networking among people working on similar problems who can benefit from shared experiences.

The section on improving delivery of agency services profiles Massachusetts's Environmental Results Program. This program, which uses industry-wide performance standards and annual self-certifications of compliance as an alternative to environmental permitting, has proven highly effective at improving compliance rates for small businesses.

Another section on Supporting Superior Environmental Performance profiles the Clean Texas Program. This program provides participating facilities with public recognition and other incentives if they maintain a high-quality environmental management system, pollution prevention program and compliance record.

The remaining categories include: Setting Strategic Direction and Priorities; Enhancing Regulatory Outcomes; Promoting Environmental Sustainability; Leveraging Partnerships for Environmental Protection; and Designing Targeted Geographic Solutions.

A copy can be found on the Innovation Portfolio webpage.

4/15/2005