Pennsylvania dry cleaner, Dale I. Kaplan estimates that he spent over 1500 hours providing free advice to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency between June 2002 and July 2004.

You might ask, “Why?”

Kaplan, owner of Kaplan’s Careful Cleaners, was invited by former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman to serve as a member of the Compliance Assistance Advisory Council (CAAC).

The CAAC developed recommendations for the US EPA in three areas: (1) the optimization of the compliance assistance network across EPA, (2) the development of parameters to measure the effectiveness of compliance assistance activities (3) the integration of compliance assistance more completely into EPA’s mission, goals, and activities. Much of the committee work took place during long phone conversations although two face-to-face meetings were held.

Kaplan, the only dry cleaner on the CAAC, worked alongside small business, trade association, government, citizen, and university representatives to discuss and develop recommendations for the Agency.

Along the way, he was called upon to assist in drafting comments for a controversial rule making in California with nationwide impact on dry cleaners, he provided input to EPA’s Strategic Plan, and he served as co-chair of the CAAC’s Networking committee during 2002-2003.

“It’s all worthwhile,” Kaplan said. “I am glad to give something back to help government try to understand America’s small business owners.”

The CAAC’s final report was forwarded to Administrator Leavitt recently for review and action. The title of the report is: “Recommendations for Enhancing EPA’s Compliance Assistance Program,” June 2004. The CAAC was co-chaired by Richard Sustich of the National Science Foundation Center of Advanced Materials for Purification of Water with Systems and La Ronda Bowen of Bowen and Assoc. communication consultants in Sacramento, CA. and national advocates for small business sensitive environmental policy.

The CAAC was established under the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology at the request of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. The first CAAC was convened in 2000 (2000-2001) and submitted its report, “Maximizing Compliance Assistance: Recommendations for Enhancing Compliance Opportunities at EPA and Through Other Providers” to former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman in August 2001. Kaplan served on the second CAAC, which built upon the work of the first.

Kaplan also chairs DEP’s Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee.

9/24/2004