Emission Sources

Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) Description

Return to Small Business Environmental Assistance Library (SBEAP)

Mission

To be the best provider of regulatory and technical assistance to Florida's small business community and to be recognized as such.

Vision

Through active partnerships with trade associations, private industries, state and federal agencies and other entities, and by promoting pollution prevention and technological advances, we envision a future when Florida's small businesses will be environmentally conscious and protective of Florida's environment, thus minimizing the need for environmental regulation.

Services

• Free and confidential phone consultations
• Notification of applicable requirements/facts
• Referrals to other environmental programs (air, water, waste)
• Presentations/Workshops to public or private organizations
• Maintains Industry-specific fact sheets available for download at the SBEAP Library
• Maintains a Hotline Directory of key personnel who manage various state environmental programs and services

To qualify for assistance as a small business, the business must have less than 100 employees, release less than 75 tons of all regulated air pollutants and release less than 50 tons of any single regulated air pollutant.

The Florida SBEAP provides compliance assistance with environmental regulations. You may contact the SBEAP office at 1-800-722-7457. This toll free line is meant to answer questions concerning environmental compliance as well as new federal and state air regulations.

Ombudsman

Douglas Thornton [Small.Business@dep.state.fl.us] is Florida's Small Business Ombudsman. 

The Ombudsman

• is the advocate for Florida's small businesses;
• promotes the participation of small businesses in the development of new regulations to ensure fair treatment and no undue adverse impact;
• sponsors meetings and workshops to inform small businesses of impending or new programs and associated requirements to ensure their awareness and enhance compliance, thus reducing their potential enforcement exposure;
• and provides special assistance to small business owners as requested.

Compliance Advisory Panel (CAP)

The Compliance Advisory Panel (CAP) is made up of a spectrum of small business owners and interested members of the public.

The CAP Members are appointed by the Governor, President of the Senate and Minority Leader of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and by the Secretary of the Department, as stipulated in Florida's Statutes.

The duties of the CAP are to:

• render advice on the effectiveness of the Department's SBEAP, difficulties encountered by small businesses, and the degree and severity of enforcement;

• review information for stationary air pollution sources to assure such information is understandable by the small business community;
• make periodic reports to the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and the Equal Access to Justice Act.