Small Business Technical Assistance Program

to encourage small businesses to operate in a manner that is environmentally compliant, yet economically effective.

The Small Business Technical Assistance Program (SBTAP) was established by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in 1992 to provide small business owners and operators a free assistance program to assist them in understanding and complying with environmental regulations. This non-regulatory program provides confidential information about regulatory requirements and practical, cost-effective technical assistance to encourage compliance with environmental regulations.

The SBTAP meets these goals by providing the following services.

On-site Assessment and Consultation Services

The SBTAP provides free and confidential consultation and information on the environmental regulation that may apply to your business. The SBTAP staff is available to perform on-site assessments of your facility and assist in determining what regulations apply to your operations. In addition, the SBTAP can provide names of contacts at DES who are likely to be involved with your operation, saving time and money.

Environmental Permitting Assistance

The SBTAP consultative services help small businesses understand and comply with air quality, hazardous materials/waste, wastewater, storm water and solid waste regulations. The SBTAP also works in partnership with other agencies to provide access to information on OSHA compliance, zoning, planning, building inspection and fire code requirements. If you are uncertain which regulations apply to your business or if you require a permit from DES, the SBTAP can help.

Business and Industry Specific Programs

The SBTAP has pioneered the implementation of the Environmental Results Program (ERP) at DES with the development of the PrintSTEP program, which, for the first time, combined all environmental regulatory requirements and reporting into a single, simple agreement. In addition, it allowed for self-certification of facilities, thus reducing the time and financial burden to companies. The SBTAP will continue to develop these common sense and simplified approaches to additional industry sectors in the coming months.

The Small Business Technical Assistance Program has three main components. In addition to the SBTAP program services described above, the program encompasses two additional functions: the Small Business Ombudsman; and the Compliance Advisory Panel.

The SBTAP, in partnership with other public and private assistance providers, strives to ensure businesses are operating in compliance with applicable environmental responsibilities while maintaining and increasing a competitive edge.