Terms: Clean Utah

Aspects and Impacts

As part of your EMS, you will be taking a close look at your organization’s production process and how it impacts the environment. Determine those steps in your process that could have significant impacts and consider the things you could do to minimize those impacts and still accomplish your production goals.

Compliance Eligibility

You are eligible to participate provided you:

have not been in Significant Noncompliance of drinking water, water quality, or hazardous waste regulations, had a High Priority Violation of air quality regulations, had a Severity Level I, II, or III Violation of radiation control regulations, or any equivalent violation of any state, federal, or local environmental regulation in the past year, and you have not had a total of three such violations in the past three years;
have not had any criminal violation of environmental regulations for the past five years, and are not currently the focus of an environmental criminal investigation;
have no other open or unresolved violations.

Compliance history and status will be determined by DEQ, in consultation with EPA and the Local Health Department.

EMS Cycle

The EMS process should be consider a continuous process of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving organizational process.

EMS One Cycle

A complete EMS cycle is one round of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the processes that you undertake to meet your business and environmental goals.

EMS Verification

DEQ will request documentation of your EMS and/or to make site visits for verification.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

An EMS is a full or continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the processes that an organization undertakes to meet its business and environmental goals.

It incorporates a “Plan, Do, Check, Act” model which leads to continual improvement based upon:

Planning: Including identifying environmental aspects and establishing goals [plan].
Implementing: Including training and operational controls [do].
Checking: Including monitoring and corrective action [check].
Reviewing: Including progress reviews and acting to make needed changes to the EMS.

Several EMS models exist. Select one that best meets your circumstances. The EMS worksheet will help you evaluate whether all the conditions outlined in the Clean Utah policy are met.

Incentive Negotiations

Incentives are negotiated, based on site-specific conditions and the ability of the DEQ program to provide them. The application includes a space to indicate the incentives of interest.

Incentives

All participants are eligible to participate in publicity and an annual meeting with DEQ policy leaders.

Incentives for the Partner Tier are negotiated, based on site-specific conditions and the ability of the DEQ program to provide them. Options include:

Selected Permit Enhancements
Facility Specific Incentives
Recommendation for a Reduced Percentage or Higher Priority on Loan Funds (This incentive is conditional, based on the approval of the appropriate Board.)
Reduced Oversight and/or Low Inspection Priority
Self Audit

In addition, participants may be eligible for incentives offered by EPA under its Performance Track program.

The Clean Utah logo may be used by participants in Partner and Leader tiers.

Leadership Incentives

Your incentives are negotiated, based on site-specific conditions and the ability of the DEQ program to provide them. The application includes space to indicate incentives of interest to you.

Leadership Projects

Leader Level participants work on one major project designed to significantly reduce or prevent pollution. “Significant” will be determined by considering your size, your industry sector, and your previous environmental improvement efforts.

Proposed projects cannot be work that is already required – by statute, rule, or as part of a settlement agreement. Wherever possible, the project should be based on environmental aspects identified in your EMS. It should also benefit at least one of the following Core areas:

Air Emissions
The focus of projects proposed in this area should be the reduction of pollutants below standards outlined in the permit.
Waste Reduction
The overall goal of the project would be to either reduce the amount of waste being generated or to substitute more harmful products with those that are less harmful to the environment.
Water Management
The overall project focus should be on protecting water sources and/or using water more efficiently.

Multi-Interest Review Panel

A DEQ-appointed multi-interest public panel reviews applications and makes recommendations for advancement. The panel may request outside project- or industry-specific information to help it reach its recommendation.

If the panel approves advancement, but the decision is not reached by consensus, the recommendation back to DEQ should include a summary of concerns considered by the group and why the decision made was reached. If the panel does not recommend advancement into the next Tier, its reason why and what needs to be remedied to allow the application to be favorably considered must be included in its comments.

The DEQ Executive Director or designee will make the final decision on Clean Utah Tier advancement.

Project Requirements

Partner Level participants work on two projects designed to significantly reduce or prevent pollution. “Significant” is determined by your size, your industry sector, and your previous environmental improvement efforts.

Proposed projects cannot be work that is already required – by statute, rule, or as part of a settlement agreement. Wherever possible, base your projects on environmental aspects identified in your EMS. At least one projects should benefit a Core area. These include:

Air Emissions
The focus of projects proposed in this area should be the reduction of pollutants below standards outlined in the permit.
Waste Reduction
The overall goal of the project would be to either reduce the amount of waste being generated or to substitute more harmful products with those that are less harmful to the environment.
Water Management
The overall project focus should be on protecting water sources and/or using water more efficiently.

Proposed Projects

Your project should significantly reduce or prevent pollution. “Significant” is determined by considering your size, your industry sector, and your previous environmental improvement efforts.

Proposed project cannot be work that is already required—by statute, rule, or as part of a settlement agreement. Wherever possible, your project should be based on environmental aspects identified in your EMS.

Public Information

Information submitted for consideration by the Clean Utah program will be considered part of the public record. DEQ also maintains a Clean Utah Website that includes information about each participant, including applications and annual reports.

Senior Facility Manager

A senior facility manager is asked to verify statements in the application.

SBEAP

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