AIR INNOVATIONS CONFERENCE August 11, 2004 FACILITATING SEPS

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AIR INNOVATIONS CONFERENCEAugust 11, 2004
FACILITATING SEPS
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What Is A Supplemental Environmental Project?

• Applied in the enforcement context
• Voluntarily agreed to by the violator
• Over and above what is legally required
• Requires an environmental benefit
• Must have a nexus with the violation
• Results in penalty reduction

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Specific SEP Policies

• EPA has developed detailed SEP policies
• Must improve public health or the environment
• Cannot be inconsistent with underlying statute
• EPA cannot manage or control the SEP funds
• Type of project to be defined in the settlement
• www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/program/seps
• Many State agencies have developed their own
  policies, as well

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SEPs from a Violators View

• A SEP is one way of doing good, while reducing a
  penalty
• SEPs require a nexus with the community affected
  by the violation, as such provide an opportunity
  for the violator to have a positive community
  impact

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SEPs from an Agencys View

• Opportunity to obtain an environmental or public
  health risk benefit
• Opportunity for innovative projects
• Opportunity to achieve a project with minimal
  management/oversight costs
• AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FUNDING

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The StEPP Foundation

• A national, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
• Established to identify viable clean energy,
  energy efficiency and pollution prevention
  projects meeting SEP criteria
• StEPP stands for Strategic Environmental
  Project Pipeline
• StEPP offers a turnkey solution for funding
  sources looking for viable projects

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StEPP Foundation Services

• Outreach to generate project ideas
• Project identification and screening
• Project management and oversight
• Management of project monies
• Accountability
• Collection and reporting of environmental metrics
  for each project per dollar spent
• Follow up, public relations, project promotion

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The StEPP Process

• Written project concepts are submitted online at
  a screening level of detail
• Qualifying projects are available in the Project
  Pipeline
• The Project Pipeline provides a selection of
  fundable projects
• StEPP matches projects w/ negotiated criteria or
  provides a selection of projects

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Second Phase of the Process

• Once funding becomes available the applicant will
  be requested to submit a full proposal
• Geographic location
• Media/medium affected
• Environmental category (e.g., REEE)
• A committee made of a StEPP Board member, members
  of the community, experts will make its
  recommendation to the funding source
• StEPP then manages the project thru completion

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Results

• The result has been the funding of projects that
  directly benefit the communities around our
  facility projects that we would not have had an
  opportunity to fund if it were not for the StEPP
  Foundation. I strongly recommend working with the
  StEPP Foundation
• Dennis Creamer, ConocoPhillips

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REEE SEP Examples

• A refiner in Colorado funded low interest home
  and small business loans for REEE
• Energy supplier settled air violations funded
  alternative energy projects including solar panel
  installations
• Airport air violations settlement included
  replacement of traditional lights with energy
  efficient lighting

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Other Examples

• Solar panel installation for snow making at a ski
  area
• Settlement funding into an escrow account used to
  pay for wind power over 5 years
• University air violations resolution included
  improved insulation of campus buildings
• CONTACT US www.steppfoundation.org