MightyRecruiterEnvironmental laws are passed in big part to make life on Earth as healthy and safe as possible for present and future generations. For example, the 1970 Clean Air Act governs air emissions, ozone depletion, acid rain and more. The 1977 Clean Water Act makes discharging pollutants in water illegal in many cases. Other laws address issues including endangered species, insecticides, environmental policy, safe drinking water, worker safety, environmental recovery and toxic substances. As a business owner, you must follow these laws and a host of other federal, state and local laws. It is possible that you will need to contact the Environmental Protection Agency at least once to seek clarification on an issue or to report a dangerous situation elsewhere. Fortunately, the EPA is on social media such as Twitter, so following the agency there can help you act proactively and potentially stave off serious issues. Here is an overview of the many ways the EPA provides for businesses and the public to contact the agency and its workers.
Small-Business Resources on the EPA Website
The EPA website at www.epa.gov has a section dedicated to small-business resources. It covers such issues as registering your business with the EPA and compliance with environmental laws and regulations. EPA issue pages such as pollution prevention also have small-business resources as well as resources for the general public.
Reporting Environmental Violations
As a business owner, it is possible you will be privy to violations that other companies are committing. The EPA website has a dedicated page that members of the public can use to report violations, although it points out that in some cases, other authorities are responsible for certain issues, and violations should be reported to them.
Social Media
Connecting with the EPA on social media is a great way to help your business stay ahead of the curve when it comes to preventing environmental concerns. Clean drinking water, saving energy, lead exposure and tips for reading labels were just some of the issues the EPA discussed in a mere two-day period in March 2016 on Twitter. Here’s where to find the EPA on social media:
•Twitter
•Facebook
•Pinterest
•InstagramThe EPA is also on platforms such as YouTube, Google+ and Flickr. It also runs/recommends an impressive array of blogs such as its official blog, its science and scientists blog and a blog for Hispanic speakers. Search for newsletters, blogs and the like on their site and subscribe to those that interest you.
Comment on Regulations
Because you are a small-business owner, you might want the EPA to hear your concerns about its regulations. A page on the EPA website explains all about how to get involved with EPA regulations.
Contact a Specific Office or Lab
The EPA has headquarters offices, regional offices and lab/research offices. Its regional offices cover 10 regions. For example, Region 1 serves New England, and Region 10 serves the Pacific Northwest, including hundreds of Native American tribes. Each region has a dedicated contact page that includes information such as its main office location, mailing address and important issues in the area. The Pacific Northwest region’s main office is in Seattle, with phone numbers 800-424-4372 and 206-553-1200, and the email address is epa-seattle@epa.gov. Each region also has information about small-business contacts; in the Mid-Atlantic region, you would contact a Philadelphia location to get business assistance.To find the contact information of the region or EPA office you want, go to the EPA forms page. It also lets you find an EPA employee as long as you know the person’s last name.In a nutshell, there are many ways in which you can contact the EPA. Its official site has a great portal dedicated to small businesses, and that may be the best place for you to start. There is a lot to explore!
Legal Disclaimer
The content on our website is only meant to provide general information and is not legal advice. We make our best efforts to make sure the information is accurate, but we cannot guarantee it. Do not rely on the content as legal advice. For assistance with legal problems or for a legal inquiry please contact you attorney.