Many clearinghouses, hotlines, and electronic bulletin boards have been developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to respond to legislative initiatives requiring the agency to provide outreach, communications, and technology transfer to businesses, individuals, and other organizations. Clearinghouses facilitate the exchange of critical information and are also useful as a central access point for hard-to locate technical reports and documents. The following information clearinghouses and hotlines may be of particular interest to manufacturers.

Air and Radiation

Environmental Protection Agency Phone Numbers:

Aerometric Information Retrieval System Bulletin Board
(919) 541-5742
Air Risk Information Support Center Hotline
(919) 541-0888
Air/Superfund Coordination Program
(919) 541-5589
Control Technology Center Hotline
(919) 541-5285
Inspection, Control, and Compliance Technical Information Clearinghouse
(919) 541-4571
Small Business Assistance Program Support Center Hotline
(919) 541-0800

Pesticides and Toxic Substances

Toxic Substances Control Act Assistance Information Service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Assistance Division, 7408
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 554-1404

Provides information on TSCA regulations to industry, labor and trade organizations, environmental groups, and the public. Technical as well as general information is available.

Hazardous and Solid Waste

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Information Hotline
Booz, Allen & Hamilton
1725 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
(800) 535-0202

Provides regulatory, policy, and technical assistance to federal agencies, local, and state governments, the public, and the regulated community in response to questions related to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (Title III of SARA).

Solid Waste Information Clearinghouse and Hotline
P.O. Box 7219-20907
1100 Wayne Avenue, #700
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(800) 67-SWICH

Developed and partially funded by the Solid Waste Association of North America and EPA, SWICH comprises a library system and an electronic bulletin board, and provides information on all aspects of solid waste management, including source reduction, recycling, composting, planning, education and training, legislation and regulation, waste combustion, collection, transfer, disposal, landfill gas, and special wastes.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act/Superfund/Emergency Planning and 
Community Right-to-Know Act Hotline
Storage Tank Hotline (RCRA/SF/OUST)
1725 Jefferson Davies Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
(800) 424-9346

Provides information pertaining to federal EPA regulations, policy, and documents to federal EPA regulations, policy, and documents to federal agencies, local and state governments, the public, and the regulated community in response to questions related to RCRA, underground storage tank issues, SF, Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), EPCRA, SARA Title III, and radiation site cleanup standards.

Hazardous Waste Ombudsman Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW, Room SE 301
Washington, DC 20460
(800) 262-7937

The hazardous-waste management program established under the RCRA is the most complex regulatory program developed by the EPA. It assists the public and regulated community in resolving problems concerning any program or requirement under the hazardous waste regulations. The Ombudsman Program, located at headquarters and in each regional office handles complaints from citizens and the regulated community, obtains facts, sorts information, and substantiates policy.

National Response Center
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
2100 Second Street, SW, Room 2611
Washington, DC 20593
(202) 267-2675 or (800) 424-8802

Receives reports of oil, hazardous chemical, biological, and radiological releases. The NRC then passes those reports to a predesignated federal on scene coordinator who coordinates cleanup efforts with other responsible federal agencies.

Methods Information Communications Exchange (MICE)
c/o Science Applications
7600-A Lewisburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22043
(703) 821-4789

Provides information on analytical test methods for the characterization of hazardous waste in support of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Pollution Prevention

Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline Technical Resources
501 Third Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(800) 296-1996

Provides consultation on ozone protection regulations and requirements under Title VI of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990. Title VI covers the following key aspects of the production, use, and safe disposal of ozone-depleting chemicals: (1) production and phase-out controls; (2) servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners; (3) recycling and emission reduction; (4) technician and equipment certification; (5) approval of alternatives; (6) ban of nonessential uses; (7) product labeling; and (8) federal procurement.

Water

National Small Flows Clearinghouse
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6064
Morgantown, WV 26506
(800) 624-8301

Distributes publications and videotapes, performs literature searches, operates a toll-free hotline, produces free newsletters, and operates a computer bulletin board.

Small Business

Small Business Ombudsman Clearinghouse/Hotline
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Small Business Ombudsman, 1230C
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(703) 305-5938
Fax: (703) 305-6462

Apprises the trade associations representing small business interests of current regulatory developments.

For Further Information

Access EPA from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is a free directory listing of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other public sector environmental information resources. To obtain a copy, contact the Public Information Center at U.S.E.P.A at (202) 260-2080. This annual directory provides information on documents, dockets, clearinghouses and hotlines, records, databases, models, EPA libraries, and state libraries. Access EPA is also available via the Internet, using Gopher, at gopher.epa.gov.

Recycling allows discarded materials to be diverted from the waste stream and begins with separation and collection of recyclable material at the source.

Easily Recycled Materials

Aluminum: Currently (as of 1997) more than 65,000 aluminum beverage cans is recycled every minute.

Iron and steel: In 1989, the U.S. scrap processing industry prepared 60 million tons for recycling, double the amount of paper, non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, etc.), glass, and plastics combined.

Plastics: Currently, three principal types of plastics are being recycled:

1. PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) soft drink containers, especially the two-liter bottles, are the most common plastic containers manufactured and discarded today.

2. HDPE (high-density polyethylene) containers are used as milk and water jugs, base cups or bottoms of PET soft drink bottles, oil bottles, and detergent and other household cleaner bottles.

3. Polystyrene foam is used primarily to make fast-food carry-out containers.

Glass: The use of crushed glass, or cullet, in manufacturing offers economic advantages over virgin materials (sand, soda ash, limestone). Cullet melts at a lower temperature than the raw materials, so manufacturers can reduce energy usage as well as particulate emissions into the atmosphere. Today, 25 percent of any given glass container is made from recycled glass.

Paper: Paper and paperboard constitute the largest proportion of municipal solid waste. More than 30 percent of all the paper and paperboard used in the United States today is being collected and used as either a component to make recycled paper and paperboard or as an export to foreign nations.

Source: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries

Beyond the specifics listed below, many states have tax credits that apply to new business in general, to business expansions, or to businesses locating in certain predesignated areas. Always, consult with state commerce, economic development, or tax offices to learn the details of state law.

Arizona

Income tax credit of 10% of installed cost, up to lesser of 25% of total tax liability or $5,000.

Arkansas

Thirty percent tax credit on income/corporate taxes for purchase of equipment making products with at least 10% recycled content.

California

Banks and corporations may take a 40% tax credit for purchase of certain equipment to manufacture recycled products with minimum 50% secondary content and 10% post consumer content. Development bonds for manufacturing products with recycled materials.

Colorado

Up to 20% tax credit for purchase of certain equipment to make products using post-consumer recycled materials. Special credits for plastic recycling.

Delaware

Corporate tax credits for investments and for job creation for use of minimum of 25% secondary materials removed from in-state waste stream. Reductions in gross receipts tax also apply. Corporate tax credits also available for source reduction activities and for processors and collectors of recyclable materials.

Florida

Sales tax exemption on recycling machinery. Tax incentives to encourage affordable transportation of recycled goods from collection points to sites for processing and disposal.

Idaho

Tax credits for equipment used to manufacture products made from recycled paper, plastic, or glass.

Illinois

Sales tax exemption for manufacturing equipment.

Indiana

Property tax exemption for buildings, equipment, and land involved in converting waste into new products.

Iowa

Sales tax exemptions for recycling equipment.

Kansas

Tax abatement for equipment used to manufacture products made with at least 25% post-consumer material.

Kentucky

Property and income tax credits to encourage recycling industries.

Louisiana

Corporation and franchise tax credits for purchase of qualified recycling equipment; corporate and personal income tax credits for purchase of equipment to recycle CFCs used as refrigerants.

Maine

Corporate tax credits equal to 30% of cost of recycling equipment and machinery. Tax credits of up to $5.00 per ton of wood waste from lumber products used as fuel or to generate heat.

Maryland

Individual and corporate income credit for expenses incurred to convert a furnace to burn used oil or to buy and install equipment to recycle used Freon.

Minnesota

Sales tax exemptions for recycling equipment.

Montana

Tax credit of 25% on purchase of equipment to process recyclable materials; up to 5% off income taxes for purchase of business-related products made with recycled materials.

New Jersey

Investment tax credit of 50% for recycling vehicles and machinery; 6% sales tax exemption on purchases of recycling equipment.

New Mexico

Tax credits on equipment to recycle or use recycled materials in a manufacturing process.

North Carolina

Industrial and corporate income tax credits and exemptions for equipment and facilities.

Oklahoma

Income tax credit of 15% on purchase of equipment and facilities to use recyclable materials in a product.

Oregon

Individual and corporate income tax credits for capital investment in recycling equipment and facilities. Special credits for plastic recycling.

South Carolina

Scrap metal dealers defined as manufacturers for sales tax purposes and exempted from electricity and fuel sales taxes.

Texas

Sludge recycling corporations eligible for franchise tax exemptions.

Virginia

Individual and corporate income tax credits of 20% of the purchase price of machinery and equipment for processing recyclable materials. Manufacturing plants using recycled products are eligible for a 10% tax credit.

Washington

Motor vehicles are exempt from rate regulation when transporting recovered materials from collection to reprocessing facilities and manufacturers.

West Virginia

Disposal-tax waivers for commercial recyclers who reduce their solid waste by 50%.

Wisconsin

Sales tax exemptions for waste reduction and recycling equipment and facilities; business property tax exemptions for same equipment.

For more information you can check other resources like: PaperMatcher: A Directory of Paper Recycling Resources by American Forest & Paper Association. Get it free by calling (800) 878-8878; American Recycling Market Directory, by calling (800) 267-0707.