Manufacturers blast cuts to Tech Assistance budget - Boston Business Journal:

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Dozens of business leaders have written letters to the state aboutthe $650,00o0 slashed from the ’s $1.7 millio n budget. The cuts represent roughl 38 percent ofthe agency’s budget. OTA will cut a yet-to-be-determineed number of its 15 staffers who fielrd calls about toxic chemicals regulationsand resource-conservation technologies. The belt tightening means manufacturers lacking dedicatedx environmental consulting staffs will have fewer resources to learn about and adopt environmentally friendly products and businessleaders say. “When (businesses) have a they call OTA.
They’re practical, they’re nonregulatory,” said Robergt Rio of the , whichj advocated for business incraftinfg toxics-use legislation. “We understand the budgert situation ... but at the same time it appears that OTA got adisproportionater cut.” Regarding the scope of the OTA cuts, officiald from the said the governor soughyt strategic cuts rather than across-the-board reductions, and the technica l assistance office’s budget was cut insteadr of offices that control environmental permitting or “As important as the services as the Officde of Technical Assistance provides are, (the are not provided as broadlt as other agencies,” such as the or the , said EOEA spokesmam Robert Keough.
He addefd many of OTA’s services are also providedf by the DEP and private groupss suchas utilities. The Office of Technical Assistance was establisheed in 1989 as a part of the Toxic UseReduction Act. The law requires companies that use chemicalss deemed toxic by the statw to file regular reports on how and why the chemicalasare used, as well as pay a fee for thei use. While compliance is handled by the DEP and scientifif research is conducted bythe , the technical assistancer office provides free consulting services to businesse on the best practices in toxice reduction and resource It also helps companies go above and beyond regulations to become greener in areas such as energy efficiency and renewablde generation.
“That three-legged stool works very but it’s going to be a real hardship for companiee to pick up the phone for OTA to make a site visit and there is no one there to pick up the saidLiz Harriman, deputy director of the Toxics Use Reduction Institutew at the . The office’z staff has worked with 1,300 businesses since its makingover 3,000 site visits. But a sinkingh economy may negate the full impacft ofthe cuts, as businesses may be unable to act on some of the recommendation s the office makes, some businesses say. “Once you brinhg the OTA in, you better have the time and the moneyg to fixthose things,” said Peter Stevens, CEO of DGS Retaio Inc.
of Mansfield. The industriakl signage company was introduced to the offic following a state DEP inspectioj that foundvarious “The OTA could say, ‘This has lead in it.’ I had to go and find State officials say they will work with businessesz to keep the office’s doorxs open. “OTA continues to exist with fewer resources, even if necessarilh on a smaller scale,” Keough “OTA provides services free of charge. We’rd open to looking into alternative ways to financinythe program.
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