By Naomi Hatch
The Town of Taylor was presented with a certificate last week by Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Northeastern Arizona Liaison Byron James accepting it into the ADEQ Small Communities Environ-mental Compliance Assistance program, which began in 2007.
This is one of ADEQ’s key rural programs to improve the state’s environment while it recognizes the lim-ited resources of communities with fewer than 10,000 people. As part of the policy, ADEQ is able to offer a waiver if the town commits to show good faith for environmental compliance.
James explained that this means small communities are able to assess their compliance with the help of a guidance and self-assessment template that is available, which may qualify them for up to a 100 percent penalty reduction from ADEQ for future violations, which may include cost waivers.
James said there are four parts to this: plan, do, check and act. First the town needs to identify its environ-mental impacts, then set goals for improvement.
The town then will do its part, perhaps through training. The town will then check to see how it is doing and act to improve its environmental impacts.
The purpose is to reduce risk to employees and the public, increase public confidence and enhance staff training opportunities. The Town of Taylor has committed to environmental compliance and its part is to show a good faith commitment for environmental compliance.
Photo by Naomi Hatch
Taylor Mayor Fay Hatch (left) receives a certificate from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Northeastern Arizona Liaison Byron James (right), accepting the town into the ADEQ Small Communi-ties Environmental Compliance Assistance program.
