Environmental Progress - Fall 1997

Illinois Facility Inspected 90 Times In Three Days

The manufacturing firm put out the welcome mat for Illinois EPA inspectors.

Steiner Company, Inc. of Aurora, a manufacturer of powder coated steel lockers and continuous towel cabinets, redefined cooperation when it voluntarily opened its doors to more than 90 Illinois EPA inspectors over three Fridays last May.

Manager Doug Neidigh, left, walks through a plant "inspection" at the Steiner Co. plant with Marcus Hatch, center, and Charles Gruntman.

The Illinois EPA was piloting a new Total Quality Environmental Management (TQEM) training program for its Chicago area field office staff and needed to "make it real." This required a company that would allow numerous EPA staff to study its every nook and cranny, applying pollution prevention (P2) and communications skills learned in two previous days of interactive training.

Recognizing the value of the company's contribution to the training, a recognition ceremony was held at the plant in July, and plant officials were honored by Peter L. Wise, Illinois EPA Associate Director. Wise presented a plaque to Steiner President Guy Marchesi, and certificates to employees Douglas Neidish, Brad Lirot and A.J. Voth.

The interactive training, conducted in three, three-day sessions, compared environmental regulations and progress since 1970 with the concept of companies voluntarily "going beyond compliance" to continue environmental improvement. Staff members analyzed current inspection responsibilities, identified obstacles to effective delivery of P2 ideas, and developed solutions to those obstacles. They also learned effective methods to deliver non-regulatory, beyond-compliance information in their everyday interactions with businesses. The goal is to enable Agency staff to work in partnership with companies to achieve and exceed compliance with environmental regulations by emphasizing pollution prevention techniques.

The final day of training allowed the trainees the essential opportunity to apply their new knowledge by touring Steiner Company's WESCO Manufacturing Division plant in Aurora. During the tour, trainees identified current pollution prevention activities, as well as additional opportunities not presently being implemented. Steiner's participation helped reinforce the information presented in the first two days of training and provided the company with a wealth of ideas.

Illinois EPA realized that the training would be most effective if participants could put their new skills to use on a specific project. Thus, a cross-media team of volunteers from the training program selected a focus area outside Chicago where they will test the practicalities of P2 assistance to industry, refine their techniques and then help coworkers utilize what they have learned.

For more information, contact Megan Wells-Paske of Illinois EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention at (217) 782-9141.