{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-2-5-115","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 27A, § 27A-2-5-115","heading":"Small business technical and environmental compliance","body":"assistance - State Air Quality Ombudsman Office for Small\n\nBusinesses.\n\nA. The Department shall establish a small business stationary\n\nsource technical and environmental compliance assistance program.\n\nThe purpose of such program shall be to provide information to small\n\nbusinesses to assist them in achieving compliance with the\n\nrequirements of the Oklahoma Clean Air Act and the Federal Clean Air\n\nAct. It shall be the duty of the Department to:\n\n1. Develop, collect and coordinate information concerning\n\ncompliance methods and technologies for small business stationary\n\nsources;\n\n2. Assist small businesses with pollution prevention and\n\naccidental release detection and prevention, including providing\n\ninformation concerning alternative technologies, process changes,\n\nproducts, and methods of operation that help reduce air pollution;\n\n3. Develop a compliance assistance program for small business\n\nstationary sources to assist them in determining applicable\n\nrequirements and in receiving permits in a timely manner;\n\n4. Assure that small business stationary sources receive notice\n\nof their rights under the Oklahoma Clean Air Act and the Federal\n\nClean Air Act, in such manner and form as to assure reasonably\n\nadequate time for such sources to evaluate compliance methods and\n\nany relevant or applicable proposed or final regulation or standard;\n\n5. Develop procedures for informing small business stationary\n\nsources of their obligations pursuant to the Oklahoma Clean Air Act,\n\nincluding mechanisms for referring such sources to qualified\n\nauditors in order that they may determine compliance with the\n\nOklahoma Clean Air Act or the Federal Clean Air Act; and\n\n6. Develop procedures for considering requests from small\n\nbusinesses for modification of work practices or technological\n\ncompliance methods when in accordance with the Oklahoma Clean Air\n\nAct or the Federal Clean Air Act.\n\nB. The Executive Director shall designate an employee within\n\nthe Department to serve as the State Air Quality Ombudsman for\n\nSmall Businesses. Such designee shall assume the responsibility for\n\nmonitoring the small business stationary source technical and\n\nenvironmental compliance assistance program under this section. The\n\nOmbudsman shall:\n\n1. Evaluate and report on all aspects of the small business\n\nstationary source technical and environmental compliance assistance\n\nprogram including, but not limited to:\n\na. comments and recommendations to the Environmental\n\nProtection Agency and the state regarding development\n\nand implementation of regulations,\n\nb. the impact of the Oklahoma Clean Air Act and the\n\nFederal Clean Air Act on the state's economics, local\n\neconomics and small businesses,\n\nc. review the work and services of the small business\n\nstationary source technical and environmental\n\ncompliance assistance program with trade associations\n\nand small business representatives;\n\n2. Interact with the state and small businesses to:\n\na. facilitate small business participation in new\n\nregulation development,\n\nb. disseminate information,\n\nc. sponsor meetings, and\n\nd. refer small businesses to the appropriate areas of the\n\nsmall business stationary source technical and\n\nenvironmental compliance assistance program where they\n\nmay obtain information on assistance or find\n\naffordable alternatives in controlling emissions and\n\nprecluding accidental releases; and\n\n3. Interface with:\n\na. the Small Business Administration, the Department of\n\nCommerce and other state, local, regional and federal\n\nagencies which have programs to finally assist small\n\nbusinesses in compliance with environmental\n\nregulations, and\n\nb. private sector financial institutions in locating\n\nsources of funds to comply with state-local air\n\npollution regulations.\n\nC. There is hereby created a Compliance Advisory Panel with\nsiness Administration, the Department of\n\nCommerce and other state, local, regional and federal\n\nagencies which have programs to finally assist small\n\nbusinesses in compliance with environmental\n\nregulations, and\n\nb. private sector financial institutions in locating\n\nsources of funds to comply with state-local air\n\npollution regulations.\n\nC. There is hereby created a Compliance Advisory Panel with\n\nresponsibilities consistent with the requirements in Title V of the\n\nFederal Clean Air Act. Panel members shall serve without\n\ncompensation but shall be entitled to travel expenses according to\n\nthe provisions of the State Travel Reimbursement Act. Funds to\n\ncover the operational expenses of the panel shall be allocated and\n\nadministered by the Department through the small business stationary\n\nsource technical and environmental compliance assistance program.\n\nThe panel shall consist of seven (7) members as follows:\n\n1. Two members who are not owners, or representatives of\n\nowners, of small business stationary sources selected by the\n\nGovernor to represent the general public;\n\n2. Two members who are owners, or who represent owners, of\n\nsmall business stationary sources to be selected, one each, by the\n\nPresident Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of\n\nRepresentatives;\n\n3. Two members who are owners, or who represent owners, of\n\nsmall business stationary sources to be selected, one each, by the\n\nminority leader of the Senate and the minority leader of the House\n\nof Representatives; and\n\n4. One member selected by the Executive Director to represent\n\nthe Department.\n\nD. Each member of the Compliance Advisory Panel shall be\n\nappointed for a term of seven (7) years terminating on January 15,\n\nexcept the term of those first appointed shall expire as follows:\n\n1. The first appointee of the Governor shall serve for one (1)\n\nyear;\n\n2. The appointee of the House minority leadership shall be for\n\ntwo (2) years;\n\n3. The appointee of the House majority leadership shall be for\n\nthree (3) years;\n\n4. The appointee of the Senate minority leadership shall be for\n\nfour (4) years;\n\n5. The appointee of the Senate majority leadership shall be for\n\nfive (5) years;\n\n6. The second appointee of the Governor shall be for six (6)\n\nyears; and\n\n7. The appointee of the Executive Director shall be for seven\n\n(7) years.\n\nE. The terms of all members shall continue until their\n\nsuccessors shall have been duly appointed. If a vacancy occurs, the\n\ndesignated appointing official shall name a replacement for the\n\nremaining portion of the unexpired term created by the vacancy.\n\nF. The Compliance Advisory Panel shall have the authority and\n\nthe duty to:\n\n1. Render advisory opinions on the effectiveness of the state\n\nsmall business stationary source technical and environmental\n\ncompliance assistance program, difficulties encountered, and the\n\ndegree and severity of enforcement;\n\n2. Make periodic reports to the administrator of the\n\nEnvironmental Protection Agency concerning the compliance status of\n\nthe state small business stationary source technical and\n\nenvironmental compliance assistance program with the requirements of\n\nthe Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and the\n\nEqual Access to Justice Act; and\n\n3. Review information for small business stationary sources to\n\nassure such information is understandable by the layperson.","path":["OK Code","Title 27A"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os27A.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"bd0b30066d24b9879119e0b71846244572ffe48675417513168ea57d55b66ee5","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-2-5-114","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-2-5-116"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}