The Peru Gazette

(ESD News Release) Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the opening of the new Small Business Environmental Support Office (SBESO), designed to help small businesses understand and comply with federal and state environmental regulations involving air, water, solid and hazardous waste, petroleum and chemical bulk storage, and other important environmental standards. Governor Kathy Hochul first advanced this initiative in her 2024 State of the State address. The new office will provide direct one-on-one guidance to small businesses across the state regarding environmental regulations, balancing the State’s sustainability goals with New York’s economic development goals.  

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Small businesses are not just the backbone of our economy, they also are a partner in helping New York achieve our environmental goals. ESD’s new Small Business Environmental Support Office will be a resource for small businesses as they navigate an evolving environmental landscape. Small businesses in New York State now have a trusted advisor in understanding and complying with federal and state environmental rules.”

While environmental regulations are in place to ensure a clean and safe environment for all, regulations can also prove challenging for small business owners to interpret. The new SBESO expands the support and advice offered to small businesses, free and confidentially, regarding how to navigate regulations, avoid noncompliance, and remedy violations.

The SBESO offers the following types of assistance to any New York state business with 100 or fewer employees:

• COMPLIANCE – help with identifying which state and federal regulations apply to a particular business and providing assistance in drafting compliance plans. 

• MEDIATION – assistance with resolving complaints and disputes.

• OUTREACH – informing small businesses of new or changing regulations, compliance deadlines, and current issues that may impact business operations.

• BUSINESS SUPPORT – coordination with organizations representing business sectors, and engagement with regulatory agencies to provide feedback from the small business community.
• SUSTAINABILITY – providing resources to move small businesses beyond compliance through energy efficiency, resource conservation, pollution prevention, and sustainability.

The Small Business Environmental Support Office can be reached by calling (877) 247-2329 or emailing SBESO@esd.ny.gov. For more information, please visitesd.ny.gov/SBESO.