January 24, 2012

“TODAY ON THE HILL”

ONE SMALL STEP TOWARD DEQ IMPROVEMENTS
A day earlier than expected Senator Margaret Dayton moved one of the two UMA initiated bills to address changes to the Department of Environmental Quality was passed from second reading to third reading in the Utah Senate. SB-11, Department of Environmental Quality Boards Adjudicative Proceedings, makes appeals to DEQ permits a “record review” rather than allowing extraneous information to be introduced on an appeal. This process change promises to help streamline the appeals process.

SB-21, Department of Environmental Quality Boards Revisions, also sponsored by Senator Dayton and initiated by UMA, modifies the size, make up and function of the five DEQ boards. This is the culmination of a more than two-year process that has utilized the Lean/Six Sigma principles to address the best way for these policy boards to operate to fairly treat industries required to get operating permits as well as protecting the environment. This bill in on the Second Reading Calendar but will be remain circled for at least one more day to give Senators more time to review this more than 200 page bill.

Both of these bills are very important to UMA member companies that are required to get environmental permits to operate.
Stay Tuned: Tom Bingham

UTAH LABOR COMMISSION OPENS GRANT APPLICATION
Process to Fund Promotion of Workplace Safety
Utah Labor Commission
SALT LAKE CITY, UT–The Utah Labor Commission is requesting applications for grant projects or initiatives demonstrating a commitment to workplace safety. Proposals may include, but are not limited to, development of workshops and training, implementation of specialized safety programs, increasing effort and resources for existing programs, and collaborative workplace safety training between organizations.

The money that supports the Workplace Safety Account is generated from a 0.25% annual assessment on workers’ compensation premiums. The Utah Labor Commission is charged with the task of using these funds to promote workplace safety, which includes awarding a portion of account funds to selected grant applicants. It is anticipated that over $500,000 will be awarded to select grant recipients, and will be distributed among as many qualifying applicants and in monetary amounts the Labor Commission deems appropriate. Entities eligible to apply for a grant include Utah businesses, community-based organizations, Utah non-profits and local associations and educational institutions.

“The Workplace Safety Committee of the Labor Commission has identified key priorities upon which to focus for the upcoming year. The focus is with industries and occupations that have higher incidences of workplace accidents and fatalities such as construction, manufacturing and highway safety, as well as projects that assist Utah employers in breaking down barriers to safer work environments due to language and cultural barriers”, said Utah Labor Commissioner, Sherrie Hayashi. “This is a great opportunity for an employer or other entity to augment its safety program budget and provide additional means to reduce workplace accidents for its employees.”

The Grant Application and all related details outlining the criteria successful applicants must satisfy, as well as the process the Commission shall use to award the funds, is available online at www.laborcommission.utah.gov or by contacting Elena Bensor, Community Relations/Public Information Officer at (801) 530-6918 or elenabensor@utah.gov.

Grant Applications are due Monday, April 9th, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. The grant period will cover up to a 12 month period beginning July 1, 2012 and ending June 30, 2013.

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