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Basic Information
Sector-based programs are an established mechanism to help many companies or other regulated entities achieve high environmental standards using flexible, voluntary approaches. They promote widespread environmental stewardship and EMS use. They help expand regulatory flexibility from facility-specific pilots to sector-wide outcomes. They accurately define "customer" assistance needs. They build partnerships that embrace innovations from trade associations, states, and communities.
Sector-based programs have been well-tested. Many lessons have been learned. Many opportunities now present themselves. By focusing on specific industries and other service sectors like universities and ports, policy makers can focus on issues and problem-solving at a manageable level, with knowledgeable participants, as opposed to not one-size-fits-all. Sector-based programs enable federal, state, and local government agencies to use the power of trade groups to achieve broad action by many companies, taking innovative ideas from pilot to mainstream. Sector-based approaches offer opportunities to industries, states, and communities to develop voluntary partnerships to focus on issues that matter to them environmentally and economically.
There is a challenge in reconciling the interests and needs of single-medium versus multi-media sector programs. There is an inherent tension between the need for flexibility to allow innovative sector approaches to address shifting priorities, and the need to "lock in" sector program plans for purposes of EPA planning and budgeting. Many opportunities exist to enhance the ability of the Agency and government coimplementers to plan and implement sector programs.