The Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) is a non-regulatory agency within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) that provides free, confidential, on-site technical and compliance assistance to manufacturers, businesses and institutions. In addition to assisting with issues related to the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA), OTA can also assist companies with energy efficiency and water and resource conservation. These services are available free of charge to all Massachusetts businesses.

OTA can help your company to:

  • Manage and reduce air releases, water discharges, hazardous waste generation and toxic chemical use and chemical waste.
  • Prevent accidents and reduce liability associated with the use of toxics.
  • Reduce costs by improving manufacturing processes and identifying alternative materials.
  • Reduce energy and water bills.
  • Find useful products and services to enhance your business and environmental sustainability.
  • Assist a company to share their success in reducing toxics by helping them to prepare a short case study for public distribution.
The Office of Technical Assistance and Technology (OTA), the Commonwealth's center for technical information and assistance, helps businesses and other organizations improve their environmental performance as well as conserve energy, water and other resources. OTA promotes the implementation of management strategies, systems and technologies that enable businesses to enhance their competitiveness as they reduce use of toxic chemicals, prevent pollution, conserve resources, and ensure worker health and safety. For nearly two decades, OTA has been a cornerstone of the Commonwealth's efforts to provide citizens with a cleaner and healthier environment.

Under the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA), which was enacted in 1989, the Office of Technical Assistance and Technology (OTA) is mandated to provide assistance to toxics users in the Commonwealth, in implementing effective toxics use reduction and other pollution prevention or resource conservation activities. OTA provides assistance in complying with relevant environmental and health and safety laws. There is no charge for this assistance, and it is provided on a confidential basis, unless there is an imminent threat to public health or safety, or to the environment, or the information must be disclosed by law. A facility can receive OTA’s assistance by phone (617-626-1060), by email at maota@state.ma.us, by consulting OTA’s website, or by attending OTA workshops and conferences. A company can also ask OTA specialists to visit its facility and provide focused, one-on-one assistance.

  1. What is OTA’s confidentiality policy?
  2. What can OTA’s specialists do to help your facility?
  3. What is OTA’s contact information?
  4. Once you request a visit, what is the next step?
  5. How many facilities has OTA helped?
  6. What are some of OTA’s programs and services offered?

 

What is OTA’s confidentiality policy?

According to the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (Chapter 21I, Section 23, Part H, which is available at http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw06/sl060188.htm:

Any information or record, in document or electronic format, received by the office in the course of providing technical assistance to a toxics user shall be kept confidential and not considered to be a public record pursuant to section 10 of chapter 66, unless:

  • The toxics user agrees in writing that such information may be made available to the department;
  • The office determines at its discretion, the information pertains to an imminent threat to public health or safety, or to the environment
  • Disclosure to the department is required by law

See Confidentiality Policy for more details

 

What can OTA’s specialists do to help your facility?

Identify opportunities to reduce risks associated with the use, storage, and processing of hazardous chemicals

Address potential safety issues and enhance compliance with regulations

Reduce employee exposure to hazardous chemicals and provide a safer workplace

Identify and evaluate inherently safer processes and chemistries

 

What is OTA’s contact information?

A: Contact OTA at: Phone: (617) 626-1060
Fax: (617) 626-1095
Email: maota@state.ma.us

Or fill out this form

 

Once you request a visit, what is the next step?

An OTA specialist will visit your facility, review your operations, and, in a written report, formalize his/her recommendations to reduce chemical use and the risks associated with that use, and improve compliance.

 

 

How many facilities has OTA helped?

OTA has made more than 3,600 site visits to about 1,800 facilities

 

What are some of OTA’s programs and services offered?

Toxics Use Reduction, Compliance Assistance, Water and Energy Conservation, Education and Training, and Additional Industry Support