EnviroMentors are qualified professionals with technical or
legal expertise on environmental issues who volunteer to
help small businesses and local governments comply with state
environmental rules, either through one-on-one contact or in a
teaching situation.
About the Program
Many EnviroMentors are private-sector consultants. Some are
engineers, others are successful operators (for example, a
wastewater system operator) who provide peer-to-peer advice. All
EnviroMentors are professionals whose job is to know the rules.
The program is managed by TCEQ's
Small Business and Local Government Assistance (SBLGA) section,
which provides confidential assistance without the threat of
enforcement. Therefore, EnviroMentor assistance is
confidential and does not lead to
inspections, citations, or fines.
Qualifications to Participate in the Program
To receive free, confidential help from environmental
professionals, you must:
- be a small business with 100 or fewer employees,
or a local government;
- be committed to complying with state rules to protect the
environment, and to correcting violations as soon
as possible.
Read more about the program in the brochure Get a Helping Hand from an EnviroMentor
(GI-293) (also available in Spanish, GI-293esp).
Benefits of EnviroMentors
By using EnvironMentors, small businesses and local governments
benefit from:
- advice on how to comply with environmental laws,
- assistance completing regulatory paperwork, and
- answers to technical questions.
Getting Help from an EnviroMentor
Submit the Request for EnviroMentor Assistance form,
which is on page 2 of the brochure (in
English or in
Spanish). The EnviroMentor coordinator will review the
information and make a match with an EnviroMentor whose expertise
matches the need. See a list of Texas EnviroMentors.
Qualifications for Becoming an EnviroMentor
Potential EnviroMentors must meet the following
qualifications.
Technical
- have a bachelor of science degree or a degree in an
environmental field
- be available to volunteer up to 20 hours a year
Wastewater/Water Utility
- hold a current, Texas-certified, Class C (or above), water or
wastewater operator license.
- be available to volunteer up to 20 hours a year.
Legal
- have a law degree and current membership in the State Bar of
Texas
- be available to volunteer up to 20 hours a year
Sign up to be an EnviroMentor by completing the application on
page 2 of the brochure Volunteer to Lend a Helping Hand as an EnviroMentor
(GI-292).
