Cathy Colglazier, Public Advocate
785-296-0669 or 1-800-357-6087
Bureau of Environmental Field Services
1000 SW Jackson, Suite 430
Topeka, Kansas 66612
FAX (785) 291-3266

Public Advocate Services

The Division of Environment's Public Advocate for Small Businesses is your source of information about whom to contact within the Division of Environment with your problem or issue. If you have questions about whom to contact regarding your permit, pollution prevention technologies, or other questions, call Cathy Colglazier at 1-800-357-6087.

KDHE Division of Environment Regulatory Agenda

KDHE's Division of Environment has numerous regulations currently in process. To view the regulatory agenda, click the link below. The regulatory agenda will be updated twice a year – in late winter and later summer.

DOE Regulatory Agenda (updated 9/12/2011)

Kansas Environmental News

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The Public Advocate is responsible for the Kansas Environmental News, a biannual newsletter with current regulatory information, issues, and upcoming events. The newsletter is free--just click on the button above to be added to the mailing list.

2011 Newsletters

• Summer/Fall 2011
• Winter/Spring 2011  -  (correction to Winter/Spring 2011)

2010 Newsletters

• Summer/Fall 2010 (.pdf)
• Winter/Spring 2010 (.pdf)

2009 Newsletters

• Summer/Fall 2009 (.pdf)
• Winter/Spring 2009 (.pdf)

Small Business Environmental Assistance Program

The Division of Environment contracts with Kansas State University's Pollution Prevention Institute to provide the state's Small Business Environmental Assistance Program. The program provides free and confidential help including answers to questions, on-site assessments, pollution prevention technologies, workshops, and publications. Visit their website at www.sbeap.org or call 1-800-578-8898.

These services are provided for businesses to assist them in complying (and going beyond compliance) with environmental regulations. Please don't hesitate to call them with any questions or information needs.

Upcoming Events

Free Hazardous Waste Generator Workshops
The new hazardous waste regulations went into effect on April 29, 2011.
Two workshops are offered.

• The basic workshop (offered in the morning) is designed as an introductory course in Kansas HW Regulations (RCRA) - 9:00 - 12:00 am
• Topeka, Sept 13, SRS Learning Center, 2600 SW East Circle Drive South
• KC Area, Sept 20, JOCO North East Offices, 6000 Lamar, Mission
• Hays, Oct 18, Sternberg Museum, 3000 Sternberg Dr., Hays
• Wichita, Oct 19, Water Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita

• The advanced workshop (offered in the afternoons) will provide a brief review of the HW regulations for experienced HW managers - 2:00 - 4:00 pm
• Topeka, Sept 13, SRS Learning Center, 2600 SW East Circle Drive South
• KC Area, Sept 20, JOCO North East Offices, 600 Lamar, Mission
• Hays, Oct 18, Sternberg Museum, 3000 Sternberg Dr., Hays
• Wichita, Oct 19, Water Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita

Registration is required. Register now at https://www.dhe.state.ks.us/Community/se.ashx?s=11B9BDC95084695E.
For more information, email Rebecca Wenner at rwenner@kdheks.gov.

Healthcare Conference and Trade Show
October 5 – 6
Overland Park, KS
For more information, go to http://www.kcahe.org/events/kcahe-annual-conference/.

Identifying Pollution Prevention Opportunities at your Facility
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CDT  or
Wednesday, October 13, 2011 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CDT

Attend this webinar to learn how your facility can begin identifying and implementing pollution prevention (P2) projects, with a focus on reducing water use and waste generation.  An overview of the Greening Southeast Kansas Initiative will also be given, which is a program ran by the K-State PPI to help businesses, municipalities, and other institutions in rural, southeast Kansas identify P2 (water and waste) opportunities.  To register for the webinar, go to www.sbeap.org.

K-State Pollution Prevention (P2) Intern Program
Thursday, December 8, 2011 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CST

This Webinar will provide a brief summary of the P2 intern program, showcase recent intern and industry success stories, as well as answer frequently asked questions.  Facility engineers, plant engineers, energy engineers, and environmental managers should attend.

The K-State P2 intern program is a non-regulatory, summer program designed to link top-level engineering and environmental sciences students with business and industry. Collaborations focus on projects to reduce energy use, emissions and wastes, benefiting the company bottom line and the Kansas environment. Students work with a technical advisor from PPI and a host company to research P2 projects that reduce or eliminate –

  - energy use
  - air emissions
  - hazardous and solid wastes
  - water contaminants
  - employee risks

To register for the webinar, go to https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/967118990.