Green Star

EPC Recognizes First Green Star Facility

Tampa, FL – The Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) of Hillsborough County recognized Engine Lab of Tampa, owned and operated by David and Susan Deegan, as the first automotive repair shop in Hillsborough County designated as a Green Star facility. The Deegan’s have owned the shop which specializes in engine replacement and remanufacturing, and general repairs since 1994. Due to higher gas prices, the company has also been doing a brisk business in preventative maintenance - which helps the engine run more efficient. “We are absolutely thrilled and honored to have achieved the user-friendly Green Star status,” Susan commented during the September 20 Green Star presentation.

The goal of the Green Star program is to help the automotive repair industry go above and beyond environmental compliance through the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Pollution Prevention (P2) strategies. Green Star is a voluntary program the EPC, with support from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Florida Automotive Trade Association (FATA), initiated to help auto repair facilities become better stewards of the environment.

To kick-off the new Green Star program, the EPC joined the efforts of the FDEP and FATA, inviting local automotive repair facilities to attend an environmental compliance workshop. The workshop provided a review of environmental regulations and invited the industry to take the next step – to go above and beyond regulatory compliance by implementing BMPs and P2 strategies. Participants were provided an environmental compliance workbook and asked to complete an environmental self-audit checklist. A portion of the checklist relates to the BMPs and P2 strategies associated with the Green Star program. After companies complete the self-audit checklist and submit it to EPC for review, an on-site inspection of the facility is conducted. Companies who meet all the Green Star criteria are then considered a Green Star facility and presented a Certificate of Recognition and a Green Star decal identifying them as such.

According to the EPC’s Green Star program coordinator, Dewitt Bruce, “Green Star brings a new look to the auto repair industry. Gone are the typical auto repair shops of the past. Green Stars are clean, organized, and operated by folks that care about the environment and community they live and work in.”

Green Star is a program that fits well with the EPC’s mission of protecting the environment and at the same time promotes cooperation between government and industry. The EPC looks forward to recognizing additional companies as Green Stars and hopes for the continued success of the program.

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About the Program

The Green Star Program is an industry friendly program that encourages automotive repair facilities to go above and beyond environmental compliance through the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Pollution Prevention (P2) strategies. EPC utilizes a compliance workbook developed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) specifically for the auto repair industry. In March 2005, a joint workshop with FDEP was held introducing the workbook and the Green Star Program to the auto repair industry. The program has a checklist that emphasizes the use of BMPs and P2 strategies that each facility must implement in order to be considered a Green Star. This information is reviewed by EPC staff to ensure completeness. Once the review is complete, an on site inspection is performed to verify that what is reflected on paper is actually being conducted by the facility. Facilities that successfully implement the BMP and P2 elements are certified as a “Green Star” facility.