PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials announced today that the City of Show Low in Navajo County has become the second municipality in the state to complete a Small Communities Environmental Protection Plan (SCEPP) to help communities and special water and wastewater districts comply with state and federal environmental regulations.

With a plan in place, Show Low is now positioned to identify potential environmental concerns or issues, disclose identified violations and request compliance assistance if needed. The district is eligible for up to a 100 percent penalty reduction if it has future environmental violations.

ADEQ’s Small Communities Environmental Compliance Assistance project assists small towns and special water and wastewater districts in compliance with state and federal environmental laws and reducing the number of violations and enforcement actions.

“We congratulate the City of Show Low for being among the leaders in the state on environmental cooperation and sustainability,” said ADEQ Director Henry Darwin. “Small communities in the state have limited financial resources and we are committed to helping them comply with environmental laws and be good green stewards.”

ADEQ will present the city with a certificate of achievement at the next Show Low City Council meeting next Tuesday, Nov. 18. The Town of Eagar, Pinetop-Lakeside Sanitary District and Naco Sanitary District are the only three other governmental entities to complete the SCEPP process in Arizona.

Guidance materials, including a comprehensive manual, have been prepared to train small communities and water and wastewater districts on environmental requirements and help with SCEPP development. For more information about the program: http://www.azdeq.gov/function/compliance/smallcomm.html.