Section 231. Regional offices

1.  The  department, through its regional
  offices, is authorized:  (a)  to  serve  as  a  center  for  information
  regarding  economic  development resources available from state, federal
  and  local  agencies;  (b)  to  provide  outreach  to  businesses,  with
  attention  to  small and medium-sized businesses, including minority and
  women-owned business enterprises, for financial and technical assistance
  offered by state economic development agencies,  authorities,  or  other
  economic  entities;  (c)  to  serve  as  a  regional  center  to  accept
  applications for state economic development programs; (d) to  coordinate
  the  economic  development programs and activities of state agencies and
  authorities within each region including, but not limited  to,  outreach
  to   businesses,   technical   assistance   services,   skills  training
  assistance, sharing of information, strategic economic development plans
  and programs, to provide or arrange for assistance  in  compliance  with
  federal, state, and local rules, regulations, permits, and licenses, and
  other  measures  to  enhance regional economic development and eliminate
  duplication of services; (e) to provide or  arrange  for  assistance  to
  persons, firms, agencies, partnerships or corporations, either public or
  private,  in  applying  for  assistance  from state economic development
  programs or for necessary licenses and permits or seeking to comply with
  federal, state and local  rules  and  regulations;  (f)  to  review  and
  comment,   within   their  knowledge  and  expertise,  with  respect  to
  applications for state assistance in a timely manner and form prescribed
  by the commissioner; (g) to distribute literature and marketing material
  describing the facilities, advantages and attractions of the region  for
  business;  (h)  to  provide  economic  development information, planning
  services and technical assistance to counties and municipalities  within
  the   region;   (i)   to  provide  information  and  assistance  in  the
  certification of minority and women-owned business enterprises;  (j)  to
  provide  or  arrange for assistance to private sector employers, whether
  operating for profit  or  not  for  profit,  and  to  organizations  and
  associations of such employers in developing and implementing innovative
  and  flexible  employee compensation, assistance and benefit programs to
  enhance  competitiveness  and  meet  emerging  demographic  and   market
  conditions;  and  (k)  to  provide  information  and assistance to small
  businesses on environmental compliance requirements of federal and state
  law and pollution prevention opportunities in  furtherance  of  policies
  and  programs  established  in article twenty-eight of the environmental
  conservation law and in coordination with the pollution  prevention  and
  environmental  compliance  coordinating  council  established in article
  twenty-eight of the environmental conservation law,  including  programs
  operated by the department, the department of environmental conservation
  or  other  state  or  local agencies from which technical assistance, or
  loans, grants or other financial assistance for compliance and pollution
  prevention may be  obtained;  and  in  providing  such  information  and
  assistance, to promote pollution prevention approaches.
    2.  As  used  in  this  section,  "Pollution  prevention"  shall  mean
  pollution prevention as such term is defined by article twenty-eight  of
  the environmental conservation law.