§ 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.