§ 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.