Contact: Sharon Goble

Alfred L. Shaw P.C. of Livonia is the first orthodontic business to have a project approved under the Department of Environmental Quality’s new Small Business Pollution Prevention Loan Program.

The program is part of the Clean Michigan Initiative, a $675 million environmental bond proposed by Gov. John Engler and overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1998. The program provides low-interest loans to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees to encourage the implementation of projects that eliminate or reduce waste through source reduction or recycling.

DEQ Director Russell Harding’s approval of the project clears the way for finalizing a $50,000 loan to Alfred L. Shaw P.C.

"I am pleased to have participation from the medical professional community in the loan program," Harding said. "This shows the potential for any small business to develop and implement a pollution prevention strategy. I commend Alfred L. Shaw P.C. for its leadership in becoming the first medical professional participant in this exciting program."

The loan enables the orthodontic business to purchase a digital X-ray machine, which will eliminate the annual use of over 200 gallons of photographic development chemicals containing heavy metals such as silver and lead.

"Even orthodontists deal with materials that can harm the environment," said Dr. James Ginzler of Alfred L. Shaw P.C. "The loan program gives us an opportunity to do our part to protect the environment by eliminating the chemicals necessary to develop X-rays. In addition, this equipment also has the potential to reduce radiation exposure to our patients."

Under the program, the DEQ works in partnership with the company and its local bank to provide a loan that does not exceed the 5-percent interest rate established in the state statute creating this program. In this instance, the bank of Alfred L. Shaw P.C.’s choice will participate in the loan with the DEQ. Upon completing the loan documents, the bank will issue the $50,000 low-interest loan.

Eligible projects must reduce waste at the point of generation, or reuse or recycle materials. The program is based on a match partnership where the loan is split between participating lending institutions and the DEQ CMI fund.

Loans up to $100,000 are available to all private business sectors including manufacturing, farming, retail and service. The program is administered by the DEQ’s Environmental Assistance Division.