Environmental Management Systems

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Environmental Management Systems

• Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment
• March 19, 2009

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Overview of Presentation

• What is an EMS?
• Benefits and Pitfalls of Implementation
• Resources

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What is an EMS?

• An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set
  of procedures used by an organization to address
  both regulated and unregulated environmental
  impacts.

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What standards are used to audit EMSs?

• ISO 14001 International Organization for
  Standardization. Published in 1996 and revised
  in 2004.
• EMAS Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. Used in
  the European Union. Published in 1985.
• Responsible Care International Council of
  Chemical Associations. Published in 1985 and
  used by chemical associations in 52 countries.

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The EMS Process
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Environmental Policy

• Signed by top management and communicated to
  all employees. Includes commitments to 1)
  continual improvement, 2) pollution prevention,
  and 3) compliance with legal requirements.
• Benefit High level management support can
  increase awareness and set priorities across the
  organization.

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•  Environment Policy
•  Locke Insulators, Inc., a manufacturer of
  ceramic insulators, is committed to full
  compliance with applicable environmental laws,
  regulations, and other requirements as they apply
  to the environmental aspects of our activities.
•  
• Locke is committed to continual improvement of
  our processes to reduce waste, prevent pollution
  and reduce the impact of our operations on the
  environment"
•  

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Planning

• Identification of Significant Aspects This
  process involves listing and prioritizing all
  environmental impacts (both regulated and
  unregulated) created by an organizations
  products, activities and services and determining
  which are significant.
• Benefit Creates ongoing awareness of
  environmental impacts and identification of
  potential liabilities and costs savings outside
  the regulatory arena. Prioritization ensures
  that organization is addressing most significant
  impacts.

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Sample Environmental Aspects Worksheet
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Planning

• Legal and Other Requirements Identify all
  applicable legal requirements
• Benefit Leads to thorough initial
  compliance audit and a system to stay on top of
  regulatory changes.
• Objectives, targets and programs Set goals and
  measurable targets. Define responsibilities,
  means and time frames.
• Benefit Good project management leads to
  successful outcomes.

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Sample objectives and targets worksheet
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Implementation and Operation

• Structure and responsibility Define roles and
  responsibilities
• Benefit Good for capacity building because
  management must commit to providing the necessary
  resources and training. When roles and
  responsibilities are defined it creates
  accountability.
• Competence, training and awareness Employees
  whose jobs involve significant environment
  impacts must be determined competent. All
  employees must receive awareness training.
• Benefit Ensures employees are capable of
  performing their environmental responsibilities
  which reduces liability and awareness training
  can encourage employee feedback and suggestions.

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Implementation and Operation

• Communication Must have procedures for internal
  and external communication.
• Benefit Improves the quality of responses
  on environmental performance to external
  interested parties.
•  Documentation Requires retention of certain
  procedures and records
• Benefit The documentation of procedures
  provides continuity through personnel changes.
•  

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Implementation and Operation

• Emergency Preparedness and Response Identifies
  potential emergency situations that can have an
  impact on the environment.
• Benefit Identifies gaps in the
  identification of potential emergencies and
  planned responses to them.

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Checking

• Monitoring and measurement Procedures for the
  monitoring of significant impacts. Ensures
  calibration of equipment.
• Benefit Data can reveal both problems and
  opportunities. Positive results can help
  maintain motivation for continuing certain
  practices and unexpected high costs can lead to
  the identification of cost-saving solutions.
• Evaluation of compliance Periodic audits of
  legal and other requirements.
• Benefit Prevents potential violations.

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Checking

• Corrective Action Requires root-cause analysis
  of nonconformities
• Benefit Procedures provide the structure to
  fix problems. Incidents are seen as a problem
  with the system as opposed to an individual
  employee.
• Internal Audit Requires objective and
  impartial audits
• Benefit A regular auditing schedule
  provides a fresh perspective and keeps the EMS on
  course.

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Management Review

• Requires a regular schedule for upper management
  review of the EMS and any audits.
• Benefit Helps maintain a high visibility
  for the environmental program and an opportunity
  to highlight successes as well as resource and
  other needs required for continual improvement.

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• Repeat !

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Overall Benefits of an EMS

• Cyclical - promotes continuous improvement.
• Proactive, facility-wide review - helps identify
  areas of liability that may not be regulated.
• Promotes pollution prevention projects which can
  generate cost savings
• Prioritization of projects promotes more
  effective targeting of resources

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Overall benefits of an EMS

• Useful to organizations with multiple locations
  or on-site contractors.
• Enhances communication and image among
  stakeholders
• Boosts employee morale - Encourages employees to
  report problems and suggest solutions
• Root-cause analysis helps ensure that incidents
  are seen as a problem with the system not the
  individual.
• EPA likes them.

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Pitfalls of EMS Implementation

• EMSs should not be used to cover up a weak
  compliance program. A strong compliance program
  must be the baseline for EMS implementation!
• If more effort is put into the development of EMS
  procedures than into implementation, it runs the
  risk of being just a paperwork exercise.
• If there is not enough support from upper
  management, EMS implementation can lose momentum
  and resource support.

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Pitfalls of EMS Implementation

• If the EMS procedures are not institutionalized,
  the program may be associated with just one or
  two people and then fail when there are personnel
  changes.
• Overly ambitious projects or too many objectives
  can overwhelm the process. Its better to focus
  on fewer objectives and get some early wins.
• Most EMSs address operations and production
  processes, very few address product impacts that
  may present great overall environmental impact.
• Lack of objective auditing. EMSs without strong
  internal auditing functions and/or third party
  external audits may weaken over time. EMS at
  privately-held companies and government
  facilities are also vulnerable compared to
  publicly-traded corporations.

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MDE/MTES EMS Program

• Free six-month program to assist Maryland
  manufacturers in implementing an EMS
• 44 companies have completed program
• 14 have registered to ISO 14001
• Next group starts May 13, 2009

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Environmental impacts addressed by the companies
in their EMSs

• Increased energy efficiency
• Eliminated hazardous material in products
• Reduced gasoline usage
• Reduced water usage
• Reduced solid waste
• Reduced waste oil
• Started plastic and cardboard recycling
• Repaired leaks in compressed air system
• Improved efficiency in mixing product

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Environmental Impacts addressed by the Companies
in their EMSs

• Improved spill containment
• Recycled electronics
• Recycled waste water
• Improved lighting efficiency
• Reduced fire exposure
• Improved efficiency of waste water treatment
• Improved safety procedures
• Reduced stormwater runoff

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EMS Resources

• EPA www.epa.gov/ems
• PeerCenter www.peercenter.net
• MDE/MTES program www.mde.state.md.us
• Enter EMS in the search bar
• FedCenter www.fedcenter.gov

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1800 Washington Boulevard Baltimore, MD
21230-1718410-537-3000 TTY Users
1-800-735-2258www.mde.state.md.us
Maryland Department of the Environment
Laura ArmstrongPollution Prevention
CoordinatorMaryland Department of the
Environmentlarmstrong_at_mde.state.md.us(410)
537-4119www.mde.state.md.usClick on Go Green