Chap9

91999CRCPressLLCEnvironmentalManagementSystemsCONTENTSIntroductiontoEnvironmentalManagementSystems(EMS)ISO14001EnvironmentalManagementSystemsEco-ManagementandAuditScheme,EUDirectiveBritishNationalStandard,BS7750,BritishStandardsInstitution(BSI)EnvironmentalAuditingU.S.RegulatoryPolicyTowardEMSsandISO14001MajorFederalAgencyEMS/ISOInitiativesEPAPositionStatementonEnvironmentalManagementSystemsandISO14001andaRequestforCommentsontheNatureoftheDatatobeCollectedfromEnvironmentalManagementSystemISO14001PilotsImportantOrganizationsandTermsforEnvironmentalManagementSystems(termsfromISO14001)AgenciesandOrganizationsConductingEMSActivitiesSourcesofAdditionalInformation“Organisationsofallkindsareincreasinglyconcernedtoachieveanddemonstratesoundenvironmentalperformance.Theydosointhecontextofincreasinglystringentlegislation,thedevelopmentofeconomicandothermeasurestofosterenvironmentalprotection,andageneralgrowthofconcernaboutenvironmentalaffairs.”BS7750EMSStandardINTRODUCTIONTOENVIRONMENTALMANAGEMENTSYSTEMS(EMS)Withscientificdatasupportingagreaterdemandonenvironmentalprotectionandincreasedpublicawarenessandparticipation,instrumentstoprotecttheenvironmenthavesteadilygrown.Muchprogresshasbeenachieved.However,asLesterBrownwritesinStateoftheWorld1998:“Whileeconomicindicatorssuchasinvestment,productionandtradeareconsistentlypositive,thekeyenvironmentalindicatorsareincreasinglynegative.”Toaccomplishadditionalimprovementsinenvironmentalquality,instrumentsbeyondregulatoryrequirementsarenecessary.TheEMScanprovidethechangeindustriesneedtomanagetheirenvironmentalimpactsandrealizenotonlybenefitsfortheenvironmentbutforbusinessaswell.Forexample,improvedenvironmentalperformanceresultsinreducedoperatingandcompliancecosts,improvedcompanyimage,andreducedcompanyliability.AcompliantEMScanhelpgainanadvantageovercompetitorsandmayevenberequiredtoqualifyforcontractsorsalesopportunities.Environmentalaspectsofabusinessoperationhaveanimpactonthebottomlineandmustbeintegratedwithotherbusinessplanningfunctions.Environmentalmanagementisfundamentaltobusinessstrategy.Itsroleinbusinessoperationsiscontinuallygrowing.TotalQualityManagement(TQM)appliedtoenviron-Chap9.fmPage169Sunday,August19,200112:43PM1999CRCPressLLCmentalprograms(TotalQualityEnvironmentalManagement,TQEM)isrelativelynewbuthasproveneffectiveinhelpingorganizationsmeetbusinessobjectives.Environmentalperformanceisnotaseparateoperationalfunction;ratheritisacontributortoproductivity.Onceviewedasanecessaryevilandcostburden,environmentalprogramsarenowseenasprovidingbusinessopportunitiesandincreasedprofits.ThecoreofstrategicenvironmentalplanningistheEMS.TheEMSistheperfecttooltointegrateenvironmentalissueswithbusinessconcerns,andthestandardsareasimplystatedsetofprovisionseasilyadaptedtoanyorganizationregardlessofsize,function,orlocation.TheISO14001standarddefinesanEMSas“Thatpartoftheoverallmanagementsystemwhichincludestheorganizationalstructure,planningactivities,responsibilities,practices,procedures,processesandresourcesfordeveloping,implementing,achieving,reviewingandmaintainingtheenvironmentalpolicy.”Eco-ManagementandAuditScheme(EMAS)similarlydefinesanEMS.Clearly,theEMSisbuiltfromanorganization’senvironmentalpolicyandisthekeytothesystem’ssuccess.Sincetheenvironmentalpolicyisdefinedbytopmanagement,anysuccessfulprogramrequirestheirsupportandinvolvement.Incertaincircumstances,ithasprovendifficulttoeducatetopmanagementandsecurenecessarysupport.Also,theEMSmustincludeprovisionsforcommunicationrelatingtotheimportanceofcompliancewiththeenvironmentalpolicyandobjectivestocompanypersonnel.InthewordsofG.B.Shaw,“Thegreatestproblemwithcommunicationistheillusionthatithasbeenaccomplished.”Hereinliestwokeyproblemswithsuccessfuldevelopmentandimplementa-tionofanEMSthatmustberecognizedandovercomefromthebeginning.TheEMSstandardsaredesignedtoaccomplishthesamebasicgoal:improveenvironmentalperformancethroughtheimplementationofanenvironmentalmanagementsystem.Thesestandardsinclude:BS7750(1994)BritishNationalStandardEMAS(1993)EURegulationI.S.310(1994)IrishNationalStandardISO14001(1996)InternationalStandardUNE77-801(2)(1994)SpanishNationalStandardAllthestandardsareperformanceorientedandmostareopentovirtuallyanyorganizationfromairportstomanufacturingfacilities.OnlyEMASspecifiesapplicabilityofthestandardtoonetypeofsite(industrial).NoticethateachoftheabovenationalstandardsprecededISO14001andinresponsetothepassageofISO14001andratificationbyCEN(theEuropeanstandardsorgani-zation)werescheduledtobewithdrawn.Therefore,MemberStatesoftheEUmayseekEMSregistrationthroughEMAS1836/93orISO14001.ThestandardsincludemorethanjusttherequirementforanEMS.Theyrequireenvironmentalpolicies,objectivesandprograms.Theyrequiretopmanagementsupportandreview,audits,operationalcontrols,emergencyplanning,training,andcommunication.Theyrequireaninitialorgeneralenvironmentalreviewandtheuseofpollutionpreventionpractices.Note,ISO14001andBS7750donotexplicitlyrequireaninitialreview.However,onemustbeperformedtocompletetheotherrequirementsofthestandard.Improvingenvi