Why Develop an EMS?

EPA Regions 9 & 10

and
The Federal Network for Sustainability
2005
 Plan Do Check Act
Continual Improvement

Management Environmental
Review Policy

Checking & Planning

Corrective Action

Implementation &
Control
Connecting the Environment and
the People

o An EMS helps each member of the organization

understand their role in the environment, and to
see how what they do at the facility affects the
environment
o It provides for responsibility, ownership, and
accountability of actions and related impacts,
o Results? People that are more aware, better
trained, more motivated, and more enthusiastic.
 Environmental Issues Facing
Government
o Impacts from site operations
o Policy implications
o Compliance concerns
o Budgetary pressures (enhanced efficiency)
o Public perception
 What are some of the drivers for
government to adopt EMS principles?

The need to improve environmental

performance because of:
o Obligation of environmental stewardship,
o Public expectations,
o The business side of government,
o Regulatory compliance issues,
o Executive orders.
 Some Specific Drivers
o Executive order 13148 requires that EMS be
implemented at appropriate facilities by end 2005.
o EO 13148 was continued from prior administration- EMS
is here to stay.
o Management systems approach is consistent with the
Presidents agenda, and his commitment to sound
management of government and environmental
stewardship.
o OMB, in circular A-11 requires line item planning for
EMS implementation.
o Other environmental EOs, Executive Memoranda and
agency policies can be supported by EMS.
 What are some of the roadblocks for
government to adopt EMS principles?
o Changing priorities over time,
o Political and other non-organizational pressures,
o Frequent changes in leadership and their goals,
o Budgets and allocations are not typical of private sector,
o Finding relevant metrics (administrative vs.
Environmental condition or cost),
o Finding the best element to motivate employees,
o Lack of familiarity,
o Concern over Flavor of the Month.
 Benefits of an EMS
o Facilitates meeting your mission ,
o Improves the environmental condition,
o Minimizes accidents and problems, or lessens
impact and response time if they do occur,
o Reduces redundant paperwork,
o More efficient use of resources,
o Facilitates compliance with requirements,
o Responds to public scrutiny trends.
 Measurement as a Management
Tool
o We need to know what conditions are to
make management decisions.
o An EMS directs and facilitates relevant
measurements.
o Measurements include environmental
conditions, status of programs, compliance,
and the EMS itself.
 Examples of Metrics to Measure Benefits

o Improves the environmental condition (environmental

indicators),
o Facilitates meeting your mission (how often environmental
issues interfere with your mission),
o Minimizes accidents and problems (incidents, losses),
o Reduces redundant paperwork (time spent per task),
o More efficient use of resources (investment per unit activity),
o Facilitates compliance with requirements (number of non-
compliances, penalty costs, missed EO deadlines),
o Responds to public scrutiny trends (complaints,
communications).
Managing Aspects vs. Impacts
o It is more prudent and more efficient to manage
how you interact with the environment than to
manage what you have done to the environment.
o An EMS is built around identifying, prioritizing,
controlling, and improving upon, those elements of
the organization that interact with the environment.
 Fixing the Root Causes
o An EMS is designed to identify the root
causes of non-conformances and initiate
corrective and preventive action.
o This helps minimize the bandage
syndrome, where the fixes are simply
superficial.
 EMS and Compliance

There is compliance management

system embedded within the broader
environmental management system
First- the theme of compliance is seen
throughout the plan-do-check-act elements,
Second, there are specific compliance-related
requirements in an EMS (such as periodic
compliance audits) that help address
compliance issues before they occur.
 Operational Benefits

o Better awareness of impacts, allowing the workforce to make

more informed decisions,
o Increased suggestions and initiatives,
o Additional opportunities to recognize and reward
performance,
o More consistency in operations,
o Faster response and more effective corrective action when
problems occur,
o Delegates responsibility to more people, and where better
addressed.