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Sustainable Community EMS Design Including Pollution Prevention

Sustainable Community EMS Design Including Pollution Prevention. Michelle M. Wyman Reed Smith Shaw & McClay LLP EMS Models and Strategies: ISO 14001 & Beyond Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, North Carolina DENR.

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Sustainable Community EMS Design Including Pollution Prevention

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  1. Sustainable Community EMS Design Including Pollution Prevention Michelle M. Wyman Reed Smith Shaw & McClay LLP EMS Models and Strategies: ISO 14001 & Beyond Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, North Carolina DENR

  2. Environmental Management System (“EMS”) Definition • As part of the overall management system, the EMS includes organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy • Applied to a municipality, an EMS offers a systems approach to reduce environmental impacts and increase efficiency in operations in an effort to attain sustainability without substantial reinvestment of infrastructure; the EMS will seek to identify and reduce pollution at the source = pollution prevention.

  3. Sustainable Community (“SC”) Definition • Taking a systems approach that attempts to deal comprehensively with economic, social, and environmental concerns; • Developing a long-term plan complementary to the municipality’s objectives; • Building cross-sectoral consensus among key community stakeholders to identify community problems and solutions.

  4. SC EMS Objectives • To combine a reasonably high level of efficiency in resource allocation with long-term observance of critical environmental, economic and social limits and goals • To identify interdependence and interaction between environmental media to improve and streamline interdepartmental functions and communications • To maximize efficiency in operation and administration (permitting, ordinances, performance standards, human resources, facilities maintenance) • To achieve cost savings (direct and secondary costs)

  5. Develop SC EMS • Develop governance structure (e.g., steering committee, task force) • Create vision • Identify aspects and impacts • Set goals and objectives • Establish indicators to track progress • Prioritize and implement activities • Evaluate progress and revise activities accordingly

  6. Essential Elements of SC EMS • Identify environmental media, uses, impacts: air, water, groundwater, waste management, soil • Describe operational impacts on environmental media by municipal departments and functions (which vary from city to city) • Ensure EMS is compatible with and furthers the municipality’s goals as set forth in the general land use plan and growth management objectives • Provide education and identify incentives to encourage improved environmental behaviors by consumers (citizens, business sector, industry)

  7. SC EMS & P2 • Sustainable community efforts complement P2 activities • P2 may be a part of a SC’s goals and is often a main focus in the implementation of specific SC projects • Municipality can draw from a SC EMS, and P2 initiatives to develop a customized approach to environmental management to achieve increased prevention of pollution, and a stronger commitment towards sustainability

  8. SC EMS -Examples • Department of Public Works • Purpose/Need • Size of fleet • Energy source • Capacity • Department of Purchasing • Needs • Internal request procedure • Vendor selection • Suppliers

  9. Benefits Of SC EMS To P2 • Integration of sustainable development, environmental management, and P2 principles and practices into comprehensive, systems approach to the municipality’s planning, procedures, and policies to narrow focus and increase effectiveness of SC EMS.

  10. Ongoing Action • Performance Measurement • Regional Benchmarking • Management Review • Routine Assessment of Regulatory Compliance • Regular Review of Environmental Aspects and Impacts; Objectives and Targets

  11. Conclusion • As humanity faces a new millennium, it is crucial that government, like the private sector, operate as a technologically advanced system. An EMS will effectively help a municipality design a framework that comprehensively addresses its various sectors that will link economic, environmental and social considerations to create a balance that aims to implement practical pollution prevention initiatives = Sustainable Community

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