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Similarities and Differences Among Environmental Management Systems

Similarities and Differences Among Environmental Management Systems. Richard N. Andrews Professor of Environmental Policy Director, National Database on Environmental Management Systems University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MSWG Conference on “Learning Together,” June 4, 2001.

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Similarities and Differences Among Environmental Management Systems

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  1. Similarities and Differences Among Environmental Management Systems Richard N. Andrews Professor of Environmental Policy Director, National Database on Environmental Management Systems University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MSWG Conference on “Learning Together,” June 4, 2001

  2. National Database on Environmental Management Systems NDEMS: A Joint Project of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hilland The Environmental Law Institute Supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency In cooperation with the Multi-State Working Group (MSWG) on Environmental Management Systems

  3. National Database on Environmental Management Systems Purpose To determine effects of ISO and other environmental management systems on • Environmental performance/conditions • Economic performance • Regulatory compliance • Pollution prevention • Engagement with stakeholders

  4. National Database on Environmental Management Systems Database Scope • 50+ pilot facilities in 12 economic sectors • Business and government, large and SME • Implementing EMSs (ISO 14001 and others) • In 10 states (AZ, CA, IL, IN, NC, NH, OR, PA, VT, WI) • Baseline (3 years) EMS design updates

  5. EMS Planning Process

  6. Need for Empirical Research • Actual use of ISO 14001 EMS procedure: • What activities, products, services included in EMS scope? • What environmental aspects, impacts? • Which designated as significant, by what processes and criteria? • What objectives and targets? • Implications for business, public expectations

  7. Presentation • Comparison of EMS planning documents • Data from 40 facilities so far • Data Source: National Database on Environmental Management Systems (NDEMS)

  8. Should Expect Variation • Differences in sectors, operations • in size, scale, complexity • in environmental conditions • in competence, perceptions, priorities, teamwork • in interpretation of the ISO 14001 standard

  9. What Have We Found?

  10. Activities • ISO 14001 Guidance: • An organization should identify the various activities, processes, products or services that are included in the scope of the EMS • Distinguishing them in such a way that they are “large enough for meaningful examination and small enough to be sufficiently understood.”

  11. Activities: Findings • Great variation in characterization, detail • Majority defined activities as production processes, on-site operations, business functions • Examples: • Manufacturing, maintenance, construction, housekeeping, grounds-keeping, transportation, waste management

  12. Activities: Findings • Some (15) identified more specific processes and equipment operations • Examples: • Boilerhouse operations, rinsing, stripping, molding, cleaning, extrusion, polishing , de-icing, forklift operation, aircraft refueling • A few (6) listed specific chemicals used: • Nitric acid, chlorine, cyanide, heavy metals, alcohol, mercury, ...

  13. Activities: Findings • Still others (6) listed specific resource uses and waste streams • Use of electricity, water, raw materials • Waste generation, air emissions, wastewater discharges, land contamination • A few: minute detail • Trash, cardboard, soiled rags • Drinking fountains, toilets, janitorial sinks, shoveling snow

  14. Activities: Findings • Few included products or services • Nearly all focused on site-specific production and support activities • Few mentioned life-cycle analysis, product stewardship, sustainability

  15. Aspects • ISO 14001 guidance: • Identify all environmental aspects of activities, products and services • Aspect = element of activity, product or service which can have a beneficial or adverse effect on the environment • Include all those that the organization “can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence”

  16. Findings – Aspects • Varied in characterization, specificity • More than half included more detailed actions associated with each activity • 25% simply duplicated activity lists • Three identified more detailed business functions without environmental content

  17. Example 1: AAIS Identification- Note discrimination of significance for some impacts

  18. Example 2: AAIS Identification- Note every identified impact ranked as significant

  19. Impacts • ISO 14001 guidance: • Organization should identify as many as possible of the actualorpotential environmental impacts associated with each aspect of its activities • Impact = change which takes place in the environment as a result of the aspect, either positiveornegative

  20. Impacts -- Findings • Impacts usually described generically • Most (32) identified impacts only by 15-20 generic types, without details or quantification • Degradation of air, water, groundwater, soil • Use of energy, water, natural resources; • Generation of wastes, impacts on landfill capacity; noise; wildlife habitat, endangered species

  21. Impacts -- Findings • A few mentioned others: cultural resources, pathogens and vectors • Six included occupational health and safety • Only seven included positive environmental effects • Can be important: e.g. natural resource management, cleaner-production technologies

  22. Significance Determination -- Findings • Variation in procedures for determining • Also in actual judgments of significance • What is significant in the judgment of one facility may not seem so to another • Major hazardous waste streams or air pollutant emissions, versus snow-blower fuel and oil-contaminated Q-tips

  23. Significance Ranking Judgments and Procedures

  24. Significance Ranking Judgments and Procedures

  25. Objectives and Targets -- Findings • Four distinct types of objectives and targets identified: • Performance-oriented • Project-oriented, • Management activity-oriented • Compliance-oriented • A few others -- no common category

  26. Performance-based O & T

  27. Project-based O & T

  28. Management, Training, and Awareness-Raising as O & T

  29. Compliance Assurance O & T

  30. Other Considerations • Few included identifiable objectives related to life-cycle analysis, product stewardship • Only three facilities specifically mentioned risk reduction O & T • All for maintaining regulatory compliance • Very few involved external interested parties

  31. Target Dates • Target dates: three categories • Already accomplished (a few cases) • Coming year (2000-01) • “Continuous," “ongoing" • None mentioned any O & T for more than two years in the future • Immediate, incremental, facility-level • No longer-term strategic objectives

  32. Conclusions … • Facilities have great discretion in EMS design • In practice, EMSs vary significantly • Content more important than certificate per se • Certification = organization has good information easily available • Key issues: Internal versus external uses, openness about performance

  33. National Database on Environmental Management Systems http://www.eli.org/isopilots.htmndems@unc.edu

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