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Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Since 1993 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality 2/15/2019
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Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Moving Toward Zero Waste
Keith Boisvert Environmental Specialist Office of Pollution Prevention
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Moving Toward Zero Waste
Pollution Prevention (P2) Recycling Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Voluntary Environmental Programs An Environmental Management System is a tool to help you move toward zero waste and environmental sustainability, but it also has a lot of collateral benefits that should be considered. EMS has a lot of infrastructure and can help support the organized implementation of P2 and recycling and continuously move efforts forward to meet zero waste goals. Voluntary programs help support pollution prevention, recycling and EMS
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What is an Environmental Management System?
An environmental management system brings together the people, policies, plans, review mechanisms, and procedures used to manage environmental issues at a facility or in an organization. A holistic way to address a facility’s or projects environmental impact. The three pillars of its policy statement, include a commitment to Pollution prevention, compliance and continuous improvement Continuous improvement through plan-do-check –act It’s a system not a static document you get out of it what you put into it. You can use it to identify risk and the environmental operations at your facility that most need to be addressed It’s not going to reduce pollution ,keep you in compliance or continuously improve. You need to be the driver and this is a tool. It provides infrastructure to support those efforts. It’s a system you animate the system. Like anything, you get out of it what you put in. You can apply an EMS to any facility or project but examine your needs because not everyone needs an EMS. It can take a long time to develop and implement an EMS months to years. It is an investment of time and effort.
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Why have an EMS? Improve consistency in operations
Raise environmental awareness Improve communications Improve environmental performance Facilitate compliance Improve Public Image It standardizes operations. There is a big training component and an emphasis on communication both internal and external so awareness on a lot of things is raised. Just by raising awareness environmental performance improves. An EMS will improve corporate social image and there are ways to promote that image. An EMS can help give you a business advantage, like cutting costs and improving efficiency. Reduce risk and liability Your customers might require an EMS for you to do business with them. An EMS will help you identify and set environmental goals and assign Environmental responsibilities to staff It can be applied at any facility but you need to determine if it is a good fit for your facility.
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Role of Management in EMS
Develop & approve environmental policy as a statement of commitment Provide resources Provide support in establishing EMS and overcome barriers High level (Management) review to ensure EMS suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. You must also engage staff . You can’t force a project from the top down. You have to get buy in. The question becomes what can we do not this is what you need to do. This can be achieved through proactive communication and outreach Management provides implementation strategy All at once Department by department You also need and EMS leader, you definitely need a cheerleader to keep things going. EMS requires maintenance so you will need someone to support its operation. Conagra Brands saved more than $5 million in the past year by implementing employees’ sustainability ideas. Based on those ideas, Conagra diverted more than 8,700 tons of waste from landfills, saved more than 245 million gallons of water, and reduced emissions by more than 2,100 metric tons.
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Barriers to EMS Implementation
Lack of management support and commitment Inadequate resources Lack of support from staff Lack of clear responsibilities and authorities EMS too complex for the organisation Organizational politics & culture within functional areas This is probably the mirror image of the previous slide but from personal experience a barrier to be aware of is making the EMS too complex. Keep it simple . DEQ attempted an EMS many years ago and we failed. We were going to have the best EMS ever and it collapsed under its own weight.
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Elements of EMS Environmental Policy Statement
Evaluation of Environmental Impacts Objectives & Targets Regulatory Requirements Identification/Tracking Roles/Responsibilities & Management Review Training and Communication Environmental Control and Monitoring Compliance Change Management Corrective and Preventative Actions Records and Recordkeeping Audits and Inspections Different people focus on different elements Some focus on regulatory requirements or roles and responsibilities and management It can be daunting but there is help available.
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Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP) Overview
Started July, 2000; codified July, 2005 Focuses on sustainability/environmental management systems (EMS), pollution prevention and beyond compliance Levels of participation: For facilities (EMS-based) E2: Environmental Enterprise E3: Exemplary Environmental Enterprise E4: Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise DEQ is working to promote the use of EMS and develop a better relationship with the regulated community. Over 450 facilities 250,000 people covered by the program
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Why do facilities participate?
Help support environmental efforts (zero waste) Recognition internal and external Peer-to-peer support network/ mentoring Single point of contact at DEQ/relationship-building with DEQ Mentoring Possible alternative compliance methods (permit duration, inspection frequency, etc.) Reduced annual permit fees Recently developed a stormwater resource for VEEP facilities on our website Increase efficient use of DEQ resources Encourage innovation Improve collaboration with regulated community Improve environmental performance beyond compliance Increase likelihood that facilities will maintain compliance Mentoring – other VEEP members can help you with your EMS. Annual Permit Fee Reductions for certain Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste, and Water permits (reduction varies from 2% to 20% depending upon media and level of participation in VEEP)
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VEEP Permit Benefits Hazardous Waste Management: Participating E2 facilities will receive potentially up to a 5% discount; E3 facilities will receive potentially up to a 10% discount. Water: Participating E2 facilities will receive potentially up to a 2% discount; E3 facilities will receive potentially up to a 5% discount. Solid Waste Management: Participating E2 facilities will receive potentially up to a 10% discount on annual fees; E3 facilities will receive potentially up to a 20% discount. Reduced inspections –VPDES Industrial Storm water General Permit has a waiver for the requirement of routine facility inspections for facilities that have maintained E3/E4 status.
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What Does Virginia Support EMS?
Energy use reduced by 1,322,498 MMBTU Hazardous waste recycled 249 tons Waste-to-energy 11,451 tons Non-hazardous waste recycled 22,196 tons Total water use reduced by 235,407,819 gallons Increased recycled water use by 88,458,793 gallons 288,748 tons of hazardous waste recycled Total cost savings of $41 million VEEP facilities report annually on environmental efforts. We are able to get a description of what they are doing and how they are doing it. That include innovative manufacturing techniques and pollution prevention and recycling successes Improved compliance Better allocation of resources Improved relationship with facilities Information exchange on environmental management Improved environmental performance
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} } E2 E3 Elements of EMS Environmental Policy Statement
Evaluation of Environmental Impacts Objectives & Targets Pollution Prevention Plan Regulatory Requirements Identification/Tracking Roles/Responsibilities & Management Review Training and Communication Environmental Control and Monitoring Compliance Change Management Corrective and Preventative Actions Records and Recordkeeping Audits and Inspections E3 E4 = community outreach and third party certified. EMS is often a training platform for improved compliance and a way to identify risk and liability. That’s why we include a request for a pollution prevention plan in our VEEP applications. An EMS may identify a facilities most significant aspects and risks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have identified your pollution prevention opportunities . A lot of waste is institutionalized. Onion story You also need to be aware of pollution prevention opportunities when addressing objectives. Fuel aspect P2 opportunities related to fuel handling – Right size the fleet, telecommuting, tele-meeting’ idling policy, alternative fuels, increase fuel efficiency, replace diesel back up generators with microturbine. Microturbine has CHP and peak shaving applications.
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DEQ EMS Development Develop EMS Manual Implement Audit
Two years to go from E2 to E3 Develop EMS Manual Implement Audit First state agency to reach E3 We wanted to lead by example and develop resources for other agencies.
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EMS Achievements Lead by example Periodic EMS Newsletter
Each region has its own EMS website Improved tracking of environmental impacts Working with all facility owners and managers Waste audits Increased emphasis on recycling Set numerical reduction goals Reduce total energy use by 5% Reduce paper use by 10% Also: Tracking and reducing vehicle use and mileage Investigating how to reduce personal commuting Training the entire agency on EMS and they take that to the public. The office of Pollution Prevention has 3 people. The agency has 900 These are all things hat basically weren’t happening before our E3 EMS.
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Take Aways An environmental management system takes time and commitment from the entire organization. Effective application of an EMS will drive the continuous improvement necessary to reach a goal of zero waste.
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Keith Boisvert Keith. Boisvert@deq. virginia
Keith Boisvert Office of Pollution Prevention
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