Environmental Management Systems Implementation of an EMS at a Municipal Waste Management Facility

Introduction Who is RWS? What is an EMS? What is ISO 14001? Why implement an EMS? What does an EMS cost?

Regional Waste Systems RWS is a quasi-municipal organization created in the 1970s by several municipalities in southern Maine for the purpose of waste management RWS is currently made up of 21 owner municipalities and 5 municipalities that have annual contracts for waste management RWS operates a 550-ton waste-to-energy facility, the largest recycling program in Maine, and an ash disposal facility

What is an EMS? An EMS is a mechanism/tool that a business or organization uses to help ensure continual improvement in managing the environmental affairs over which it has some level of control.

The International Organization for Standardization - ISO ISO is an international non-governmental organization that promotes the development and implementation of voluntary international standards. ISO consists of 112 member countries, with the United States represented by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Standards are developed within ISO technical committees. Draft versions of ISO standards are sent out for formal support and comments from ISO member countries, and through iterations, feedback is incorporated to eventually realize an agreed-upon international standard. Over 100,000 businesses registered to ISO 9000 by 1996

EMS Models  EMAS (Eco-management and Audit Scheme)  BS 7750  Responsible Care  ISO 14001

Development of ISO Strategic Advisory Group on the Environment (SAGE) formed in June 1992 in advance U.N. Conference on Environmental Development held in Brazil SAGE concluded that an EMS was a critical element in meeting future environmental needs worldwide SAGE recommended the formation of ISO Technical Committee in 1993 to develop standards ISO Published in Fall 1996

ISO Environmental Management System Structure Environmental Management Systems (EMS) , Environmental Auditing Environmental Labeling Environmental Performance Evaluations Life-Cycle Assessment

ISO Registration and Accreditation The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Registrar Accreditation Board (RAB), a subsidiary of the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) have established the America National Accreditation Program for Registrars of Quality Systems ANSI/RAB will accredit EMS Registrars and EMS Auditor Training Courses Accreditation Bodies RegistrarsSupplier Companies Provide Accreditation toWho Register Directory of RegistrarsDirectory of Registered Suppliers

ISO EMS Principles and Elements Policy and Commitment Plan Implement/ Operate Monitoring and Measurement Review & Improve

ISO Elements Environmental Policy Environmental Aspects Legal & Other Requirements Objectives & Targets Environmental Management Programs Structure & Responsibility Training, Awareness & Competence Communications Environmental Management Systems Documentation

ISO Elements Environmental Management Systems Documentation Document Control Operational Control Emergency Preparedness & Response Monitoring & Measurement Nonconformance, Corrective & Preventive Action Records Environmental Management System Audit Management Review

Environmental Policy Requirements Ensure commitment to the EMS and define policy that:  is appropriate to the nature, scale and environmental impacts of the business  includes a commitment to continual improvement  includes a commitment to comply with relevant environmental legislation and regulations  is documented, maintained and communicated to all employees  is available to public

ISO 14001: Planning Formulate a plan to fulfill environmental policy  identify environmental aspects and significant impacts to environment  identify legal requirements and other internal priorities or criteria  establish environmental objectives and targets  establish a program/plan to achieve objectives and targets

Environmental Aspects The organization shall establish and maintain (a) procedure(s) to identify the environmental aspects of its activities, products or services that it can control and over which it can be expected to have influence, in order to determine those which have or can have significant impacts on the environment. The organization shall insure that the aspects related to these significant impacts are considered in setting its environmental objectives.

Process for Identifying/Evaluating Environmental Aspects Define Scope Define Process Gather Data Assemble appropriate people Identify Environmental Aspects Identify Environmental Impacts Evaluate Impacts Record Results Periodically Review and Update

Example Environmental Aspects ActivityAspectPotential Impact Regulate d Ratin g MSW Combustion Air Emissions (Nox, SO2, metals, dioxin, CO) Air quality degradation, smog, acid deposition Yes51 Residuals Handling Residuals (ash) Disposal Land/water contamination Yes51 Boiler water production Chemical spills/releases Land/water contamination Yes30 Recyclables Receiving Windblown LitterAestheticsYes36

Objective and Targets  Minimize emissions from unpreventable malfunctions and startups/shutdowns  Minimize the amount of unburned materials in ash  Reduce ash disposal requirements  Minimize mercury in MSW coming to WTE Facility  Reduce waste disposal requirements  Develop/enhance procedures/checklists to minimize emissions during these conditions  Eliminate preventable ash extractor pluggages by end 2001  Implement systems to recover 50% of metals in ash by 2003  Conduct household mercury collection programs in 2001  Double recycled materials by 2004

ISO 14001: Implementation Develop organizational capabilities and support mechanisms that provide:  personnel, technology, and financial resources  training on EMS policy, aspects and impacts, etc..  procedures for external and internal communication  document control  operational controls  emergency preparedness and response

Operational Control ActivityAspectExample Operating Procedures MSW Combustion Air Emissions (NOx, SO2, CO, metals, dioxin) Boiler Operation; Scrubber Operation; Emergency Shutdown; Environmental Monitoring;Electrostatic Precipitator Operation MSW Combustion Residuals (ash) Generation Residue Handling and Storage; Environmental Monitoring Boiler Water Production Chemical Spills/Releases Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure; Chemical Handling Recyclables Receiving Windblown LitterRecyclables Receiving

ISO Monitoring and Measurement Develop and maintain procedures to regularly monitor and measure performance against objectives and targets Maintain and document program for calibrating monitoring equipment Identify and investigate non-conformance and implement corrective and preventative action Establish and maintain program to conduct periodic internal audits

Corrective and Preventative Action Environmental Incident Corrective and Preventative Action  Environmental incidents includes emission exceedances, chemical spills, any audit findings  All environmental incidents require full evaluation of root cause, initial response, and identification and implementation of corrective and/or preventative action

Internal Audit  Conduct periodic audits of the EMS to determine if it conforms to planned arrangements and has been properly implemented and maintained  Generally conducted semi-annually, just prior to the Registration Audit  Can be conducted by facility personnel (independent from the area being audited).

Management Review Conduct Annual (at least) Management Review of EMS to ensure:  Its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness  Adequate information is collected to perform the management review  Address the need for changes to policy, environmental aspects, objectives, or other elements

Costs of 1SO Registration Audit: $8,000 - $16,000 Annual Maintenance: $5,000 -$15,000 (Surveillance Audits and preparation) Internal Implementation Costs

Potential Benefits of ISO Provide a Framework for Management of Environmental Affairs Demonstrate Commitment to Environmental Protection (to Public, Regulatory Agencies, Etc.) Help Ensure Continuous Improvement As a Condition of Some Customer/supplier Transactions As a Factor in Alternative Regulatory Programs As a Condition of Business Loans Lower Insurance Premiums

Potential Drawbacks of ISO Substantial Work to Maintain Certification Cost to Maintain Certification Potential Loss of Certification

Registration Select Registrar and Schedule Registration Audit (3 rd party audit) Conducted Registration Audit in March 2002 Registered to ISO in March 2002