Environmental Management System (EMS) Development For Pork Producers September 13, 2001 Barb Satler Pork EMS Project Coordinator NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance

What is an EMS?  Systematic way of managing an organization’s environmental affairs  Focused on Continual Improvement of System  Addresses immediate and long-term impact of an organization’s products, services and processes on the environment.  A tool to improve environmental performance  Based on Plan-Do-Check-Act Model (PDCA)

Policy Planning Implementation Checking Corrective Action Management Review EMS Model – Plan, Do, Check, Act

What you hope to achieve: Interested in improving our farm from an environmental standpoint Help identify our strengths and weaknesses To achieve a documented account of our efforts Enhance my planning… serve as a tool or reminder to me and my employees and help us avoid any negative impacts to the environment To obtain and maintain a safe and environmentally friendly work place To prevent accidents Help identify areas of need Learn about operating efficiently and environmentally sound The EMS plan can be a positive action To improve Help us become better at managing environmental risks

ISO Model – Required Elements Env. Policy 4.2Document control Env. Aspects 4.3.1Operational control Legal and other req Emergency preparedness and response Obj. and targets 4.3.3Monitoring and measurement Env. Mgmt. Program 4.3.4Corrective/preventive action Structure and Responsibility 4.4.1Records Training, awareness, and competence EMS audit Communication 4.4.3Management Review 4.6 EMS documentation 4.4.4

Policy Statement Legal Requirements Identification of Significant Environmental Impacts Development of Objectives and Targets Implementation Plan to Meet Obj. and Targets Training Management Review How you meet elements is up to you. Key EMS Elements/Framework

Policy Statement  “The EMS Driver”  Management’s declaration of commitment to the environment  Policy Statement –3 Main Elements (Big 3)  Commitment to Compliance  Commitment to Prevention of Pollution, and  Commitment to Continual Improvement  Available to Interested Parties

BS. Inc. EMS It is the policy of BS Inc. to meet or exceed all environmental rules and regulations, manage our activities in a manner that minimizes or prevents pollution and to continually improve our environmental management.

Setting legal framework for the EMS identify and access legal requirements (federal, state, local) keep up-to-date  communicate to the right people Legal Environmental Requirements

Consider: –Air emissions –Solid/hazardous waste –Contamination of land –Noise, vibration and odor –Water effluents –Land use, energy use, water use –Raw material and resource use –Positive environmental issues In order to identify significant environmental impacts a facility must first look at all its Aspects and Impacts

Examples- Activity: Cooling Aspect: Misting Impact: consumes water, may add to lagoon waste Aspects and Impacts

Activity: Waste Management Aspect: Application Impact to Air: Odor, possible air toxics, Impact to Water: nutrient concerns (potential excess of nitrates, phosphorus and heavy metals) potential pathogens introduced to fresh water. potential groundwater contamination Impact to Natural Resources: used as fertilizer, diesel or electricity consumed Impact to Land, potential bacteria and nutrient concerns (Noting that required Nutrient Management plan reduces nutrient concerns)

The organization shall establish and maintain procedures to identify its environmental aspects in order to determine those which can have a significant impact on the environment. Rank aspects and impacts in order to assess their significance Significant Aspects

Consider issues such as: duration of impact zone of impact probability of occurrence or likelihood - frequent, likely, possible, rarely, unlikely severity of impact - catastrophic, severe, moderate, minor From Environmental Concerns such as: regulatory/legal exposure health risk/people resource conservation To Business Concerns such as: effect on the public image/community resource savings- people, time, money cost recovery period equipment/facility Significance Scoring --Prioritize

Objectives &Targets - Continual Improvement  Establish and maintain environmental objectives and targets.  Can include commitment to: –reduce waste –reduce or eliminate release/spill of a pollutant –design product/operations to minimize environmental impact in production, use, and disposal.

Objectives &Targets  Keep objectives simple, flexible, and measurable.  Be realistic.  Considerations: –legal and other requirements –significant env. aspects –technological options –financial requirements –operational requirements –business requirements –views of interested parties

Example Objective  Decrease food spillage in finishing house by 80% by

Example continued. Targets  Begin monitoring and measuring amount of spillage by  Verify cause of excess spillage by  Develop plan to reduce spillage by  Implement and test spillage reduction plan by  Verify spillage decrease by  Make changes/corrective actions as necessary  Continue monitoring and measuring as per environmental management program plan.

Environmental Mgmt. Program  The EMP describes how the organization’s objectives and targets will be achieved  Includes who, when and how  Includes current and new activities

Implementation and Operation  Training, awareness, & competence  Communication (internal/external)  Env. Mgmt System Documentation and control where needed  Operational control (ex. maintenance)  Emergency preparedness and response

Monitoring and Measuring – How are you doing?  Establish procedures to monitor and measure key operations that can have a significant impact on the environment.  Track how well the system is working  Analyze root causes of problems

Are you meeting your EMS requirements? How will you run an EMS audit program? EMS Internal Auditing

Management Review Collect information to evaluate EMS Review EMS to ensure its continuing effectiveness Consider changes – continual improvement

Other stuff…  Don’t worry!  Contract info.  Please let us know what you need  Remember- the EMS is yours.

Getting Started  Set meeting time(s) and dates, through June  Set agenda/actions for first meeting- include work plan/timeline development, draft policy statement, roles and responsibilities, issues that need clarification.

DPPEA offers free on-site EMS assistance and training DPPEA EMS web site Barb Satler (919) or or or For More Information