Archive: Report on the Cal/EPA Environmental Management System Project

January 23, 2003

The Environmental Management System (EMS) Pilot Project goal was to increase understanding about whether and how EMSs can help improve public health and environmental protection in California.

Improvements were observed in each of the three sets of indicators of improved environmental protection measured in the pilot project: awareness and commitment, systems management of environmental impacts, and performance of key environmental indicators. Environmental performance improvements indicate that EMSs can be an effective pollution prevention (P2) tool.

Environmental performance improvements were seen in non-regulated activities including energy and water conservation, and waste reduction. Improvements were also observed in reducing generation of regulated hazardous wastes.

Key elements were identified that facilitated organizational change from cultures of compliance maintenance or avoidance to ones of continual improvement and environmental protection beyond regulatory commitments.

While the pilot projects’ EMSs demonstrated increased environmental protection, an EMS cannot guarantee environmental protection beyond an organization’s regulatory requirements. Further, the presence of an EMS cannot ensure regulatory compliance. The role of an EMS, in the regulatory context, is to help the organization meet its legal requirements. In no way should an EMS be viewed as or considered as a replacement for mandatory and enforceable regulatory standards. On the contrary, well functioning EMSs demonstrate the need for clear operating instructions, audits, corrective action and continual improvement. Laws, regulations, and enforceable standards provide external operating requirements while regulatory inspections and enforcement provide external audits and mechanisms for corrective action. Further, meeting regulatory compliance requirements often motivates EMS implementation and many EMS elements (environmental policy, education, operational control, audits and corrective action) are directed towards meeting regulatory standards.

The ability of EMSs to affect cultural change in an organization and establish a process of continual improvement toward environmental goals can be used to help direct improvements in California’s environment, economy and quality of life. By taking a systems approach to environmental management, EMSs have demonstrated that integrated and goal based environmental management achieves results. Economic and social goals can easily be incorporated into the EMS structure. EMSs have already demonstrated economic benefits. Environmental efficiencies translate into economic efficiencies, which translate into investment and job creation. EMSs can help create sustainable businesses. The stakeholder partnerships created or evaluated in the EMS Pilot Project demonstrate the potential effect EMSs can have on communities through establishing and building relationships and a common sense of purpose.

Table of Contents

• Final Report (Adobe Acrobat, 306 KB)
• Appendix A: Anheuser-Busch, Inc (Adobe Acrobat, 91 KB)
• Appendix B: Artistic Plating Company (Adobe Acrobat, 108 KB)
• Appendix C: Central Marin Sanitation Agency (Adobe Acrobat, 104 KB)
• Appendix D: City of San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater Department, Operations and Maintenance Division (Adobe Acrobat, 116 KB)
• Appendix E: International Business Machines (IBM) - San Jose Facility (Adobe Acrobat, 160 KB)
• Appendix F: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics - Palmdale (Adobe Acrobat, 131 KB)
• Appendix G: Pentel of America Limited, Torrance, California Factory (Adobe Acrobat, 99 KB)
• Appendix H: Sonoma County Wineries: Davis Bynum Winery and Benziger Family Winery (Adobe Acrobat, 124 KB)
• Appendix I: Pilot Projects' Environmental Policies (Adobe Acrobat, 159 KB)
• Appendix J: Public Resources Code 71045 (Assembly Bill 1102) (Adobe Acrobat, 110 KB)
• Appendix K: California Data Protocols (Adobe Acrobat, 69 KB)

If you have questions, please contact Thomas Lanphar, EMS Project Manager.

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