Cal/EPA Environmental Management System Project
Selection Criteria and Descriptions of Pilot Projects

Artistic Plating 

Artistic Plating is a medium-sized, 100 employee, metal finishing facility in Anaheim, California. The facility performs copper, nickel, brass, and chrome electroplating. Artistic specializes in electroplating zinc die-cast parts and aluminum wheels for commercial customers.

EMS Scope and Maturity
Artistic Plating is in the developmental stages of implementing an EMS. Involvement in these stages will give Cal/EPA an idea of the resources and the processes necessary to implement an effective EMS at small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

Artistic has volunteered to test an EMS template developed by U.S. EPA as part of the Merit Partnership Metal Finishing EMS Template (MFEMS) project. The Merit Partnership for Pollution Prevention (Merit) is a cooperative venture of the public and private sectors whose mission is to develop and promote pollution prevention practices and technologies that both protect the environment and contribute to economic growth. Merit is conducting a series of pilot projects to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of ISO 14001-based EMSs in various industries.

Cal/EPA is working together with U.S. EPA and the Metal Finishing Association of Southern California (MFASC) to test a template that small- to medium-sized metal finishing companies can use in developing and implementing an EMS that is based on ISO 14001. The MFEMS Template is intended to provide a simplified and industry-specific template that can form the basis for a company’s EMS, and that could, when implemented, serve as an initial step towards ISO 14001 certification.

Unique EMS Characteristics
Unique aspects of this project include the development of an industry-specific EMS template; the focus on small and medium sized enterprises and how EMSs might help them; the involvement with the industry association (Metal Finishing Association of Southern California); and a successful U.S. EPA and Cal/EPA joint pilot project.

Twelve metal finishing companies, including Artistic, are currently participating in a series of workshops learning to develop and implement an MFEMS at their facilities. U.S. EPA is sponsoring these workshops for members of the Southern California Metal Finishing Strategic Goals Program (Strategic Goals Program). The Strategic Goals Program is a voluntary, multi-stakeholder program aimed at improving environmental performance, exceeding compliance, and reducing business and environmental costs at metal finishing facilities. At its core is a set of environmental performance goals for metal finishers and a set of "enabling actions" other stakeholders will undertake to help metal finishers achieve the goals. Members of the Strategic Goals Program include U.S. EPA, Cal/EPA, local regulatory agencies (i.e. water and air), metal finishing companies, the Metal Finishing Association of Southern California, academics, and non-governmental organizations

Strategic Goals Program Goals:

Improved Resource Utilization

• 98% metals utilization
• 50% reduction in water use
• 25% reduction in energy use

Reduced Hazardous Emissions

• 90% reduction in organic TRI emissions
• 50% reduction in metals emissions
• 50% reduction in hazardous sludge disposal
• substantial reduction in sludge generation
• reduced worker and community exposure

Increased Economic Payback & Decreased Compliance Costs

• achieve long-term economic benefits
• 50% reduction in unnecessary costs through burden reduction with no loss in environmental performance

Stakeholder Involvement
Artistic Plating, along with the MFASC, participates in two stakeholder forums: the Cal/EPA Southern California EMS Working Group and the Southern California Metal Finishing Strategic Goals Program. The Cal/EPA Southern California EMS Working Group provides a forum for public outreach and EMS awareness for government (state, federal and local), non-governmental organizations, industry, and academics. The Cal/EPA EMS working group will be advising pilot organizations on the development and continual improvement of their EMSs; evaluating the performance of EMSs; and exploring related public policy issues.

Research Value for California Study
Artistic Plating has committed to provide information consistent with the national research protocols as adopted by the Multi-State Working Group. Data categories include environmental performance, regulatory compliance, use of pollution prevention techniques, continual improvement, employee awareness, involvement of interested parties, EMS design and implementation, and costs and benefits. In addition, Cal/EPA will be collecting information about the quality and quantity of public information provided by organizations before and after implementing an EMS. Collection and analysis of this data is an integral part of the Cal/EPA EMS Project.

Contact Information
Please contact the Cal/EPA EMS Project Director, Jennifer Smith Grubb, at (510) 540-3315 or by E-mail at smithjen@ix.netcom.com for more information about the pilot projects.

Evaluation of Proposed Pilot Project
Cal/EPA staff evaluated the pilot project based on the selection criteria. In staff’s judgment, this pilot satisfies all the criteria, as tabulated below.

Selection Criteria	Artistic Plating
(1) Pilot projects will have an ongoing or planned EMS that can reasonably be expected to produce greater environmental protection than would otherwise be achieved by the existing regulatory process.	Yes Implementing ISO 14001-based EMS
(2) Pilot projects will engage in a multi-media environmental approach (e.g., air, water, solid and hazardous waste).	Yes
(3) Pilot projects will pursue appropriate pollution and waste prevention opportunities.	Yes
(4) Pilot projects will share information learned from EMS implementation with Cal/EPA, regional and/or local working groups, and the public. Pilot projects agree to provide specific data on the goals, implementation, and performance of their EMS as reported in the national and California supplemental data protocols.	Yes
(5) Pilot projects will participate on the Northern or Southern California EMS Working Group.	Yes Southern California EMS Working Group
(6) Pilot projects will declare to Cal/EPA any current and past (three years) violations cited by environmental regulatory agencies.	Yes
(7) Pilot projects will address known regulatory deficiencies, as required by the appropriate regulatory agency, through their EMS.	Yes
(8) Pilot projects' top management will make a full commitment to participate in the project through a letter of intent.	Yes Owner authorization and commitment
(9) Pilot projects should represent diversity in terms of location/geography, size, industry type or sector, environmental impacts, and in the range of EMS maturity.	Medium-sized metal finisher in Southern California

Selection Criteria and Descriptions of Pilot Projects