Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective Date: 8/13/08
Series: Environmental Quality Programs
Part 515: Environmental Management
Chapter 4: Environmental Management Systems
Originating Office: Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance
515 DM 4
4.1 Purpose. This chapter sets forth Departmental policy, responsibilities,
and functions for implementing environmental management systems (
4.2 Scope. The responsibilities and requirements for implementing
an
4.3 Authorities. Executive Order (EO) 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy,
and Transportation Management,” January 26, 2007; and Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Implementing
Instructions and Requirements for EO 13423, March 29,
2007. EO 13423 reinforces the
requirement for more widespread use of
4.4 Definitions. For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
A. Appropriate Facility or Organization. Any Federal facility or organization that is subject to compliance with environmental regulation or conducts activities that can have a significant impact on the environment, either directly or indirectly, individually or cumulatively, due to the operations of that facility’s or organization’s mission, processes, or functions.
B. Environmental Aspect. An element of a bureau or office activity, operation, product, or service that does or could create an environmental impact.
C. Environmental Impact. Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, resulting from a bureau or office activity, operation, product, or service wholly or partially resulting from bureau or office environmental aspects.
D. Environmental Objective. An overall environmental goal, consistent with the environmental policy and mission, that a bureau or office commits to achieve.
E. Environmental
Management Systems. An
F. Facility. Any building, installation, structure, land, and other property owned or operated by, or constructed or manufactured and leased to, the Federal Government. This term includes a group of facilities at a single or multiple locations(s) managed as an integrated operation, as well as government-owned contractor-operated facilities.
G. Qualified
Independent Auditor. An auditor who
is outside the control of or scope of the facility or organizational
H. Sustainability. Means to create and maintain conditions,
under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit
fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future
generations of Americans.
I. Sustainable Practices. Actions contributing to sustainability such
as but not limited to environmental purchasing, resource conservation,
pollution prevention, toxics reduction, practices to reduce or control
emissions of greenhouse gases, electronic and other product stewardship,
sustainable construction and buildings, water and energy conservation,
renewable energy and resources, and recycling.
4.5 Policy. All bureaus and offices will, at all
appropriate organizational levels and/or facilities, develop, implement, and
maintain an
4.6 Accountability
and Responsibilities.
A. Office of the Solicitor. The Office of the Solicitor is responsible
for providing legal review and guidance in implementing and complying with 515
DM 4.
B. Assistant Secretary - Policy,
Management and Budget. The Assistant
Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget is responsible for policy and
oversight of Departmental compliance with 515 DM 4.
C. Program Assistant Secretaries. Program Assistant Secretaries are responsible
for ensuring adequate program support, resources, and funding for the
development and implementation of
D. Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance. The Office of
Environmental Policy and Compliance is responsible for overseeing, producing,
and coordinating policy guidance and instructions to implement 515 DM 4.
E. The Department’s EMS Council. The EMS Council is authorized under Environmental
Compliance Memorandum 03-02, dated February 3, 2003, and consists of
representatives from bureaus and offices.
It is chaired by the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance and
assists in the implementation of the policy in this chapter.
F. Heads of Bureaus and Offices. Heads of bureaus and offices have primary
responsibility for implementing and executing
G. Managers of Appropriate Organizational Levels and/or Facilities. It is the responsibility of managers of appropriate organizational levels and/or facilities as determined in Section 4.5 (e.g., headquarters/ region/ area/ field office managers, district managers, refuge/hatchery managers, park superintendents) to ensure that an EMS is implemented at their appropriate organizational level and/or facility. Also, managers of appropriate organizational levels and/or facilities are responsible for review and confirmation of the Declaration of Conformance as specified in Section 4.8 of this chapter.
4.7 Compliance. Compliance is a key function of
4.8 Declaration
of Conformance. A declaration of
conformance indicates that the
A. For the purpose of conformance to E.O. 13423, the
(1) The EMS has been the subject of a formal audit performed by a qualified independent auditor outside the scope or control of the EMS.
(2) Each audit finding has been identified and acknowledged along with a corrective action plan established by the appropriate managers of organizational levels and/or facilities responsible for implementation of the EMS.
(3) The appropriate managers of organizational levels and/or facilities responsible for implementation of the EMS has formally declared in writing conformance with all EMS requirements listed in Section 4.5 of this Departmental Manual Chapter, and Section II of the CEQ Implementing Instructions and Requirements for E.O. 13423.
B. Once
conformance is declared, the
4.9 Tenant, Contractor, and Concession Activities.
A. Where
tenant, contractor, and concession activities affect bureau or office
environmental aspects or sustainable practices of its operations, those
activities will be addressed in the development, implementation, and
maintenance of the
B. Where bureau or office units are located as tenants within a General Services Administration (GSA) owned facility, the bureau or office will address coordination with the GSA as appropriate to control significant environmental aspects and further sustainable practices in support of the goals of EO 13423.
4.10 Training. Each bureau and office must ensure that
personnel (including contractors and concession operators) who are responsible
for, or who impact the environmental, receive the appropriate level of
4.11
A. Bureaus and offices that previously
identified “appropriate facilities,” under the former EO 13148, “Greening the
Government through Leadership in Environmental Management,” and were underway
with EMS implementation, shall ensure that their
B. Heads of bureaus and offices that had not
identified “appropriate facilities” as described above shall ensure their EMS
is fully implemented according to a plan and schedule submitted by the head of
the bureau or office to the Director, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance, for review and approval. The
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance will then consult with
the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive on any changes to schedules.
4.12 Performance
Measures and Reporting.
Bureau and office EMS implementation will be measured through the Office
of Management and Budget Environmental Stewardship Scorecard, the Department’s
internal management review process, and the agency
8/13/08 #3811
Replaces 10/2/02 #3534