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R2 EMS Policy
USEPA Region 2 Environmental Management System PolicyOn April 21, 2000, Executive Order (EO) 13148, "Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management," was issued by President William Clinton. This Order established goals and requirements for Federal agencies to improve environmental performance through management systems and an emphasis on pollution prevention.
On May 17, 2002, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Christine Todd Whitman, issued the EPA's Environmental Management System Implementation Policy. In support of EO 13148, the policy encourages the effective use of environmental management practices that focus on environmental compliance and pollution prevention within the Agency and present the Agency as a role model for Environmental Management Systems (EMS).
Here at EPA Region 2 we are committed to safeguarding the environment and will implement EMSs at our Regional facilities in pursuit of this mission. As noted in the EPA Environmental Management System Implementation Policy, the Region 2 EMSs will be designed to meet the following goals:
- ensure compliance by meeting or exceeding all applicable environmental requirements.
- strive to continuously improve environmental performance in terms of both regulated and unregulated environmental impacts.
- employ source reduction and other pollution prevention approaches whenever possible.
- require consideration of environmental factors when making planning, purchasing and operating decisions.
- establish, track and review specific environmental performance goals.
- provide training to educate our employees and others working in Region 2 office space to be environmentally responsible on the job.
- work cooperatively with other stakeholders to further common environmental objectives.
- recognize and reward accomplishments and take corrective action to address non-conformances.
- share information on environmental performance with our employees and others working in Region 2 office space and allow appropriate opportunities for input into EMS development and implementation.
In addition to our annual review of the Regional office and laboratory's progress on environmental goals and adherence to this policy, we invite interested parties to provide us with input on this policy.
