Sandia/California is committed to environmental stewardship. We integrate environmental risk assessment, planning, and impact mitigation into every aspect of our work. We also plan and manage all programs, operations, processes, and facilities so that they minimize waste creation, pollution, and adverse impact on the public and the environment.
To ensure that all Sandians are responsible stewards of the environmental resources in our care, Sandia has established an environmental management system (EMS) with six functional programs, which are described below. Each year, we evaluate how our operations can interact with the environment and identify our significant environmental aspects. Simply put, an environmental aspect is a pathway for an environmental impact. Sandia establishes targets and actions for each significant aspect to minimize potential environmental impact. Our significant aspects for fiscal year 2008 are water discharges, air emissions, land use, material procurement and use, universal waste, and hazardous materials. Further information about EMS can be found in the EMS brochure and at Sandia’s corporate website. In addition, Sandia/California’s site environmental report contains specific details about EMS program activities.
Environmental Protection Agency Performance Track Membership.
Sandia/California is a member of the EPA’s Performance Track program. Performance Track recognizes and drives environmental excellence by encouraging facilities with strong environmental records to go above and beyond their legal requirements. Members set four measurable goals to improve the quality of our nation’s air, water, and land. Members include major corporations, small businesses, and public facilities that are steering a course toward environmental excellence. Currently, the program has about 500 members. Sandia/California received Performance Track membership in February 2008.
ISO 14001:2004 Certified.
The Sandia/California EMS Program follows the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems, ISO 14001. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s leading developer of international standards. The ISO’s standards specify the requirements for state-of-the-art products, services, and managerial and organizational practices. ISO 14001:2004 is a generic management system standard that requires an environmental policy, objectives and targets, programs for implementation, monitoring and measurement, preventive and corrective actions, involvement at all levels, and continual improvement. The Sandia/California EMS Program received ISO 14001:2004 certification from NSF International Strategic Registrations, an independent registrar, in September 2006.
Sandia/California ISO 14001:2004 Registration Certificate
The Air Quality Program supports site environmental goals by obtaining and maintaining permits and registrations; helping Sandia/California comply with permit conditions and regulatory requirements; and examining the potential impact of air pollution sources through regulatory analysis, emissions calculations, and risk assessments. This program also implements our site’s Spare the Air initiatives.
The Environmental Monitoring Program monitors water quality at Sandia/California through routine sampling and analysis of storm water runoff, wastewater effluent, and groundwater from on-site monitoring wells. In addition, this program monitors gamma radiation in ambient air to ensure that our site operations are not making significant contributions to the ambient radiation dose in the surrounding environment.
The Environmental Planning and Ecology Program makes sure that all operations at Sandia/California comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. This program also monitors ecological resources, such as wildlife, found on-site.
The Hazardous Materials Management Program supports all projects and activities that involve the use or handling of hazardous materials on-site. This program is responsible for tracking hazardous materials, providing material safety data sheets, and reporting Sandia/California’s compliance with hazardous-material regulations.
The Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Program provides technical assistance across the California site, workable recycling programs, and strategies for reducing waste generation and use of natural resources. This program helps Sandia/California apply source reduction, affirmative procurement, waste minimization measures, and recycling principles to all site operations.
The Waste Management Program manages the processing and disposition for all hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste generated at Sandia/California. This program works closely with the Pollution Prevention and the Hazardous Material Management programs to minimize the amount of waste being generated.