445-1-H
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS HANDBOOK
HANDBOOK
Prepared by the Office of the Safety and Environmental Management Branch
JUNE 2002
FOREWORD
Every American, and every organization in America, is obligated to protect the environment. We all have the inherent right to a safe and healthful environment, and the USGS is continually striving to ensure this core value.
It is good business practice to incorporate aggressive environmental protection initiatives into the workplace. We simply cannot afford the waste, the expense, or the harm to our people and our scarce natural resources. Preserving and conserving where we can today means spending less on cleanup and compliance costs tomorrow. Therefore, it is critical to integrate environmental policies and directives into our daily operations and implement them throughout the organization.
Environmental protection is a responsibility of every employee and a key task for every manager. Management has specific legal responsibilities under the provisions of several complex environmental laws and regulations, as detailed in Departmental and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) policy. The USGS emphasizes the development of a comprehensive environmental management program that focuses on maximizing our efforts in pollution prevention, protecting the air and water quality, and caring for the historic sites and natural areas at our facilities in accordance with all of the rules and regulations.
This Handbook serves as our basic program policy document and cornerstone of our environmental compliance program. The basic approach in the development of this Handbook has been to provide the field with a one-source, user-friendly document, incorporating both Department of the Interior and USGS policy requirements. New USGS 445-1-H chapters issued in the future will be incorporated in sequential order. Updates and revisions to chapter content will be highlighted in Appendix Z, Fiscal Year Changes Summary, with the last revision date annotated in the Table of Contents. The Bureau Headquarters Safety and Environmental Management Branch (SEMB), Office of Management Services, Office of Administrative Policy and Services, will electronically forward future manual changes/additions as they occur to the environmental community and post them on the USGS safety Web site.
The SEMB will coordinate future updates, additions, or changes of proposed guidance through respective field science, administration, and management for review and comment prior to making changes. The Bureau Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Council will provide a final review and forward with adoption recommendations to the Bureau Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) for final concurrence. Upon DASHO approval, the SEMB will distribute and post appropriately.
The USGS 445-2-H, Occupational Safety and Health Program Requirements Handbook; the USGS 445-1-H, Environmental Compliance and Protection Handbook; and USGS Survey Manual Chapter 445.1, Safety Policy and Responsibilities, compose Bureau safety, health, and environmental policy. The USGS also has adopted additional policy by reference herein (i.e., OSHA and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, DOI Occupational Medicine Program Handbook (March 1998), USGS Dive Safety Manual, DOI Office of Aviation Operational Procedures Memos, etc.).
Questions or recommended changes to this Handbook should be directed to the SEMB.
New Departmental policy issued in the future will automatically be incorporated as part of this Handbook.
The Safety and Environmental Management Branch will serve as the administrator of this manual. Questions regarding the Handbook may be directed to the USGS Bureau Safety Manager or the Bureau Environmental Program Manager, Safety and Environmental Management Branch.