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EMS at the Houston Laboratory

What is a EMS?

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to increase its operating efficiency while at the same time reduce the environmental impact of its business practices on the environment. This Web site provides information and resources related to EMS development at the US Environmental Protection Agency's Region 6 Environmental Services Branch (ESB) Laboratory in Houston , Texas.

On April 21, 2000, Executive Order 13148, Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management,directed all federal agencies to develop and implement an EMS at all "appropriate " facilities based on faculty size, complexity, and nature of environmental activities.

Part 1 - The Preamble, states "Section 101. Federal Environmental Leadership. The head of each Federal agency is responsible for ensuring that all necessary actions are taken to integrate environmental accountability into agency day-to-day decision making and long-term planning processes, across all agency missions, activities, and functions. Consequently, environmental management considerations must be a fundamental and integral component of Federal Government policies, operations, planning, and management. The head of each Federal agency is responsible for meeting the goals and requirements of this order."

For more information on Environmental Management Systems (EMS) activities at the EPA and EPA Facilities, please visit EPA's EMS web site.

 

Establishing the EMS Management Review Process for the Houston Laboratory

Summary of the Development of Our Environmental Management System (EMS).  In order to manage our facility in a manner that protects the environment, the safety of our employees, and public health, EPA has committed to producing and implementing an EMS for our Office/Facility/Laboratory/Field Operations in the building located at 10625 Fallstone Road, Houston, Texas, 77099.

We decided to to follow the EPA 's EMS Plan, Do, Check, Act Model

EMS Development Model

Plan , Do, Check , Act EMS Implementation System

Phase One - Plan

Identify how your organization's operations might harm the environment and develop methods to reduce the harm.

Phase Two - Do

The organization implements the methods to reduce the environmental harm while insuring environmental compliance and operates them for a specified time period.

Phase Three - Check

The organization assesses the effectiveness of the implemented methods to reduce environmental harm.

Phase Four - Act

Based on the performance assessment of the implemented methods to reduce the environmental harm while ensuring environmental compliance, the organization determines what changes or adjustments are needed. This new assessment information is then fed back into Phase One - Plan. By repeating this cycle, the EMS system becomes better tuned and customized.

 

Steps to Implement the EMS System Houston Laboratory

 

  1. The first step we took when we set out to establish our Environmental Management System (EMS) was to name an EMS Coordinator/Management Representative as well as a Alternate EMS Coordinator in order to help with developing, implementing and integrating our EMS into our operations.

  2. The second step we took was to complete a self assessment of our existing EMS activities to provide a baseline of activities already in place.

  3. The third step we took was to create and issue a local EMS policy letter of commitment stating our commitment to achieving EMS implementation and signed by our senior manager. We defined our policy and provided initial EMS training to our Staff. All the goals of our EMS are outlined in this written EMS Policy , which has been signed by our Branch Chief and reviewed by the Administrative/Management Team.

  4. The fourth step we took was to review the activities performed at the Houston Laboratory to identify all of its environmental aspects and their potential adverse impact upon the environment and created EMS Significant Environmental Aspects Teams with representatives of the various programs or organizational groups in the EPA Region 6 Office/Lab. Our EMS Team with input from our employees has developed a list of our Activities/Products/Services and their associated Environmental Aspects and Impacts . We have developed a corresponding list of our Aspects that result from our activities/products and services and the Environmental Impacts of these Aspects. In order to prioritize and address our most important/significant aspects, we formed work groups of interested and knowledgeable employees to investigate issues involving our; Motor Pool, Building, Off site Field and Analytical Programs. The members of the Work Groups developed and recommended to management measurable Targets and Objectives for our significant aspects to reduce their environmental impact. Management endorsed the targets and objectives as well as five Work Plans for achieving them: Energy Conservation, Waste Reduction, Water Conservation, Air Emission Reduction and Chemical Management.

  5. The fifth step we took was to have our EMS Team complete Step 2 of Milestone 3 of the implementation process.  The objectives and targets were finalized and formalized to enable their implementation at the Region 6 Laboratory.  The implementation Team requested a meeting with Rick McMillin (our Deputy Chief) and Dr. Doug Lipka (Branch Chief) to discuss the objectives and targets for incorporation into our EMS manual. Objectives and targets were presented to management and approved. Based on a comprehensive list of all of our aspects, the Region 6 EMS Team has rated and ranked the top six (6) Significant Aspects of the EPA Region 6 Houston Laboratory.

  6. The sixth step we took was the development of an EMS Manual that gathers together and organizes all the documentation needed to support our EMS. The EMS Manual contains our Policy , background information and a description of our EMS as well as our Procedures for things including how we determined what our significant aspects were, how we established our targets and objectives, how we will train our employees, audit our EMS and provide for management review and action that is the vital link to continuous improvement and the cycle of plan , do , check and act . The EMS Teams developed a table containing a comprehensive list of Legal and Other Requirements for the EPA Regional lab in Houston located within our EMS Manual .

  7. The seventh step we completed was development of Operational Controls or OCs for how we will control and manage our significant aspects. We have laid out roles and responsibilities, what we will do and how we will do it for the following activities: Paper use at the laboratory, Electricity usage, Petroleum use and waste generation in transport of our employees, Paper and electricity use in printing and copying, Reduce, Reuse and Recycling Program; Electricity use in HVAC, lab hoods, office Space and laboratory equipment; Chemical management in the field and lab; Air Emission generation and reduction efforts, and Water use and reduction.

  8. The eight step we completed was Assigning EMS responsibilities to each SEA committee . We have a committee responsible for each significant environmental aspect (SEA) to ensure successful implementation of planned goals, EMPs, OCs, and other targets and objectives.

  9. The ninth step consisted of development and implementation of required EMS procedures and record and/or references. The procedures were incorporated into our EMS Manual and contains Environmental Management Programs or EMPs for Water Usage, Electrical Usage, Waste Generation, Air Emissions, and Chemical Management that describe how we will strive to achieve our targets and objectives.

  10. The tenth step was establishing and internal audit program and including the processes within the Houston Laboratory EMS Manual. The EMS Manual contains our Audit Program, our Suggestion and Non-Conformance Report Programs and the Definitions we use within our EMS.

  11. The eleventh step consisted of a management review of our EMS program.  Goal: Answer two fundamental questions: (1) Is the EMS suitable, adequate and effective for its intended purposes? (2) What decisions or actions need to be made to ensure its continual improvement? Annual Management Review of: Monitoring and measuring;  Progress on objectives and targets; Regulatory compliance status; EMS audit results; Corrective and preventive actions; and Other applicable issues. Desired Outcome for MAC Meeting: Senior Management direction on any necessary changes to the EMS to ensure its continual improvement. (2) Decision on changes to the environmental policy, objectives and other EMS elements.

  12. The twelfth and final step EPA self declaration has been chosen as the method of authenticating the Houston Laboratory EMS program.  Lab management is in the process of notifying the OARM EMS Coordinator of the self declaration process at the lab. EMS implementation for this step should occur during first quarter 2005.

EMS Significant Environmental Objectives at the Houston Laboratory

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