What is EMS?

The USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory (NPARL) in Sidney, MT conducts research on soil and water stewardship and the biological and cultural management of insects, pathogens and weeds within production systems that enhance profitability and environmental quality. In keeping with this stewardship emphasis, NPARL established its Environmental Management System (EMS) in October 2005 and updates it annually in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 13423 entitled “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, ensuring that it also conforms to International Standard Organization (ISO) 14001 standards. On this page you will find more information regarding the EMS policy statement, employee responsibilities, materials to download, and helpful links.

 

NPARL will continue to manage its operations and programs in a manner that protects the environment and the safety and health of its employees, and the health of the public.

To implement EMS, NPARL will:

• Comply with all Federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations.

• Create and maintain an Environmental Management System (EMS) Committee, which will be lead by the EMS Manager and EMS coordinator, and will include Research Leaders from both units, Administrative Officer, Information Technology Specialist, Utility Systems Repair Operator, Purchasing Agent, and Technical Information Specialist. 

• Use cost-effective practices to eliminate, minimize, or mitigate environmental impacts.

• Use environmentally preferred materials if those materials meet technical specifications.

• Establish appropriate objectives and performance indicators to guide and measure the effectiveness of our environmental management programs.

• Provide environmental management training for all staff.

• Reduce the amount of waste at our facility, reuse and recycle whenever possible, and support pollution prevention.

• Monitor and report our environmental performance through an annual audit conforming to ISO 14001 standards.

• Maintain or improve all property under the stewardship of the NPARL (including land, water, wildlife, and natural resources) in an environmentally sensitive manner.

• Develop and support energy conservation practices.

Employee Responsibilities

NPARL Research Leaders have the ultimate responsibility for implementation, maintenance, and monitoring of the lab's EMS plan, and shall provide leadership in, and support for EMS compliance in their units and in the lab as a whole.  The location EMS Manager and EMS Coordinator will monitor for compliance with the objectives of the EMS and provide EMS training for staff.

The EMS Committee will provide guidance in implementing tasks and will update the EMS in response to changing regulations or directives. The Committee will and does meet monthly in conjunction with another lab site meeting. In addition, the EMS coordinator attends monthly NPA EMS teleconferences to keep the committee abreast of any new EMS information. The NPARL EMS committee will also audit, review and revise any component of the EMS plan annually or as needed.

Materials to Download

The EMS program book is the guiding document for NPARL employees.

The EMS bulletin is the lab's public policy statement.