Fermilab environmental program receives international recognition
Left to right: Paul Kesich, manager of the Environmental Protection Team at Fermilab; Joanna Livengood, DOE Fermi Site Office manager; Pier Oddone, Fermilab director; and William Rutledge, a representative from NSF International Strategic Registrations hold a banner recognizing Fermilab's achievement of registration for ISO 14001 standard.
Last Thursday, Oct. 11, Fermilab and local DOE officials celebrated the international recognition of the laboratory's environmentally sound management practices in a small ceremony in Wilson Hall.
"I'm presenting today a plaque that certifies Fermilab's registration for ISO 14001," said William Rutledge of NSF International Strategic Registrations. The non-government organization provides management systems registrations worldwide. "Not many organizations of your caliber have done this."
The ISO 14001 standards require an organization to meet a stringent set of criteria. The organization must have an infrastructure and management plan that allows it to comply with environmental laws and standards, to improve its environmental performance and to achieve measurable environmental objectives. The standards are not a government requirement. Instead they signify an organization's commitment to best environmental practices.
"This might seem like the culmination of our efforts, but this is only the beginning. Now we have to maintain our standard and improve on it," said Paul Kesich, manager of the Environmental Protection Team at Fermilab, who led the laboratory's effort to get certified.
ISO 14001 certifies that an organization has an environmental management system that assesses the environmental impacts of all activities taking place across the organization, from the planning of major new projects to the daily activities of workers. As part of the system, managers must communicate with their employees about environmental aspects of their work and look at ways to minimize the environmental impact of daily activities.
"This is a notable achievement for Fermilab," said ES&H Director Bill Griffing after the ceremony. "We have always had a reputation for environmental excellence in the United States. The ISO 14001 registration puts our name on a list of corporations recognized internationally for their excellent environmental management systems."
-- Kurt Riesselmann
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