# Presentation: 294782

##  ARS Environmental Management System (EMS)Introductory Awareness Training 

## Course Objective
To provide EMS Annual Awareness Training.
Introduce you to the EMS tools available
How Much Time Does the Course take to complete?
We anticipate that this training should not take you more than 30 minutes to complete.

Receiving Documentation for training completion.
Our Safety, Health, Environmental Management Committee maintains a training record for employees. Print out the questionaire at the end of the presentation and place the completed questionaire with date and signature in the mail box of Robert Campbell.

Questions or Comments
Please keep in mind that EMS is a continual improvement process and EMS Annual Awareness Training will change as the system evolves.  If you have questions or comments about this training please contact Robert Campbell, Charlotte Burton, Kathy Burrup, Scott McNeil, John Rutger 

- To provide EMS Annual Awareness Training.
- Introduce you to the EMS tools available
_**How Much Time Does the Course take to complete?**_
- We anticipate that this training should not take you more than 30 minutes to complete.
_**Receiving Documentation for training completion.**_
- Our Safety, Health, Environmental Management Committee maintains a training record for employees. Print out the questionaire at the end of the presentation and place the completed questionaire with date and signature in the mail box of Robert Campbell.
_**Questions or Comments**_
- Please keep in mind that EMS is a continual improvement process and EMS Annual Awareness Training will change as the system evolves.  If you have questions or comments about this training please contact Robert Campbell, Charlotte Burton, Kathy Burrup, Scott McNeil, John Rutger

## Why an Environmental Management System (ISO 14001)
Executive Order 13148 requires Federal facilities to have an EMS in place no later than December 2005.
Executive Order 13423 (2007) mandates specific reductions in energy resource use by 2015.

ARS policy requires all ARS facilities to have an EMS in place that conforms to the ISO 14001 standard.
ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized best management practice for environmental management.

Implementing an EMS will assist ARS Locations in the  environmental stewardship efforts by ensuring continual review and corrective action processes for environmental management. 

- Executive Order 13148 requires Federal facilities to have an EMS in place no later than December 2005.
- Executive Order 13423 (2007) mandates specific reductions in energy resource use by 2015.
- ARS policy requires all ARS facilities to have an EMS in place that conforms to the ISO 14001 standard.
- ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized best management practice for environmental management.
- Implementing an EMS will assist ARS Locations in the  environmental stewardship efforts by ensuring continual review and corrective action processes for environmental management.

**Notes:**
This is the new version of the ARS Environmental Program which is part of the ARS 230 update

## E.O. 13148 (ISO 14991 EMS) Issued: April 21, 2000

**Reasons:**
**Demonstrate Federal Government environmental leadership**
**Ensure that Federal agencies adopt lowest life-cycle cost environmental practices**
**Ensure Federal facilities are responsible members of their communities**

## Benefits of an EMS

Improve environmental awareness.
Achieve greater consistency in environmental programs.
Support the mission by prioritizing environmental issues and focusing resources on those with the greatest significance.
Remember....

Being a good environmental steward is everyone’s business.  Performing your job in an environmentally safe and sound manner benefits us all by protecting the health of the surrounding ecosystem, preserving resources for future generations, being good neighbors, minimizing mission impact due to non-compliance issues, and saving money by decreasing wasted resources.

As a member of the Surrounding community, you are responsible for performing your job in an environmentally safe and sound manner by knowing how your job impacts the environment, adhering to operating procedures, knowing the potential environmental impacts of departing from these operating procedures, and by knowing the requirements of your job.

- Improve environmental awareness.
- Achieve greater consistency in environmental programs.
- Support the mission by prioritizing environmental issues and focusing resources on those with the greatest significance.
**Remember....**
**Being a good environmental steward is everyone’s business.  **Performing your job in an environmentally safe and sound manner benefits us all by protecting the health of the surrounding ecosystem, preserving resources for future generations, being good neighbors, minimizing mission impact due to non-compliance issues, and saving money by decreasing wasted resources.
**As a member of the Surrounding community, you are responsible for performing your job in an environmentally safe and sound manner **by knowing how your job impacts the environment, adhering to operating procedures, knowing the potential environmental impacts of departing from these operating procedures, and by knowing the requirements of your job.

**Notes:**
Self explanatory

## Responsibilities

As a member of the ARS community, you are responsible for performing your job in an environmentally safe and sound manner.  You should:

Understand the commitments of the ARS Environmental Policy
Know how your job impacts the environment
Know and adhere to the procedures of your job
Know the potential environmental impacts of departing from the procedures of your job
Know the environmental requirements of your job

**Responsibilities**
- As a member of the ARS community, you are responsible for performing your job in an environmentally safe and sound manner.  You should:
- Understand the commitments of the ARS Environmental Policy
- Know how your job impacts the environment
- Know and adhere to the procedures of your job
- Know the potential environmental impacts of departing from the procedures of your job
- Know the environmental requirements of your job

**Notes:**
The point is that we all are best able to determine what changes can be made in our research or duties of employees.
If a new process results in a discharge that needs to be evaluated then we’ll do a baseline monitor

##  Environmental Management Programs incorporated into  EMS including:

**Incorporate the provisions into existing goals and records**
**Provide training to personnel**
**Incorporate into position descriptions and performance standards **
**Develop an awards program**
**Each location will develop a plan**
**Internal Assessments**
**Environmental management documents**
**Monitoring procedures and data**
**Annual reporting to the EPA**

**Notes:**
1st bullet - Manual 230.0 update is done.
             - P&P 242.1
2nd bullet - senior level management, program managers, contracting personnel, procurement and acquisition personnel, facility managers, contractors, con-cessioners, and other personnel as appropriate
4th bullet – to reward and highlight innovative programs and individuals. The current P&P can be used or a version of the NAA safety one.
5th bullet – that sets forth their contribution to the goals and requirements established in
                the program.
              - More elaborate that P2 plan, but again- a quality progression.
              - Under 12856, P2 plans previously developed at roughly half of locations nationally.

## An ISO 14001 EMS is a set of procedures based on a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and has five Major Components, Policy, Planning, Implementation and Operation, Checking and Corrective Action, and Management Review

- ContinualImprovement

**Plan**

**Do**

**Check**

**Act**

**Notes:**
Most of these requirements are already in place but require further refinement by writing procedures, adding a more formal review process or document better. 

## Environmental Policy

The Environmental Policy describes ARS’s approach to environmental management.  ARS personnel should understand that the ARS Environmental Policy:

Applies to all 
Commits to environmental compliance
Commits to prevention of pollution
Commits to continual improvement
Is available on the NAA Safety Website

- The Environmental Policy describes ARS’s approach to environmental management.  ARS personnel should understand that the ARS Environmental Policy:
- Applies to all
- Commits to environmental compliance
- Commits to prevention of pollution
- Commits to continual improvement
- Is available on the NAA Safety Website

## Environmental Aspects

Environmental aspects are elements of the location’s activities that can potentially interact with the environment.  Examples are taken from Chapter 4 of the NAA ARS EMS:

- Environmental aspects are elements of the location’s activities that can potentially interact with the environment.  Examples are taken from Chapter 4 of the NAA ARS EMS:

-    Use of hazardous
-        chemicals

- Pesticide application

-  Paper Consumption

**Notes:**
Refer to chapter 3-5 in the ARS EMS manual for more detailed instruction, identified aspects, impacts and targets.
What we have here are three examples-common to our NAA locations

## Environmental Impacts

Environmental impacts are changes to the environment resulting from an environmental aspect.  Examples are:

- Environmental impacts are changes to the environment resulting from an environmental aspect.  Examples are:

- Waste generation

- Soil, water quality degradation

-   Use of natural resources

**Notes:**
For many of us (researchers)- we are part of the solution- such as ERRC-finding use for waste corn oils. The Pasture lab- watershed monitoring
BIIRL- insects instead of a pesticide or chemical product

## Environmental Aspects and Environmental Impacts

Environmental aspects and environmental impacts exist in a “Cause and Effect” relationship with each other.

	     Aspect (Cause)	 		Impact (Effect)

- Environmental aspects and environmental impacts exist in a** **“**Cause** and **Effect**” relationship with each other.
- 	     **Aspect (Cause)**	 		**Impact (Effect)**
**	**

-    use of hazardous
-          chemicals

- Pesticide applications

- Paper consumption

- Waste generation

- Soil, water quality
-         degradation

-   Resource depletion

**Notes:**
Terms are different but the concept is a repeated theme 

## Significant Environmental Aspects

Current significant environmental aspects are:

Emissions
Discharges, spills, leaks, or other releases to soil or water
Energy consumption or conservation
Generation of waste streams
Generation of noise, vibration, odor, dust, heat, light, radiation, and other nuisance activities

Significant environmental aspects must be managed through operational procedures and considered when setting environmental objectives and targets.

- Current significant environmental aspects are:
- Emissions
- Discharges, spills, leaks, or other releases to soil or water
- Energy consumption or conservation
- Generation of waste streams
- Generation of noise, vibration, odor, dust, heat, light, radiation, and other nuisance activities
- Significant environmental aspects must be managed through operational procedures and considered when setting environmental objectives and targets.

**Notes:**
This is the bigger picture

## Objectives and Targets

- Full Compliance with regulations
- Reduce  a hazardous waste stream
- Reduce consumption of energy (electricity)
- Green Purchase Training
- There are Agency targets and location targets
-  Many locations have met targets and never quantified /credited the success

**Notes:**
Examples are good here- EtBr filtration at the bench, reduced sample sizes result in less solvent waste (new equipment), radialogical waste streams are a good example of one stream that is reduced (Ecoscint) 

## Your Participation 

All personnel will have roles and responsibilities at the location for  EMS.  Your level of participation will vary according to the work you perform.  At a minimum, you are responsible for knowing:

The commitments of the ARS Environmental Policy
How your job impacts the environment
The procedures/protocols of your job and adhering to them
The potential environmental impacts of departing from the procedures of your job
The legal and other environmental requirements of your job

- All personnel will have roles and responsibilities at the location for  EMS.  Your level of participation will vary according to the work you perform.  At a minimum, you are responsible for knowing:
- The commitments of the ARS Environmental Policy
- How your job impacts the environment
- The procedures/protocols of your job and adhering to them
- The potential environmental impacts of departing from the procedures of your job
- The legal and other environmental requirements of your job

## Minimizing Environmental Impacts

An objective of an EMS is to reduce environmental impacts. Below are ways you can support this objective:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Reduce your use of resources such as water.  Reuse resources such as office supplies   Recycle all batteries, paper, electronics, toner cartridges, metal scraps, metal cans, glass and plastic containers, and fluorescent light bulbs.

Purchasing Requirements – Government purchasing agents, including credit card holders, are required to follow the  Affirmative (Green) Procurement Plan.

- An objective of an EMS is to reduce environmental impacts. Below are ways you can support this objective:
**Reduce, Reuse, Recycle** – _Reduce_ your use of resources such as water.  _Reuse_ resources such as office supplies   _Recycle_ all batteries, paper, electronics, toner cartridges, metal scraps, metal cans, glass and plastic containers, and fluorescent light bulbs.
**Purchasing Requirements** – Government purchasing agents, including credit card holders, are required to follow the  Affirmative (Green) Procurement Plan.

**Notes:**
There are currently recycling programs at all locations

## Minimizing Environmental Impacts - Continued

Spill Reporting – Personnel who suspect a spill has occurred should report it through the location emergency procedures.  Reporting petroleum product and hazardous material spills in a timely manner can minimize environmental damage.

Carpool – ARS has a Carpool Program in place to support a regional goal of decreasing vehicle emissions.

**Spill Reporting** – Personnel who suspect a spill has occurred should report it through the location emergency procedures.  Reporting petroleum product and hazardous material spills in a timely manner can minimize environmental damage.
**Carpool **– ARS has a Carpool Program in place to support a regional goal of decreasing vehicle emissions.

## Benefits of Minimizing Environmental Impacts

Minimizing environmental impacts help:

Protect human health and the surrounding ecosystem
Promote a good relationship with surrounding community and emergency services
Save money through resource conservation
Reduces and eliminates lab storage issues

**Benefits of Minimizing Environmental Impacts**
- Minimizing environmental impacts help:
- Protect human health and the surrounding ecosystem
- Promote a good relationship with surrounding community and emergency services
- Save money through resource conservation
- Reduces and eliminates lab storage issues

## TOP TEN POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES

**1. good housekeeping and maintenance practices**
**2. spill prevention and preparedness**
**3. inventory management**
**4. prudent purchasing**
**5. waste exchange programs**

**Notes:**
Here are ten pollution prevention techniques that are easy to implement, but can provide large reductions in pollution and hazardous waste.  It’s always a good idea to begin your pollution prevention efforts with projects that will have an obvious positive impact. This maximizes the chances of successful implementation which helps employees and management to support the efforts. We will list ten techniques, then discuss each one in more detail:
       

## 6. alternate cleaning processes
7. reuse/recycle process wastes
8. process modifications
9. changes in equipment/technology
10. environmentally preferable purchasing

**7. reuse/recycle process wastes**
**8. process modifications**
**9. changes in equipment/technology**
**10. environmentally preferable purchasing**

**TOP TEN POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES**

## Housekeeping and Maintenance

**reducing spills, overflows, leaks, ruined samples, and accidents prevents pollution-- while also reducing materials costs and stress!**
**lab clutter contributes to knocked-over containers while also impairing efficiency and morale**

**Notes:**
Good housekeeping and maintenance are simple, but highly effective ways to prevent pollution and hazardous waste generation. Much material becomes waste simply because a cluttered, disorganized workplace leads to materials damage, mis-placed materials which reach their expiration dates, equipment failures which cause leaks, etc. Both the costs of disposal of ruined materials and the costs of purchasing replacement materials are unnecessary drains on profit. In addition, productivity can be improved by housekeeping and maintenance efforts, In laboratories, analytical results may improve due to less confusion about poorly labeled chemicals. Employee exposure to chemicals is reduced when orderly work areas lead to fewer accidents. PPE is more accessible when workplaces are well-organized. Finally, a clean, orderly, and well-maintained work environment it more pleasant and less stressful for workers. Thus good housekeeping and maintenance practices are not simply good for pollution prevention--they also improve working conditions and efficiency of operations. 

## use secondary containment where appropriate
inspect and maintain equipment routinely
replace seals and gaskets on a regular basis
use tight-fitting lids and bungs to prevent evaporation  

**inspect and maintain equipment routinely**
**replace seals and gaskets on a regular basis**
**use tight-fitting lids and bungs to prevent evaporation **** **

- Housekeeping and Maintenance

**Notes:**
Beyond the usual housekeeping and maintenance chores that are useful in any home, office, lab, shop, or plant, some specific activities are useful for supporting pollution prevention in laboratories:
        Use secondary containment where appropriate to contain any spill that occur and prevent them from spreading
        Inspect and maintain equipment routinely. Malfunctioning equipment leads to ruined samples which become waste.
        Replace seals and gaskets on a regular basis to prevent leaks

        Use tight-fitting lids and bungs to prevent evaporation, which can release hazardous vapors to the environment.

## Spill prevention and preparedness

**	****Spills generate waste!**
**	****By preventing spills, you can prevent hazardous releases and avoid associated disposal costs**

**Notes:**
No one plans to have an accident, yet they happen in all laboratories. And when they happen, spills generate waste consisting of both the spill itself and the materials used to clean up the spill. “Spill preparedness” refers to having appropriate clean-up materials and employee training in place before a spill occurs. Advance preparations can keep a small spill from becoming a major incident. Spill preparedness is particularly important in the case of hazardous materials, because a spill can cause injuries or exposures to harmful or irritating vapors, result in fires or explosions, disrupt operations, and require regulatory reporting.

## To avoid accidental spills...

**train employees in proper use of chemicals, apparatus, instruments, and tools**
**use pipetting aids, spigots and pumps instead of pouring liquids**
**store materials securely **
**	****and away from traffic**

**Notes:**
Spill prevention and preparedness is another area where some simple, common-sense efforts can yield significant pollution prevention results. Here are some easy, but important tips for avoiding accidental spills:
        Be sure all laboratory workers know how to properly use chemicals, apparatus, instruments, and tools to prevent mis-use that results in spills
        Use pipetting aids,spigots and pumps instead of pouring liquids—even those with a steady hand and good aim eventually miss their mark!
        Store materials securely and away from traffic so they aren’t accidentally knocked over. 
Remember...fewer spills means less waste!

## Inventory Management

**Proper management ensures that your inventory is an asset, not a pollution prevention liability.**

**Notes:**
Modern organizations are moving away from stocking large quantities of materials (the so-called “just-in-case” philosophy) to having on hand only what is needed, when it is needed (the “just-in-time” philosophy). Excess quantities of chemicals tend to become hazardous waste eventually.

## Inventory Management Tips

**set up an inventory tracking system**
**label all containers with contents and date to avoid costly and hazardous “unknowns”**
**store material carefully to prevent spills and leaks**
**rotate inventory so older material is used first**

**Notes:**
When less “buffer” or “safety stock” is kept, good inventory management becomes even more important. 
        It becomes imperative to have and maintain complete and accurate inventory records, usually with a computerized inventory tracking system. 
        All containers, even water, must be labeled to avoid “unknowns.” Unknowns are safety hazards, and their disposal is particularly costly.  
        Careful storage can prevent spills and leaks. Avoid over-crowded shelves, which frequently cause knocked-over containers and spills that become waste. Storage spaces should be well-organized and segregated by the type of hazard with solids above and liquids below to minimize mixing in the event of a spill.
        Rotation of stock is a simple and standard way to ensure that older materials are used first and eliminate the unnecessary disposal of expired materials.

## Prudent Purchasing

**buy only the amount of chemicals that you will use within a reasonable time period**
**buy durable apparatus and equipment that can be repaired and maintained**
**coordinate or centralize purchasing to avoid unnecessary  purchases**

**Notes:**
The primary goal of purchasing is to have available the materials that are needed, when they are needed. But that’s not all. There should not be more than is needed, because excess chemicals tend to become waste. In the past, it was common to consider only price when purchasing chemicals, but now we realize that it is important to consider the total cost of materials, including their disposal. And don’t limit the pollution prevention philosophy to just chemicals...some types of equipment also require costly disposal when it is no longer usable, including refrigerators which require freon recovery and electronic equipment which may be unacceptable at your local landfill due to heavy metal content.

## Buy “right size” NOT“economy size”

**Notes:**
When an “economy size” container is purchased and only partially used, that leaves old, unusable, and frequently hazardous materials to eventually be discarded. Buying more than you need is a false economy.

## Waste exchange programs

**Waste exchange is a “matchmaking” process based on the premise that one party’s waste may be a usable material for another party **
**The goal of waste exchange is to minimize waste disposal expenses while maximizing the value of reusable byproducts**

**Notes:**
You’ve probably heard the saying, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” This is not just true at yard sales, but also in pollution prevention. A significant portion of the waste that is disposed by laboratories is actually chemicals that are usable—not waste, but no longer wanted by their original owner. Due to specification or equipment changes, over-buying, or poor inventory control, a laboratory may find itself with materials that it no longer needs. To prevent these materials from becoming waste, be a “match maker” and find someone else who can use them. 

## Recycling 

**Common examples of recycling**
- 	at our facility are recycling paper, paper bags, catalogs, cardboard, batteries, aluminum cans, IT supplies and equipment, and surplus laboratory equipment.

**Notes:**
Use and reuse of materials that would otherwise be waste can occur within your lab, with other entities in your organization, or offsite. When a potential waste material can be reused in the production process or a new use found for it, money is saved twice: disposal costs are reduced and purchase costs for new material are reduced.

## Materials Substitution

**In some cases, labs are unable to make substitutions due to required protocols**
**Opportunities exist beyond chemical substitution such as alternatives to mercury thermometers, videos or demonstrations in some instructional labs, etc.**
**Ask your vendors to keep you informed when new, less-hazardous products become available**

**Notes:**
In some cases, laboratories have little latitude in choosing the chemicals they use due to required protocols. In other cases, substituting less toxic materials can be an effective pollution prevention strategy. Beyond the obvious savings in waste disposal costs, your workplace will enjoy additional benefits when less hazardous materials are used: fewer employee exposures, reduced liability, and reduced regulatory requirements. Almost any laboratory can find materials substitution opportunities, ranging from relatively simple to highly technical. Your vendors and trade associations can be valuable resources. There are a few things to remember when making chemical or other substitutions:
        Be sure to involve employees in the decision
        To truly reduce or eliminate waste, don’t just change your waste to a different type, such as from solvent to waste water.

## Summary

All personnel should understand the commitments of the ARS Environmental Policy and are responsible for performing work in an environmentally safe and sound manner.

Remember that you are responsible for knowing:

How your job impacts the environment
The procedures of your job and adhering to them
The potential environmental impacts of departing from the procedures of your job
The legal and other environmental requirements of your job

- All personnel should understand the commitments of the ARS Environmental Policy and are responsible for performing work in an environmentally safe and sound manner.
- Remember that you are responsible for knowing:
- How your job impacts the environment
- The procedures of your job and adhering to them
- The potential environmental impacts of departing from the procedures of your job
- The legal and other environmental requirements of your job

## 

After you have completed the questionaire you will have successfully completed the EMS Introductory Awareness Training.  Record of your participation is recorded with the Safety, Health and Environmental Management Committee.

Your feedback allows us to continually improve the EMS.  For more information or to actively participate in EMS implementation, please contact:

Robert Campbell
Kathy Burrup 
Charlotte Burton
Scott McNeil
John Rutger

- After you have completed the questionaire you will have successfully completed the EMS Introductory Awareness Training.  Record of your participation is recorded with the Safety, Health and Environmental Management Committee.
- Your feedback allows us to continually improve the EMS.  For more information or to actively participate in EMS implementation, please contact:
- Robert Campbell
- Kathy Burrup
- Charlotte Burton
- Scott McNeil
- John Rutger

**CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU !!!**

## To print a copy of this slide exit the presentation.Go to Slide 34 and bring down the File menu.BE SURE THAT YOU SELECT CURRENT SLIDE.    The Safety, Health, Environmental Management Committee maintains a record of this EMS Introductory Awareness Training. Sign and Date the Document and place the completed questionaire in the mail box of Robert Campbell 

- Print Your Name ______________________________
- Sign Your Name_______________________________
- Date You completed this training _________________
- 1.  Name an Environmental Aspect preferably  different than the ones mentioned in the presentation that you are aware of in your work setting.
- 2. Name an Enviromental Impact that is associated with the aspect that you came up with in question 1.
- 3. What do you think could be done to minimize the impact to the environment?
- 4. Name a pollution prevention technique.