bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fenton's in‐situ reagent chemical oxidation of hydrocarbon contamination in soil and groundwater
Authors: Bryant J. Daniel , Wilson James T.
Published: February 2007

Industry and regulatory demands for rapid and cost‐effective clean up of hydrocarbon and other contamination in soil and groundwater has prompted development and improvement of in‐situ remediation technologies. In‐situ technologies offer many advantages over ex‐situ treatment alternatives, including lower initial capital and long‐term operation and maintenance costs, less site disruption, no Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) liability, and shorter treatment time necessary to achieve cleanup objectives. Fenton's reagent, a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous iron that generates a hydroxyl free radical as an oxidizing agent, is widely accepted for chemical oxidation of organic contaminants in the wastewater industry. In‐situ implementation of Fenton's reagent for chemical oxidation of organic contaminants in soil and groundwater continues to grow in acceptance and application to a wide variety of environmental contaminants and hydrogeologic conditions (EPA, 1998).
A cost study for enhanced sludge washing of high‐level radioactive waste at the U.S. Department of energy Hanford Site
Authors: DeMuth Scott , Shieh Andrew
Published: February 2007

Enhanced Sludge Washing (ESW) with caustic has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of sludge‐based underground storage tank (UST) high‐level radioactive waste at the Hanford Site. The alternative to ESW is a simple sludge wash, a process that does not take advantege of recent dissolution development efforts. During the past several years, studies have been conducted to determine the remediation cost savings derived from the development and deployment of ESW. The tank waste inventory and ESW process performance continues to be revised as waste characterization, and ESW development efforts advance. This study provides a new cost savings estimate based upon the most recent waste inventory and ESW process performance revisions, an estimate of the associated cost savings uncertainty, and an estimate of the rate of return (ROR) on the investment in technology development. The revised remediation cost savings estimate due to ESW of all UST waste at Hanford is $4.8 billion ± $0.7 billion within 95 percent confidence in 1998 dollars. The ROR on investment was estimated to range from 100 percent to 130 percent. A sensitivity analysis indicated that it would be difficult to imagine a remediation scenario for which ESW did not yield a significant remediation cost savings and ROR.
Natural attenuation of a low mobility chlorinated insecticide in low‐level and high‐level contaminated soil: A feasibility study
Authors: Guerin Turlough F.
Published: February 2007

Endosulfan is an economically important insecticide and widespread environmental pollutant, originating from a wide range of agricultural activities. The major implication from the feasibility study described was that endosulfan I can be remediated by natural attenuation processes in cotton‐farming soil, in which concentrations were relatively low, as well as heavily contaminated soil, from an agricultural chemical waste (evaporation) pit. Endosulfan I, the major isomer of endosulfan, was present in agricultural soils with low (2.2 mg/kg) and high (417 mg/kg) concentrations of technical‐grade endosulfan. The half‐lives of the major isomer of endosulfan were 94 and greater than 350 days in the low‐level (cotton farming soil) and high‐level (contaminated soil), respectively. Even under conditions of minimal intervention, as in the current study, endosulfan concentrations in contaminated soils can be substantially reduced. The nonbiological process of soil binding was predominantly responsible for the natural attenuation of endosulfan I in both soils. Low levels of mineralization of the chlorinated ring 14C‐labelled carbons were also reported, but mineralization did not play an important role in natural attenuation of endosulfan I in either soil studied.
Mad cow and related diseases: Challenges for waste management
Authors: Hirschhorn Joel S.
Published: February 2007

Mad cow disease and related transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diseases (TSEs) in both animals and humans have received worldwide attention. Interestingly, the issue of managing biohazardous wastes, for which TSE agents are an issue, has received little attention by environmental professionals. The burial of wastes associated with mad cow and related diseases may eventually lead to unusual challenges for remediation professionals. The core challenge is that medical researchers have confirmed the incredible difficulty in destroying TSE infectious agents or pathogens, generally called prions. Risk reduction is certainly possible with treatment technologies, but complete elimination of risk by reliable and verifiable destruction of all TSE agents is probably infeasible. Proving the efficacy of any waste treatment method for TSE‐infected wastes is not practical because there is no commercially available test for TSE pathogens (although one is expected soon) and in only a few cases is there a reasonable surrogate approach. These circumstances have contributed to some biohazardous waste managers discounting the TSE issue. The goal of this article is to more thoroughly analyze available information and various risks to identify useful implications for alternative waste management technologies. A number of prudent actions can be taken in recognition of the TSE problem, including more careful assessment of treatment technologies, avoiding any reuse or recycling of waste treatment residues, using air pollution control systems to avoid releases of materials possibly containing infectious agents, and using wastewater pretreatment prior to sewer disposal.
Treatment technology for remediation of wood preserving sites: Overview
Authors: Bates Edward R. , Grosse Douglas W. , Sahle‐Demessie Endalkachew
Published: February 2007

This is the first in a series of five articles describing the applicability, performance, and cost of technologies for the remediation of contaminated soil and water at wood preserving sites. Site‐specific treatability studies conducted under the supervision of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL), from 1995 through 1997 constitute much of the basis for the evaluations presented, although data from other treatability studies, literature sources, and actual site remediations have also been included to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of remediation technologies. This article provides an overview of the wood preserving sites studied, including contaminant levels, and a summary of the performance of the technologies evaluated. The subsequent articles discuss the performance of each technology in more detail. Three articles discuss technologies for the treatment of soils, including solidification/stabilization, biological treatment, solvent extraction and soil washing. One article discusses technologies for the treatment of liquids, water and nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLS), including biological treatment, carbon adsorption, photolytic oxidation, and hydraulic containment. The reader should be aware that other technologies including, but not limited to, incineration, thermal desorption, and base catalyzed dehalogenation, also have application for treating contaminants on wood preserving sites. They are not discussed in these five articles since the focus was to evaluate lesser known and hopefully lower cost approaches. However, the reader should include consideration of these other technologies as part of any evaluation or screening of technologies applicable to remediation of wood preserving sites.
Solidification/stabilization for remediation of wood preserving sites: Treatment for dioxins, PCP, creosote, and metals
Authors: Bates Edward R. , Sahle‐Demessie Endalkachew , Grosse Douglas W.
Published: February 2007

This article discusses the use of solidification/stabilization (S/S) to treat soils contaminated with organic and inorganic chemicals at wood preserving sites. Solidification is defined for this article as making a material into a freestanding solid. Stabilization is defined as making the contaminants of concern nonmobile as determined from a leaching test. S/S then combines both properties. For more information on S/S in general the reader should refer to other publications (Connors, J.R. [1990]). Chemical fixation and solidification of hazardous wastes. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold; US Environmental Protection Agency. [1993a]. Engineering bulletin solidification/stabilization of organics and inorganics (EPA/540/S‐92/015); Wiles, C.C. [1989]. Solidification and stabilization technology. In H.M. Freeman [Ed.], Standard handbook of hazardous waste treatment and disposal. New York: McGraw Hill) as this article addresses only wood preserving sites and assumes basic knowledge of S/S processes. For a more general discussion of wood preserving sites and some other remedial options, the reader may wish to refer to a previous EPA publication (US Environmental Protection Agency. [1992a]. Contaminants and remedial options at wood preserving sites [EPA/600/R‐92/182]).

This article includes data from the successful remediation of a site with mixed organic/inorganic contaminants, remediation of a site with organic contaminants, and detailed treatability study results from four sites for which successful formulations were developed. Included are pre‐ and post‐treatment soil characterization data, site vaines. ileizdot‐ names (in some cases), treatment formulas used (generic aridproprietary), costs, recommendations, and citatioiis to inore detailed refer‐ en ces. The data presen ted iiidica te that dioxins, pentachlorophepi 01 (PCP), creosote, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbom (PAHsI, and metals can be treated at moderate cost by the use of S/S techuologp.
Bioremediation treatability studies of contaminated soils at wood preserving sites
Authors: Grosse Douglas W. , Sahle‐Demessie Endalkachew , Bates Edward R.
Published: February 2007

Bioremediation has been used frequently at sites contaminated with organic hazardous chemicals where releases from processing vessels and the mismanagement of reagents and generated waste have contributed to significant impairment of the environment. At wood treater sites, process reagents such as pentachlorophenol (PCP), and creosote have adversely impacted the surrounding soil and groundwater. When PCP has been used at these sites, polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are typically found. Where creosote has been used as the wood preservative of choice, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are commonly found. Many of these compounds are considered to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) and are particularly recalcitrant.
Solvent extraction and soil washing treatment of contaminated soils from wood preserving sites: Bench‐scale studies
Authors: Sahle‐Demessie Endalkachew , Grosse Douglas W. , Bates Edward R.
Published: February 2007

Bench‐scale solvent extraction and soil washing studies were performed on soil samples obtained from three abandoned wood preserving sites included in the National Priority List. The soil samples from these sites were contaminated with high levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pentachlorophenol (PCP), dioxins, and heavy metals. The effectiveness of the solvent extraction process was assessed using liquefied propane or dimethyl ether as solvents over a range of operating conditions. These studies have demonstrated that a two‐stage solvent extraction process using dimethyl ether as a solvent at a ratio of 1.61 per kg of soil could decrease dioxin levels in the soil by 93.0 to 98.9 percent, and PCP levels by 95.1 percent. Reduction percentages for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) potency estimate and total detected PAHs were 82.4 and 98.6 percent, respectively. Metals concentrations were not reduced by the solvent extraction treatment. These removal levels could be significantly improved using a multistage extraction system. Commercial scale solvent extraction using liquefied gases costs about $220 per ton of contaminated soil. However, field application of this technology at the United Creosote site, Conroe, Texas, failed to perform to the level observed at bench scale due to the excessive foaming and air emission problem.

Soil washing using surfactant solution and wet screening treatability studies were also performed on the soil samples in order to assess remediation strategies for sites. Although aqueous phase solubility of contaminants seemed to be the most important factor affecting removal of contaminants from soil, surfactant solutions (3 percent by weight) having nonionic surfactants with hydrophile‐lipophile balance (HLB) of about 14 (Makon‐12 and Igepal CA 720) reduced the PAH levels by an average of 71 percent, compared to no measurable change when pure deionized water was used. Large fractioza of clay and silt (<0.06mm), high le!ezielsof orgaizic contami‐ nants and hzimic acid can makesoil washing less applicable.
Steady‐state field‐scale gas permeability estimation and pore‐gas velocity calculation in a domain open to the atmosphere
Authors: Digiulio Dominic C. , Varadhan Ravi
Published: February 2007

Field‐scale estimation of gas permeability and subsequent computation of pore‐gas velocity profiles are critical elements of sound soil venting design. It has been our experience, however, in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) technical assistance program, provided by the Office of Research and Development in support EPA regional offices, that many venting practitioners are unaware of equations and data interpretation methods appropriate for gas permeability estimation and pore‐gas velocity computation. To ameliorate this situation, we use data collected at a U.S. Coast Guard Station in Traverse City, Michigan, to demonstrate gets permeability estimation and pore‐gas velocity calculation for steady‐state, axisymmetric, two‐dimensional gas flow in a domain open to the atmosphere. For gas permeability estimation, we use random guesses constrained with decreasing intervals of radial and vertical permeabilityand analysis of root mean square errors to ensure attainment of a global versus local minimum. We demonstrate confidence in permeability estimation by providing plots of observed versus simulated pressure response. Finally, we illustrate how plots of pore‐gas velocity as a function of distance and flow rate can be helpful in venting design.
Laboratory studies on the remediation of mercury contaminated soils
Authors: Ray Asim B. , Selvakumar Ariamalar
Published: February 2007

Mercury, in contrast to other toxic metals, cycles between the atmosphere, land, and water. During this cycle, it undergoes a series of complex chemical and physical transformations. Because of these transformations, it is found in the environment not only as simple inorganic and organic compounds, but also as complex compounds. As a result, it is difficult to remediate mercury contaminated materials. Laboratory studies were conducted with a mercury contaminated complex waste from an industrial site to evaluate the ability of extractants such as H2O2, H2SO4 and Na2S2O3 to decontaminate the waste. Up to 87 percent of the total mercury present in the waste was extracted. Mercury was recovered as insoluble mercury sulfide by adding Na2S solution to the combined filtrates from the H2O2 + H2SO4 and Na2S2O3 treatment steps. The technique described in this article is capable of recovering mercury in a usable form and can be used as a pretreatment to remediate mercury contaminated waste before laud disposal.
Pilot Scale Demonstration of the Electrochemical Peroxidation Process at a Petroleum Spill Site
Authors: Healy William P. , Fina Fil L.
Published: February 2007

In a pilot test experiment involving approximately 200,000 gallons of groundwater, Electrochemical Peroxidation (ECP) was used to degrade aqueous phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) compounds and methyl tertbutyl ether (MTBE) from a petroleum spill. ECP involves a form of the Fenton's Reagent reaction, which uses electrochemically generated iron and dilute hydrogen peroxide (<30 mg/L) to break down organic molecules through oxidation to carbon dioxide and water. This article discusses a pilot scale demonstration of the ECP technology and its application to aqueous phase organic contaminants.

The remedial approach used at the pilot test site involves three phases: (1) ex‐situ chemical oxidation, (2) in‐situ oxidation by reinjection of treated effluent near the plume origin, and (3) reestablishment of aerobic biodegradation as the residual hydrogen peroxide discharged to a series of upgradient wells degrades to oxygen. Analytical results of the pilot demonstration indicate that the ex‐situ chemical oxidation reduced total BTEX concentrations in groundwater from over 1,000 ppb to undetectable concentrations (<1 ppb). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Dose Assessment for Process Water Tunnels at Hanford Site
Authors: Kamboj Sunita , Yu Charley , LePoire David
Published: February 2007

The RESRAD‐BUILD and RESRAD computer codes were used for dose assessment of the 105‐C Process Water Tunnels at the Hanford Site. The evaluation assessed three different exposure scenarios: recreational use, tunnel maintenance worker, and residential use. The recreationist and maintenance worker scenarios were evaluated by using RESRAD‐BUILD, a computer model for analyzing the radiological doses resulting from remediation and occupancy of structures contaminated with radioactive material. The recreationist was assumed to use the tunnels as an overnight shelter for eight hours per day for one week. The maintenance worker was assumed to spend 20 hours per year working in the the tunnel. Six exposure pathways were considered for both scenarios in dose assessment. The gradual removal of surface contamination over time and ingrowth of decay products were considered in calculating the dose at different times. The maximum dose would occur immediately after the release and was estimated to be 1.9 mrem/yr for the recreationist and 0.9 mrem/yr for the maintenance worker. The residential scenario was evaluated by using the probabilistic RESRAD code. It was assumed that total activity from the tunnels would be brought into the near‐surface layer by future human activities. Eight exposure pathways were considered. The maximum yearly dose for this very unlikely scenario would occur immediately after the release and was less than 4 mrem/yr for the maximally exposed individual. The assessment demonstrates that both codes are suitable for nuclear facility decontamination and decommissioning sites, where buildings and structures with residual radioactivity must be evaluated to facilitate property transfer or release.
Voluntary or mandatory environmental auditing in the european community: The carrot or the stick?
Authors: Bryson Nancy S. , Teare Peter A. D.
Published: February 2007

One possible route to responsible environmental management now under active discussion in the European Community (EC) is a European‐wide environmental auditing program. The issue currently being debated by the EC's policy body is what form the program should take—mandatory or voluntary. Whatever the final form of the regulation, environmental management is about to gain added significance in boardrooms throughout Europe and the environmental auditing industry is about to experience a dramatic period of growth in the EC.
TQM and strategic environmental management
Authors: Blake Gene
Published: February 2007

Beyond the avoided costs for noncompliance lies an area of economic opportunity. Strategic approaches are necessary to tap these opportunities, but only recently have the principles of Total Quality Management been considered for environmental applications. This article identifies common principles in strategic environmental planning and thematic bridges to TQM philosophies. By applying TQM to strategic environmental planning, an environmental manager can thus address both avoided cost and environmental opportunity to improve overall corporate strategic advantage.
Integrating total quality principles into an environmental training program
Authors: Weise Beverly L.
Published: February 2007

To effectively comply with pressing environmental regulations, Northrop Aircraft Division needed to quickly train 5,000 employees to handle and dispose of hazardous waste properly. To accomplish this environmental cultural change process, Northrop decided to incorporate the principles of another culture change being effected within the company—that of Total Quality Management. The necessary information was delivered to thousands of workers in a limited amount of time through a new Focal Point training program, the effectiveness of which was demonstrated by marked improvement in inspection reports.
ANSI X12: Data standards for TQEM
Authors: Ferguson Richard
Published: February 2007

One key development in environmental software is the adoption of a common electronic language for exchanging EH&S data. The ANSIX12‐based data management tools offer compatibility across platforms within the company as well as between different companies. The X12 syntax makes it easy for environmental managers to integrate functions more closely with either materials management or quality management systems.
Polaroid's environmental accounting and reporting system: Benefits and limitations of a tqem measurement tool
Authors: Nash Jennifer , Nutt Karen , Maxwell James , Ehrenfeld John
Published: February 2007

Polaroid Corporation has established an ambitious pollution prevention program that calls for reducing chemical use and waste by 10 percent per unit per year during the period 1988 to 1993. A notable aspect of Polaroid'S efforts is the environmental accounting and reporting system (EARS) it has developed to measure progress toward this goal. EARS is a Total Quality Environmental Management tool with applicability in similar industries.
Building audits into tqem measurement systems at P&G
Authors: Fisher Michael T.
Published: February 2007

This article discusses an approach to building environmental compliance audits into an effective TQEM measurement system. With this approach, companies can move their existing programs from just “meeting the law” to being viewed as “leaders in environmental excellence.” The benefit of this change is that local communities are more likely to allow their environmental leaders the operating flexibility that minimizes cost and the necessary permits for expansion.
Designing tqem into new facilities: A ten‐step procedure from dupont
Authors: Kraft Robert L.
Published: February 2007

This article details a ten‐step procedure for the early stages of new facility design to reduce waste not by waste treatment but rather by source reduction and reuse. This procedure was recently applied to a major grass‐roots chemical facility and resulted in a return on investment greater than the cost of capital.
Understanding the roles of customers and suppliers in quality assurance and quality control
Authors: Patterson Ronald K.
Published: February 2007

Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are basic components of a TQEM program. All too often these functions are loosely defined and used interchangeably. Yet, the quality of outputs and services strongly depends on the caliber of the communications between the “customer” and the “supplier.” A clear understanding of customer needs and expectations is essential to selecting and applying suitable QA and QC. Planning, implementing, and assessing all play a major part in the quality of final outputs. A clear understanding of the customer/supplier relationship and the functional roles played by each is essential to a successful TQEM program. This article identifies, clarifies, and simplifies the quality management responsibilities of the customer and the supplier. The ideas presented are applicable in all work environments, including research and development (R&D).
Applying a continuous improvement methodology to lockheed's environmental programs
Authors: Posson Mark C. , Gibson Steve
Published: February 2007

The number of environmental statutes has increased precipitously over the last twenty years. Regulations to implement these statutes went from four thousand pages in 1978 to over twelve thousand pages in 1992. With the many requirements of the regulatory programs comes a high risk of failure. Applying the continuous improvement principles and tools presented in this article has helped Lockheed meet this challenge by providing a focus and balance in its environmental programs.
Working toward standards, auditor qualifications at the environmental auditing roundtable
Authors: Ambrose Tom
Published: February 2007

The Environmental Auditing Roundtable (EAR) is the original professional organization dedicated to furthering the development and professional practice of environmental, health, and safety auditing. It began in 1982 as literally a roundtable of managers who met to discuss what environmental auditing was and to share practices.

The group has held quarterly meetings since that time and has undergone several major changes. In 1984 the organization significantly expanded its membership and established a formal program committee. Major steps were taken in 1987 through the adoption of the Code of Ethics and the first formal bylaws to allow the EAR to be an organization with individual members and election of a board of directors by the membership at large.

A significant milestone toward becoming a professional society occurred in 1991 with the incorporation of the EAR as a not‐for‐profit organization with a two‐fold purpose: to provide a forum for the exchange of technical, regulatory, and professional auditing information; and to further the development and professional practice of environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) auditing. Today, there are about three hundred members of the EAR—individuals from industry, academia, service organizations, law firms, and government—who have agreed to abide by the Code of Ethics and to advance the practice of EH&S auditing.
Reducing life‐cycle environmental impacts: An industry survey of emerging tools and programs
Authors: Sullivan Michael S. , Ehrenfeld John R.
Published: February 2007

Corporate environmental practices have been evolving quite rapidly in recent years, as consumers express their preferences for environmentally friendly products and practices, as manufacturers look “upstream” and inquire into their suppliers' environmental practices due to liability and marketing concerns, and as company operating costs increase as a result of new environmental regulations. New corporate efforts are made to anticipate (rather than respond to) outside environmental pressures, to internalize costs, and to find strategic opportunities or competitive advantages based on company or product environmental performance. This article describes a survey and research project designed to explore one aspect of these evolving corporate practices—the use of analytical tools and associated programs, such as life‐cycle assessment and design‐for‐environment—by companies to account for impacts throughout a product'S life‐cycle.
Evaluating management systems as part of environmental audits
Authors: Cahill Lawrence B.
Published: February 2007

Evaluating management systems is a crucial component of any environmental audit. Evolving regulations and directives acknowledge this importance. Remedying management deficiencies can result in long‐term, lasting improvements in environmental compliance with external requirements and internal policies. This article presents ideas and examples from leading companies on how environmental audits can be designed to enhance TQEM systems.
Auditing for environmental excellence at union carbide
Authors: Coulter Paul D.
Published: February 2007

Union Carbide formed its current Health, Safety, and Environmental Audit Program in 1985 following the Bhopal, India, tragedy in December 1984. Although our pre‐Bhopal record confirmed our belief that we had an excellent program, with the help of a consulting firm we went back to the drawing board and questioned everything. We raised the bar and set as one of our goals the development and implementation of an audit program that is “second to none”. This article details the specific tools being used by Union Carbide auditors to ensure environmental excellence at our numerous plant sites.
Environmental auditing and continuous improvement at lockheed
Authors: Posson Mark C. , Barney Craig A.
Published: February 2007

Continuous Improvement can be applied to every business function, including environmental auditing. The benefits of customer focus and performance measurement are realized in a more efficient business system and a higher level of environmental compliance. Lockheed has successfully used Continuous Improvement principles in the development and implementation of its environmental auditing program, which are described in this article.
What's the difference between reengineering and tqem?
Authors: Wells Richard P. , O'Connell Patricia A. , Hochman Stephen
Published: February 2007

Reengineering has become the latest corporate management buzzword, replacing, in many cases, total quality management as the panacea for industrial ills. How different are reengineering and total quality management (TQM), if at all, and how does each apply to environmental management? In this article the authors examine the concepts of reengineering and TQM as they apply to environmental management.
Total quality product design—how to integrate environmental criteria into the product realization process
Authors: Oakley Brian T.
Published: February 2007

Recent case studies on the financial benefits of pollution prevention programs well attest to the notion that a commitment to the environment can help profitability not only by avoiding costs and potential liabilities, but also by generating environmentally‐based opportunities for competitive advantage. Achieving these benefits, however, represents a complex management challenge that requires embedding environmental concerns in the day‐to‐day decisions and actions of a company'S employees. This article shows how the marriage of corporate environmental stewardship and TQM, better known as TQEM, is particularly well suited to the area of product design and why environmental health and safety experts can improve a product'S environmental performance.
A proposal for design‐based auto industry environmental regulation
Authors: FitzGerald Chris , Fox‐Penner Peter
Published: February 2007

As the U.S. auto industry tries to remain competitive in the face of evolving environmental rules, the new administration is presented with the opportunity to achieve environmental and economic goals through an industry‐government partnership. The authors suggest a policy of total environmental quality as a starting point.
Environmental performance indicators: Balancing compliance with business economics
Authors: Haines Robert W.
Published: February 2007

Many companies are examining ways to integrate environmental performance into the management and operation of their core businesses. Basic principles from the application of TQM in manufacturing will help bring environmental management into the mainstream of business operations. Likely results include improved and sustained compliance and improved long‐term financial performance. The author addresses a critical first step, which is developing a common language and system for measuring environmental performance and setting goals for continuous improvement.
Training for benchmarking: The alliedsignal experience
Authors: Stevenson Cathy A.
Published: February 2007

Integration of TQM principles and tools into environmental management decisions is essential to the ultimate success of businesses. Benchmarking is one of the most powerful TQM tools for quickly and effectively improving processes. To realize the maximum benefit from benchmarking, it—like any other TQM tool—must be used appropriately and properly. In this article training techniques are presented that will help companies realize the full potential of their benchmarking efforts.
The top ten reasons why phase I environmental assessment reports miss the mark
Authors: Kane Raymond W. , Cahill Lawrence B.
Published: February 2007

Recently, there has been considerable professional concern over many of the issues associated with environmental assessments, including report writing.

Unfortunately there still are no nationally recognized published guidelines on what constitutes an acceptable report.

In this article the authors show how reports can be vastly improved to help companies evaluate risks and make better business decisions. Their guidance can be applied to a broad range of auditing and assessment activity to improve environmental quality performance.
Total employee involvement: Measures for success
Authors: Cramer J. M. , Roes B.
Published: February 2007

Whether environmental management is successful depends partly on whether managers can actively involve employees in policy formulation and implementation. This not only generates shop floor support for environmental policy, it also makes use of employees' environmental knowledge and expertise. Based on eight detailed case studies of different Dutch companies, this article examines the involvement of employees in environmental management and the possibilities of enhancing this involvement. It shows how employee involvement can be promoted by improving employeemanagement interaction, promoting responsibility for the environment among middle management and individual employees, formulating supplementary policy, and introducing a number of concrete measures.
Industrial ecology—an organizing framework for environmental management
Authors: Lowe Ernest
Published: February 2007

Industrial ecology is a systemic organizing framework for the many facets of environmental management. It views the industrial world as a natural system, embedded in local ecosystems and the global biosphere. It provides a fundamental understanding of the value of modeling the industrial system on ecosystems to achieve sustainable environmental performance. In this article, the author shows how it offers powerful tools of analysis that complement and enhance those offered by such approaches as Total Quality Environmental Management or pollution prevention.
Innovative ecomanagement practices and programs worldwide
Authors: Friberg Ruger
Published: February 2007

It is easy to tell people how to be environmentally friendly. It is easy to promise what you intend to do in the future. But in my mind the number of green people declines when we talk about true round‐the‐clock environmentalists, those who live like they teach; we cut out the talkers and look at what people have achieved instead of what they intend to do.
Forging new links between environmental management, information systems, and business processes
Authors: Fitzgerald Chris
Published: February 2007

This article is excerpted from Chapter 1 of Environmental Management Information Systems, which will be published by McGraw‐Hill in 1994. A central theme of the book is that all successful implementations of environmental management information systems (EMIS) are based on the appropriate alignment of goals and procedures from three enterprise domains: business processes, environmental management, and information systems.

Environmental managers (EM) and information systems (IS) professionals have each been guilty of seeing their functions as primary, domains of specialized scientific expertise inaccessible to outsiders. In fact, however, the enterprise is the customer for both domains; without successful business strategies and systems the enterprise does not require either EM or IS wizards. This article shows why and how essential it is that each of the three domains understands enough of the other two domains to structure good decisions.
Applying total quality and strategic planning techniques for improved compliance performance at polaroid
Authors: Schwalm Bill
Published: February 2007

Polaroid Corporation is committed to a policy of respect for the environment. Each division is charged with responsibility to achieve environmental goals for compliance, toxic use and waste reduction, and community outreach. This article shows how a major manufacturing division is now striving to meet new compliance demands by combining strategic planning and Total Quality techniques.
How to integrate information strategy planning with environmental management information systems—part I
Authors: Orlin Judy , Swalwell Peg , Fitzgerald Chris
Published: February 2007

Rational, cost‐effective provision of mission‐critical environmental management information remains elusive for almost all large enterprises. Even among the best performing companies—best performing from the perspectives of profitability, quality and/or environmental stewardship—environmental management information systems (EMIS) are usually comprised of dozens to hundreds of individual, isolated applications that require costly data capture, training, and maintenance. This article, the first of two, will discuss ways to coordinate information infrastructures with strategic goals and business processes.
Hot air, fast bucks, or true commitment: Strategies for transforming environmental commitment into a competitive advantage
Authors: Frause Bob , Colehour Julie A.
Published: February 2007

Just saying that you are doing something is not good enough, especially when it comes to the environment. You need to document your changes and progress. In this article, (reprinted, with permission, from The Environmental Marketing Imperative) we'll show you how you can establish a true and meaningful environmental commitment for your company. We'll also show you how to effectively use this commitment as the basis for strategic marketing and communications plans.
Environmental auditor qualifications: Meeting new, rigorous demands for quality audits
Authors: Cahill Lawrence B.
Published: February 2007

“Ah, Mr. Cahill, I wonder if you could come back to the auditor's team room. It seems one of your auditors has fallen asleep for the second time this week. I know you had a grueling trip getting here, but this is embarrassing to everyone”.

So went an audit I led some time ago. It was not a fun experience, and it has left some scars.

There has been much discussion lately in the profession about certifying environmental (health and safety) auditors against certain performance criteria. But how does one evaluate for such important measures as physical stamina?.

This article discusses the qualifications that environmental auditors should have if they are to lead or conduct a quality audit. It becomes evident after reviewing these expectations that certifying auditors through a traditional written examination might ignore some of the most important skills an auditor should possess, especially in working with managers throughout an organization. Before certifying organizations progress too far down the restrictive written‐exam road, they should determine how these other skills are to be assessed. No amount of book learning can overcome the drawbacks of a poor or combative interviewer or even an exhausted auditor.
Corporate environmental excellence and stewardship: Five critical tasks of top management
Authors: Greeno J. Ladd
Published: February 2007

One of the most important challenges facing business is shaping the role of senior management in corporate environmental performance. In some leading companies, the CEO or chairman takes the initiative to carefully define his or her role because of a strong personal commitment, a keen grasp of the business incentives, in response to past problems, or because of a combination of these. In other companies, even where corporate policies genuinely support and promote corporate environmental, health, and safety programs, there may still be inaction or reluctance on the part of top management to participate or get involved. This management posture may work for a few more years, but no longer than that—and could quickly become a major detriment to any company's ongoing market success or viability.

This article will focus on a strategy for getting top management involved in your company's programs and, where they are already involved, for sharing some insights we have gained from our work with a number of companies where top management has taken a strong role in environmental issues and has established precedence for what can work well.
Developing a decision support tool for life‐cycle cost assessments
Authors: Weitz Keith A. , Smith Joyce K. , Warren John L.
Published: February 2007

Recent years have seen advancements in the development and use of life‐cycle assessment (LCA) analytic techniques. Although these techniques have highlighted the power of LCA to identify the environmental consequences of a product system through its entire life cycle, they have also highlighted a major shortcoming of LCA—the lack of cost information. Because companies make daily decisions that involve trade‐offs between economics and the environment, including cost information in LCA is critical for advancing its use as an overall environmental decision‐making tool. This article outlines the current state of LCA methodology development, defines key life‐cycle cost assessment terms and concepts, and evaluates existing cost assessment techniques with the objective of building an integrated life‐cycle cost assessment tool.
Environmental management information systems: New tools for measuring performance
Authors: FitzGerald Chris
Published: February 2007

Successful implementation of environmental management information systems (EMIS) has become essential to the success of total quality environmental management (TQEM) programs. Effective TQEM programs will be early indicators of which companies survive and thrive in today's competitive business environment. Highly competitive industries such as chemicals, electronics, and oil and gas are becoming very effective in cooperating to develop metrics, models, and tools that are based on business processes rather than regulatory edicts. Now electric power companies, newly exposed to market competition, are starting to develop and implement these metrics, standards, and tools. That industry provides a model for joining TQEM and EMIS.
Life‐cycle assessment: A survey of current implementation
Authors: Gloria Thomas , Saad Theodore , Breville Magalie , O'Connell Michael
Published: February 2007

Life‐Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an analytical tool that evaluates the environmental consequences of a product, process, or activity across its entire life cycle. LCA is used internationally by government and industry to obtain a comprehensive perspective of the interactions between an activity and the environment and provides a method to systematically identify opportunities for improvement. The framework is integrated into environmental management programs motivated by market awareness, public perception, and cost savings. The use of LCA is driven by external forces such as eco‐labels and the recent development of the ISO 14000 standards. However, LCA has many shortcomings that need to be addressed. The concerns of poor data quality, data availability, high implementation costs, subjectivity, and lack of standardization have sent LCA into a state of flux.

In light of the recent surge of interest in LCA, the authors of this article have conducted a corporate survey that targets the implementation of LCA. Their goal is to determine the level of activity of LCA among known practitioners and to elucidate common themes. This article presents their findings from responses by 34 companies that were known to be actively involved in LCA or contemplating its future use.
Applying a TQM framework to the public policy process: Part I—the framework
Authors: Wever Grace H.
Published: February 2007

In Part I of this article, a TQM framework is described that can be used to analyze as well as manage the public policy process. Key elements of the framework include leadership, issues analysis, goal and policy development, strategic vehicles, implementation, indicators and outcomes, and stakeholder review. The framework can be used to analyze public policy cycles, predict future issues and outcomes, and develop more sustainable approaches to manage linked economic, environmental, and societal issues. In Part II, the framework is used to examine the effectiveness of management of environmental issues in the Great Lakes region over the past three decades and to demonstrate the need for a more integrated approach to regional management.
Part II—a case study of the Great Lakes
Authors: Wever Grace H.
Published: February 2007

The Great Lakes region has a wealth of natural resources, including a system of five large lakes with 20 percent of the world's surface freshwater. A century and a half of municipal, industrial, and agricultural expansion has created a variety of environmental pressures. A 1972 landmark agreement between the United States and Canada committed both countries to an ecosystem‐based approach to management and a strategy of virtually eliminating toxic chemical inputs. Over the past few decades, significant investments were made to address the region's environmental health. More recent strategies, however, were developed without adequate consideration of their economic and social impacts. Using the quality‐based framework described in Part I of this article, this case study shows that the region has moved from crisis management to a more proactive, anticipatory approach.
Reengineering the environmental function: Making tough decisions
Authors: Iannuzzi Al
Published: February 2007

The process outlined in this article includes tools that can be used to achieve the efficiencies necessary for effective reengineering. This process can help ensure that management will not just cut out resources and expect the same services performed the same way. Environmental professionals will be able to show in black and white what their objectives are and what will and will not be done as a result of reengineering.
How regulations impact innovative environmental technologies: A recent case study
Authors: Knight C. Foster
Published: February 2007

The White House Conference on Environmental Technology, held December 12–14, 1994, is the most recent of many events building toward a national environmental technology strategy, which President Clinton will announce on April 22, 1995, the 25th anniversary of Earth Day. Promoting innovation and eliminating barriers to new environmental technologies are important issues in developing this strategy. Anticipating these developments, EPA launched its own Technology Innovation Strategy in early 1994. EPA's strategy explicitly calls for strengthening incentives for technology innovation within regulatory, policy, and enforcement programs. In this light, it is worthwhile to look at a recent case study showing how regulations impact innovative environmental technologies, particularly because there appears to be a gathering political sentiment for deeper regulatory reform.
The environmental auditing privilege debate: Disclosure, compliance, and legislative issues
Authors: McCreary Jean H.
Published: February 2007

This article discusses the primary arguments advanced in the debate in favor of and against the adoption of a qualified privilege to protect audit findings and explores various alternative incentives for promoting the practice of environmental health and safety auditing and for encouraging voluntary disclosure of audit findings to the regulators. This article also examines whether establishing a privilege provides the greatest motivation to auditing and disclosure, particularly in the context of EPA's recent reevaluation of its policy on auditing.