[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 22 (Thursday, February 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5664-5665]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1423]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8026-5]
Position Statement on Environmental Management Systems (EMSs)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice is to inform the public that EPA has updated its
Position Statement on Environmental Management Systems (EMSs). This
updated statement replaces the 2002 Position Statement on EMS signed by
Administrator Whitman and reflects EPA's experiences to date with the
promotion of voluntary EMSs as well as our continued commitment to be a
leader in this area. The Position Statement explains EPA's policy on
EMSs and the Agency's intent to continue to promote the voluntary wide-
spread use of EMSs across a range of organizations and settings. EPA
encourages organizations to implement EMSs that result in improved
environmental performance and compliance, cost-savings, pollution
prevention through source reduction, and continual improvement.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shana Harbour 202-566-2959.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
During the past decade, public and private organizations have
increasingly adopted formal Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) to
address their environmental responsibilities. The most common framework
an EMS uses is the plan-do-check-act process, with the goal of
continual improvement. EMSs provide organizations of all types with a
structured system and approach for managing environmental and
regulatory responsibilities to improve overall environmental
performance and stewardship, including areas not subject to regulation
such as product design,
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resource conservation, energy efficiency, and other sustainable
practices. EMSs can also facilitate the integration of the full scope
of environmental considerations into the mission of the organization
and improve environmental performance by establishing a continual
process of checking to ensure environmental goals are set and met. A
well-designed EMS includes procedures for taking corrective action if
problems occur and encourages preventive action to avoid problems.
Over the last several years, EPA has been involved in a wide range
of voluntary activities to facilitate EMS adoption (see http://www.epa.gov/ems). EPA has learned through our work with other
organizations that EMSs can improve organizational efficiency and
competitiveness, provide an infrastructure for public communication and
engagement, and provide a platform to address other important issues
such as security. EMSs do not replace the need for regulatory and
enforcement programs, but they can complement them. Although EMSs
cannot guarantee any specific level of environmental performance, EPA
has learned that, when properly implemented, EMSs can help facilities
achieve significantly improved environmental results and other
benefits.
Using EMS as a Tool for Stewardship
EPA has developed EMSs at 34 of its own facilities in advance of
the December 31, 2005 deadline set forth in Executive Order 13148--
Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management.
EPA will continue to utilize its EMSs to reduce its environmental
footprint and to help lead the Agency's environmental stewardship
efforts.
EPA will continue to encourage organizations to design and
implement EMSs that improve compliance, prevent pollution, and
integrate other means of improving environmental performance. EPA is
also leading research designed to evaluate the effectiveness of EMSs in
various settings and integrating EMSs into more of its own programs. We
are evaluating which EMS elements and applications are most effective
and how these management systems might be used to strengthen
environmental programs and policies. This includes the ongoing efforts
to assess the potential financial benefits of EMS adoption and to
assess whether EMSs should play any role in the design of regulatory
and permitting programs.
Statement of Principles
EPA's overall policy on EMSs, as with the EMS approach itself, will
continue to be guided by the principles of continual improvement and
learning, flexibility, and collaboration.
EPA will encourage widespread use of EMSs across a range
of organizations and settings, with particular emphasis on adoption of
EMSs to achieve improved environmental performance and compliance,
pollution prevention through source reduction, and continual
improvement. The Agency will support EMSs that are appropriate to the
needs and characteristics of specific sectors and facilities and
encourage the use of EMSs as a means of integrating other facility
management programs.
EPA will promote the voluntary adoption of EMSs. To
encourage voluntary adoption of EMSs, EPA will rely on public education
and voluntary programs.
EPA will encourage organizations that use EMSs to obtain
stakeholder input on matters relevant to the development and
implementation of an EMS and to demonstrate accountability for the
performance outcomes of their EMSs through measurable objectives and
targets. Additionally, the Agency will encourage organizations to share
information on the performance of their EMSs with public and government
agencies and facilitate this process where practicable.
EPA will encourage the use of recognized environmental
management frameworks, such as the ISO 14001 Standard, as a basis for
designing and implementing EMSs that aim to achieve outcomes aligned
with the nation's environmental policy goals and the principles of this
Position Statement.
EPA will collaborate with other key partners--including
states, other Federal agencies, tribes, local governments, industry,
and non-governmental organizations--as it implements this policy. EPA
will support international EMS initiatives that facilitate the
increased use of EMSs in the United States. The Agency will ensure that
as it implements this policy, its decisions and work are transparent to
all interested parties.
EPA will lead by example, by developing, implementing, and
maintaining EMSs at appropriate EPA facilities.
EPA will foster continual learning by supporting research
and public dialogue on EMSs that help improve the Agency's
understanding of circumstances where EMSs can advance the nation's
environmental policy goals. EPA will continue to collect improved data
on the application of EMSs as it becomes available, including the
efficacy of EMSs in improving environmental performance and the costs
and benefits of an EMS to an organization and the environment.
Dated: December 13, 2005.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-1423 Filed 2-1-06; 8:45 am]
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