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EPA New England College and University Integrated Strategy

Colleges and universities grapple with a myriad of environmental issues in order to protect the health of their communities and to comply with the law. This can be a complex task. Colleges and universities are analogues of small cities, performing many activities within their campus borders. These activities include:

Unlike the typical city, however, most colleges and universities have no central authority to coordinate their environmental practices. In addition, the environmental practices within one institution often differ between departments.

Beginning in 1999, multi-media inspections were performed by EPA as part of EPA New England’s College and University Initiative. Our inspections resulted in enforcement actions that were settled with penalties, injunctive relief, and Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs). These enforcement activities also triggered serious efforts by colleges and universities in the region to improve their compliance.

While our enforcement and assistance efforts succeeded in elevating environmental compliance as an issue of importance at colleges and universities, it did not appear that institutions were comprehensively improving their environmental performance. Additional approaches were employed through the Initiative to improve the sector’s understanding of environmental requirements, and to help them upgrade their compliance management practices.

A summary of the elements that were integrated into the different phases of the College & University Initiative:

Phase I - Regulatory Compliance
In Year One (1999) the Region convened focus groups and discussions with college and university Environmental Health & Safety staff to help EPA develop and disseminate tools and activities that would be tailored to their needs. These tools ranged from regulatory compliance workshops to the drafting of guidance documents. The focus of the first year was to identify barriers to compliance and develop a strategy to address those barriers. In 2000, the Region provided basic regulatory information through workshops and the creation of a website. The College and University website presents information on all three phases of the initiative and allows colleges and universities to obtain information tailored to their needs.

Phase II - Compliance and Environmental Measurement Tools
During Year 3, EPA used an Audit Initiative to encourage colleges and universities to voluntarily discover, disclose, and correct their violations. More than half (171) of the 331 college and university facilities in New England participated in this program.

The Region also developed an Environmental Management System (EMS) Guide tailored specifically to college and university activities. With a step-by-step approach, the EMS Guide helps colleges and universities design and implement an EMS in a streamlined, cost-effective manner. EPA New England, in partnership through an EPA grant with the University of Massachusetts - Lowell EMS Service Program (UML-EMS Service Program), provided training to assist colleges and universities in implementing and sustaining an EMS.

Phase III - Greening the Campus - Implementing Environmentally Sustainable Practices

The ultimate goals of the Strategy are to encourage colleges and universities to:

An increasing number of colleges and universities are implementing campus-wide sustainability initiatives and taking steps to reduce their environmental footprint. To help them reach these goals, the Region created a Best Management Practices (BMP) Catalog, updated in 2007, to present the stories of those colleges and universities that have adopted environmentally sustainable practices.

For more information:

Compliance Information

Audit Initiative

Environmental Management Systems

Best Management Catalog

Serving Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, & Tribal Nations

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