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Position Statement on Environmental Management Systems (EMSs)

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

  [Federal Register: February 2, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 22)]
[Notices]
[Page 5664-5665]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02fe06-43]

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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,

[[Page 5665]]

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]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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