|
Environmental Management System on the
Horizon
By Mike Grissom
We all recognize that we can adversely impact both human health and the
environment if we don’t properly manage activities to protect the
environment, such as driving a smoke-belching vehicle or dumping
hazardous waste in a municipal sewer.
 |
|
Rich Cellamare is the staff
person for the EMS Working Group. (Photo by
Diana Rogers) |
The nation—and federal agencies including
the DOE in particular—was pointed in the direction of managing on-going
operations in an environment-friendly manner when the President signed
Executive Order 13148, ‘Greening the Government through Leadership in
Environmental Management,’ in 2000.
SLAC has been managing the environmental aspects of its operations for
many years by:
•Maintaining operations within permit requirements
•Establishing environmental goals with the DOE
•Improving the energy efficiency of operations
•Correcting problems that have or could have impacted environmental
quality
Executive Order 13148, however, requires all DOE contractors, including
SLAC, to establish an environmental management system (EMS) that shows
they are formally addressing those operations and activities that have a
significant impact on the environment and that objectives and targets
have been set to reduce those impacts.
In response, on March 8, 2004 the ES&H Coordinating Council approved an
EMS plan-of-action and the formation of an EMS working group (EMSWG) to
meet the requirement that SLAC have a DOE-verified EMS program in place
by December 31, 2005.
Core EMS Team
Since the latter part of 2001, a core EMS team has been reviewing
materials, undergoing training and considering the options for
development of a SLAC EMS. The team currently is comprised of:
•Butch Byers (EP), lead person for the Chemical Management System
project
•Rich Cellamare (EP), lead person for the Waste Minimization and
Pollution Prevention program
•Luda Fieguth (SEM), lead person for the Energy Efficiency program
•Mike Grissom (ES&H), lead person for ISMS and EMS
•Bill Kroutil, (ESD), Chair, Environmental Safety Committee
EMS Working Group
The EMSWG, formally announced to DOE by the Director on March 24,
includes the core EMS team as well as:
•Richard M. Boyce (SSRL)
•Rick Challman (BSD)
•Brian Choi (SSRL)
•Janice Dabney (TD)
•Frank King (RD)
•Elsa Nimmo (ESH)
•Sandy Pierson (RD)
•Michael Scharfenstein (ESH)
•Susan Witebsky (ESH)
Mike Grissom is the chair of the EMSWG and Rich Cellamare is the staff
person. Cellamare will essentially be performing the role that the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency calls the environmental coordinator,
which includes gathering documents, coordinating meeting agendas and
monitoring the project schedule.
Your Suggestions Encouraged
You are encouraged to contact any of the working group members with
ideas on how to make operations at SLAC more environmentally friendly.
In addition, a website is being developed. Suggestions for improving
this site will be carefully considered. See:
www.slac.stanford.edu/esh/isms/ems.htm
The Path Forward
Over the next several months the EMSWG will hold meetings at which
program managers will give presentations and operational activities will
be evaluated regarding their impacts on the environment and how these
can be further reduced.
Periodic articles in TIP and regular website updates will provide
details, including how individuals and managers can participate, and
report progress throughout the formal EMS development process. |
