Introduction to a Chesapeake Bay-Focused Environmental Management System

Transcription

1 Introduction to a Chesapeake Bay-Focused Environmental Management System Version 1.0 June 25, 2004 Prepared For: Organizations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed who are implementing environmental management systems and who are committed to contributing to Chesapeake Bay restoration Prepared By: Greg Allen, EMS Coordinator, Toxics Coordinator USEPA Region 3, Chesapeake Bay Program Office allen.greg@epa.gov

2 Table of Contents Page Introduction and Objectives 2 A View of the Seventeen Elements of an EMS 3 Quick Reference Sheets Element 1: Environmental Policy 4 Element 2: Environmental Aspects 5 Element 3: Legal and Other Requirements 6 Element 4: Objectives and Targets 7 Element 5: Environmental Management Programs 8 Element 6: Structure and Responsibility 9 Element 7: Training Awareness and Competence 10 Element 8: Communication 11 Element 9: EMS Documentation 12 Element 10: Document Control 13 Element 11: Operational Control 14 Element 12: Emergency Preparedness and Response 15 Element 13: Monitoring and Measurement 16 Element 14: Nonconformance and Corrective and Preventive Action 17 Element 15: Records 18 Element 16: EMS Audit 19 Element 17: Management Review 20 References 21 Appendix 1 - Chesapeake 2000 Appendix 2 - Toxics 2000 Appendix 3 - Environmental Policy Statement Chesapeake Bay Program Office Appendix 4 - Chesapeake Bay Chemicals of Concern Appendix 5 - Worksheet for Determining Significant Aspects and Objectives/Targets Appendix 6 - Example Goals from Toxics 2000 and Chesapeake 2000 to Consider When Setting Objectives and Targets Appendix 7 - Example Goals from Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategies and Tributary Strategy References Appendix 8 - Environmental Management Program Form ISO14001: Management Review 4.5 Checking and Corrective Actions Continual Improvement 4.2 Policy 4.3 Planning 4.4 Implementation and Operation CBPO July 2004 Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 1

3 Introduction and Objectives Using an environmental management system as an organizational framework for identifying, planning, and continually improving the management of environmental issues is becoming increasingly popular. Organizations of all types are realizing the value that is delivered by proactive and comprehensive environmental management systems (EMS) 1. This training course is intended to achieve the following: Provide an overview of the elements of an EMS according to ISO 14001:1996, the international consensus standard for environmental management systems Describe possible approaches to designing EMS elements so that watershed priorities are reflected in EMS activities and environmental performance-improvement goals Present tools and techniques that will assist EMS teams with communicating EMS value and affecting change within their organizations Our hope is that by the end of the course, participants will understand the potential that the EMS approach has to focus resources on high-priority local environmental issues such as protection of a valuable watershed. This course will focus on the international standard for EMS - ISO 14001:1996. This standard was developed by the International Organization for Standardization. For an overview of the mission and procedures of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and information on how to purchase ISO standards, go to ISO is the dominant standard for EMS throughout the world. Tens of thousands of organizations across the globe have adopted the ISO approach 2 and many are realizing a positive return on the investment that EMS implementation requires. It is possible to customize an EMS so that an organization s environmental management activities contribute to solving local environmental issues. In this course, we will use Chesapeake Bay restoration to demonstrate how an EMS can integrate local environmental priorities. The watershed restoration efforts of the Chesapeake Bay Program are guided by several federal/state executive level agreements including Chesapeake 2000 and Toxics 2000 (see Appendices 1 and 2). These agreements state specific goals for Bay restoration and provide many environmental performance commitments that can be targeted through an organization s EMS. Note: The words that appear in the ISO Requirements section of the Quick Reference pages of this course book are paraphrases of the ISO 14001:1996 standard. They are presented to give the participants an overview of the requirements and are not presented as complete text from ISO 14001:1996. Users of this information should refer to ISO 14001:1996 for the full text. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 2

4 A View of the Seventeen Key Elements of an ISO EMS Environmental Management System: The part of the overall management system that includes organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy. (ISO 14001:1996) The ISO standard contains seventeen individual subsections, or requirements, that all work together to comprehensively manage environmental issues and deliver on the commitments and aspirations made by top management in an environmental policy statement. The standard presents the requirements in chronological order and the expectation is that the steps are repeated as an iterative process. The environmental management systems approach is a continual cycle based on Shewhart s Plan-Do-Check- Act philosophy 3 that will lead to continual improvement of environmental management across the organization when properly implemented. Figure 1 - Diagram of ISO Requirements (subsections) Start 17. Management Review 1. Environmental Policy 13. Monitoring and Measurement 14. Nonconformance and Corrective and Preventive Action 15. Records 16. EMS Audit 2. Environmental Aspects 3. Legal and Other Requirements 4. Objectives and Targets 5. Environmental Management Programs 6. Structure and Responsibility 7. Training Awareness and Competence 8. Communication 9. EMS Documentation 10. Document Control 11. Operational Control 12. Emergency Preparedness and Response In the quick reference pages that follow, more detail is presented on the specific requirements of the seventeen elements of an EMS as well as possible approaches to customizing the elements to focus on Chesapeake Bay restoration goals. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 3

5 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 1 Environmental Policy (Plan, 4.2) ISO Requirement Top management shall define the organization s environmental policy and ensure that it is appropriate to the nature and scale... of activities, products, or services includes commitments to continual improvement, pollution prevention and compliance with environmental legislation, regulations and other requirements provides a framework for setting objectives and targets is documented, implemented and maintained and communicated to all employees is available to the public. Purpose - The environmental policy serves as a launching point for EMS implementation. It is an early demonstration by top management of the organization s top-level commitment to environmental excellence. The policy becomes a contract between top management and the entire organization. The EMS implementation team is responsible for designing a system that fulfills the commitments stated in the policy. Examples - See Appendix 3 for an example Environmental Policy Statement Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus When drafting the Environmental Policy, consider including language that ties the organization s EMS to the executive-level goals of the Chesapeake Bay Program, e.g., Chesapeake 2000 and/or Toxics 2000 (Appendices 1 and 2). This will establish Bay restoration goals as other requirements to which the organization subscribes (ISO section 4.3.2). Include words that focus pollution prevention activities on Chesapeake Bay Chemicals of Concern (Appendix 4). The basis for stewardship commitments can be stated in terms of contributing to Chesapeake Bay restoration. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 4

6 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 2 Environmental Aspects (Plan, 4.3.1) ISO Requirement - establish a procedure to identify environmental aspects in order to determine those which have or can have significant impacts on the environment. ensure that the aspects related to these significant impacts are considered in setting environmental objectives keep this information up-to-date. Purpose - Environmental aspects form the backbone of the EMS. The significant aspects that are determined will substantially shape the scope and focus of the EMS. It is the significant aspects for which ISO requires the development of improvement goals (i.e., objectives and targets) and management programs. The organization sets its own criteria for determining which environmental aspects are significant. This requires an assessment of the scale of environmental impacts among all of the organization s environmental aspects. Those aspects with the largest impacts should become the significant aspects. Activity, Aspect, Impact Analysis Activity Environmental Aspects Environmental Impacts Laboratory activities Waste Generation Air Emissions Land disposal leachates VOCs released Grounds Maintenance Stormwater Air Emissions/Exhaust Pollutants into storm sewer Atmospheric deposition Maintaining office space Electricity consumption Paper consumption NOx, SOx, mercury Waste disposal Example Significance Criteria Scale of impact Legal requirement Stakeholder concerns/complaints Release of Bay Chemicals of Concern * Affects water quality in Chesapeake tributary * *Bay-focused significance criteria Examples - In Appendix 5 we have provided a worksheet to demonstrate the outcome of analyzing an organization s activities to determine significant aspects including significance criteria that reflect Chesapeake Bay concerns. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Establish aspect significance criteria that reflect Chesapeake Bay Chemicals of Concern released in the Bay watershed Establish significance criteria that reflect other impacts to water quality, e.g. sediment runoff Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 5

7 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 3 Legal and Other Requirements (Plan, 4.3.2) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain a procedure to identify and have access to legal and other requirements to which the organization subscribes, that are applicable to environmental aspects Purpose The standard addresses compliance with legal and other requirements in several ways. First, it requires a commitment to compliance in the environmental policy statement, the document against which the effectiveness of the EMS is tested over time. Second, in this sub-section, it requires a written procedure describing how the organization identifies the regulatory and other requirements that are in effect at any given time. The term other requirements refers to any non-regulatory requirements such as voluntary programs, trade association criteria, executive orders, etc. Also, as we will see later, legal and other requirements are to be considered when setting environmental improvement goals (i.e., objectives and targets). Last, as with all elements of the system, the procedure for maintaining access to legal and other requirements and the organization s ability to maintain compliance, are checked during the internal audit. All of these requirements are meant to ensure that there is a high level of awareness and action related to compliance with legal and other requirements. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which documents the details of legal and other requirements that apply to a single aspect. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Identify Chesapeake Bay executive-level strategy documents (e.g., Chesapeake 2000 and Toxics 2000) as other requirements to which the organization subscribes. Use words that do not strictly limit the organization to achieve the quantitative goals stated in these documents since they are Bay-wide goals. Create a registry of legal and other requirements that are specific to each significant aspect. Include Chesapeake Bay Program directives as other requirements. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 6

8 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 4 Objectives and Targets (Plan, 4.3.3) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain documented environmental objectives and targets consider the legal and other requirements significant environmental aspects, technological options, and financial, operational, business requirements, and the views of interested parties objectives and targets shall be consistent with the environmental policy Purpose Objectives and targets are two of the EMS elements that formalize the continual improvement ethic within the EMS. Objectives are broad, long-term environmental goals and targets are the incremental steps or short-term goals that will lead to achievement of the objectives. Although it is most common for organizations to determine objectives and targets for each significant environmental aspect, it is also likely that not all objectives and targets can be completed at the same time. The expectation is that with the involvement of top management the organization will pursue as many objectives and targets as possible, and hopefully those that create the greatest environmental performance improvements. Examples - There are many opportunities to link EMS objectives and targets to the goals stated in the Chesapeake Bay executive-level strategy documents (e.g., Chesapeake 2000 and Toxics 2000) and/or the tributary-specific strategies that are being developed by the states in the Bay watershed. There are a number of quantitative and non-quantitative statements in these documents that provide excellent starting points for discussions on objectives and targets. In Appendix 6 and 7 we have provided tables that highlight some of the specific goals that organizations can consider when setting objectives and targets. See Appendix 5 for examples of objectives and targets with a bay focus. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus When setting objectives and targets, set quantitative targets that contribute to achieving the goals within Chesapeake 2000 and Toxics Focus on chemicals of concern when considering which constituents to target for chemical release reductions. Other priority areas include stormwater (e.g., sediment) control, stream buffers, and maintaining forested areas. Contact local watershed group to ask for input on objectives and targets as part of considering the views of interested parties. Consider local watershed management plans and/or tributary strategy allocations when setting targets. Set targets that relate to your organization becoming a mentor for others in your industry share your successes. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 7

9 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 5 Environmental Management Programs (Plan, 4.3.4) ISO Requirement establish and maintain programs for achieving objectives and targets including designation of responsibility means and time frame by which they are to be achieved if project relates to new developments and new activities, programs shall be amended to ensure environmental management is applied Purpose - When constructing and documenting management programs, we are focusing on how we manage our significant environmental aspects today and how we will endeavor to improve our management over time. Through the management program, we allocate resources and designate those individuals who are responsible for environmental management on a daily basis. We will also describe the resource allocation that will support the achievement of objectives and targets. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which documents the details of a management program. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Demonstrate commitment to Bay restoration goals by allocating resources to achieve objectives and targets that have been focused on Bay priorities. Clearly state the individuals responsible for completing targets and get management buy-in on time frames and level of effort. Document and get credit for the procedures, controls, and other resources that you currently employ to control environmental impacts that could harm the Bay. Create tools for reviewing the environmental impacts of new projects. Add criteria that focus pre-project planning on environmental aspects and impacts that most affect the bay. Minimize impacts by reviewing alternatives early in the planning process. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 8

10 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 6 Structure and Responsibility (Do, 4.4.1) ISO Requirement Roles, responsibility, and authorities shall be defined, documented and communicated in order to facilitate effective environmental management. Management shall provide resources essential to the environmental management system. Resources include human resources, technology, and financial top management shall appoint a management representative who shall have responsibility and authority for ensuring the environmental management system is implemented and maintained and reporting on the performance of the environmental management system to top management for review Purpose - Clearly establishing and documenting responsibilities raises the level of environmental accountability throughout the organization. The goal is to document current responsibilities for day-to-day environmental control, as well as those responsible at the system level for keeping the EMS in continual improvement mode. Responsibilities that must be established are at both the activity level (e.g. who is responsible for ensuring that the grease trap has been inspected and cleared as necessary on a regular basis?), and at the system level (e.g., who is responsible for leading the EMS team and planning the annual management review?). After responsibilities have been documented, we have the basis for determining the need for ongoing training do those who are responsible know they are responsible and are they competent? Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which documents EMS responsibilities. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Designating and documenting responsibilities for completion of objectives and targets that have been focused on Bay priorities is demonstration of a commitment to the Bay. Assign a member of the EMS Team the responsibility of interfacing with the Chesapeake Bay Program and communicating the latest knowledge on Bay priorities back to the organization. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 9

11 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 7 Training, Awareness and Competence (Do, 4.4.2) ISO Requirement The organization shall identify training needs require that all personnel whose work may create a significant environmental impact have received appropriate training make its employees at each relevant function and level aware of the importance of conformance with policy and procedures significant environmental aspects of their work and the benefits of improved personal performance roles and responsibilities in achieving conformance with the environmental policy and procedures the potential consequences of departure from specified operating procedures. Personnel performing the tasks that can cause significant environmental impacts shall be competent on the basis of appropriate education, training and/or experience. Purpose - Following the previous requirement of designating responsibility, we must ensure that those that are responsible for environmental management activities have received appropriate training and have been determined to be competent. This is perhaps most important at the activity level where individuals must be properly trained on equipment that, if used improperly, could lead to environmental harm. However, this is also important from a general EMS awareness perspective. Only when the entire organization is aware of the aspirations expressed in the environmental policy statement and in objectives and targets will they be able to effectively offer their know-how and ideas to support continual improvement of the management system. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which documents the details of competence and training for a single aspect. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Pay close attention to activity-level training where deviation from procedure could lead to a direct and uncontrolled release within the watershed. Establish a new employee orientation plan that includes an EMS overview and explicit mention of the commitment to Bay protection. Raise awareness by creating a contest among organizational units for creation of P2 projects that reduce the release of Bay chemicals of concern. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 10

12 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 8 Communication (Do, 4.4.3) ISO Requirement With regard to its environmental aspects and environmental management system, the organization shall establish and maintain a procedure for internal communication between the various levels and functions receiving, documenting, and responding to external interested parties. Consider processes for external communication on its significant environmental aspects Purpose - This requirement has us consider how information relevant to environmental management will be disseminated throughout the organization and how we will communicate externally. It addresses both specific activity-level communications as well as management system level communications. If a set point on a piece of equipment were to require a change because a new operational procedure had been established, the operators of the equipment must be informed. How will this be accomplished? If a neighbor of our facility has a concern about an environmental attribute of the facility operations, how will that information be communicated to the EMS Team and top management so they can consider how to address the concern? This requirement also has us consider the extent to which we will communicate actions we are taking relative to our significant environmental aspects. The goal should be to communicate as much as possible regarding environmental performance without compromising trade secrets or divulging otherwise sensitive information. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Pay close attention to activity-level communications where new information could lead to a change in the performance of processes that could potentially impact the Bay. Practice communication procedures for emergency events (e.g., spills) to minimize releases to the environment. Highlight environmental performance improvements that contribute to Bay priorities in communications pieces, the annual environmental report, and web sites Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 11

13 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 9 EMS Documentation (Do, 4.4.4) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain information in paper or electronic form to describe the core elements of the management system and their interaction provide direction to related documents Purpose - ISO mandates written documentation (whether paper or electronic) within the EMS to minimize possible negative impact of hearsay and secondhand information, which could lead to deviation from procedures and environmental harm. Many organizations that implement EMS will create an EMS Manual to describe the core elements of the system and how they flow during the continual improvement cycle. The manual is also a central document that can point to other important EMS documents such as system-level procedures, activity-level procedures, and records. There may be safety documents such as an Occupant Emergency Plan or a Chemical Hygiene Plan that contain important directives that relate to environmental performance (e.g., safe handling and spill cleanup procedures). The EMS Manual should describe all of the documents that contain environmental information. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which presents a detailed list of records that pertain to a specific aspect. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Join Businesses for the Bay and put the B4B logo on your EMS Manual! Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 12

14 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 10 Document Control (Do, 4.4.5) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain procedures for maintaining all documents to ensure that they can be located they are periodically reviewed current versions of relevant documents at all locations where operations essential to the effective functioning of the environmental management system are performed obsolete documents are promptly removed obsolete documents that are retained are properly identified. Documentation shall be legible maintained in an orderly manner and retained for a specific period. Procedures and responsibilities shall be established and maintained concerning the creation and modification of the various types of documents. Purpose - The obvious purpose of this requirement is to ensure that only documents that are in-effect are available to members of the organization. This avoids the potential environmental harm that could result from using written procedures that are obsolete. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which includes a document control number. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Not applicable Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 13

15 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 11 Operational Control (Do, 4.4.6) ISO Requirement - identify those operations and activities that are associated with significant environmental aspects plan these activities, including maintenance, in order to ensure that they are carried out under specified conditions by establishing and maintaining documented procedures stipulating operating criteria in procedures and communicating relevant procedures and requirements to suppliers and contractors. Purpose - Operational controls are critically important to effective environmental management. In short, operational controls are all of the things that work collectively to control and minimize environmental impacts. They can range from policies and procedures such as written documents and memoranda of understanding between different groups in the organization to physical equipment that plays a role in controlling the environmental outcomes from a given process. The management of operational controls has a strong link to the responsibility and training/competence elements because we need to be certain that those individuals who are responsible for operational controls receive training and are competent to operate them. Lack of such tight coordination for operational controls could lead to uncontrolled releases to the environment. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which documents operational controls for one significant aspect. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Continually improve environmental performance by installing new operational controls. When making investment decisions for environmental controls, weight those that contribute to Bay priorities most favorably. Inventory all operational controls and review those that could release chemicals of concern. Carefully maintain these controls. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 14

16 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 12 Emergency Preparedness and Response (Do, 4.4.7) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain a procedure to identify potential for and respond to accidents and emergency situations, and for preventing and mitigating the environmental impacts review and revise, where necessary, its emergency preparedness and response procedures, in particular, after the occurrence of accidents or emergency situations periodically test such procedures where practicable. Purpose - Substantial environmental harm can result from unplanned and uncontrolled releases that result from emergencies. This EMS element requires thoughtful planning (and practice where possible) of containment procedures that will be undertaken in the event of an emergency such as a chemical spill or fire. Often, emergency plans and procedures are captured in health and safety documents (e.g. Occupant Emergency Plan, Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Plan), which are referred to by the EMS Manual. The goal is to protect the employees during an emergency and to contain and minimize to the extent possible harm to the environment. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus When designing emergency containment procedures, place special emphasis on pathways that would allow spills and other emergencies to effect local water conditions. Emergency scenarios can be reviewed while considering their potential for releasing Bay Chemicals of Concern. Those that have such a potential can receive special consideration for emergency response and mitigation. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 15

17 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 13 Monitoring and Measurement (Check, 4.5.1) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain documented procedures to monitor and measure, on a regular basis, the key characteristics of its operations and activities that can have a significant impact on the environment include the recording of information to track performance, relevant operational controls and conformance with objectives and targets. Monitoring equipment shall be calibrated and maintained establish and maintain a documented procedure for periodically evaluating compliance Purpose - This element ensures that data is available to indicate that proper procedures are being followed (e.g., operational controls and the calibration of equipment) and to indicate trends in overall environmental performance. The results of monitoring and measuring are to be used by the EMS Team and top management to judge whether the system is effective. Likewise, the data will be used by auditors to determine whether the organization has allocated sufficient resources through its management programs to fulfill its objectives and targets. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which documents monitoring and measuring for one significant aspect. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Review monitoring and measuring opportunities for processes that involve Chemicals of Concern. Monitor the need for maintenance of operational controls. Develop indicators that will be used to track performance of significant environmental aspects. Include Bay indicators where possible. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 16

18 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 14 Nonconformance and Preventive and Corrective Action (Check, 4.5.2) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain procedures for defining responsibility and authority for handling and investigating nonconformance, taking action to mitigate any impacts caused and for initiating and completing corrective and preventive action action taken to eliminate the causes of actual or potential nonconformances shall be appropriate to the magnitude of problems and commensurate with the environmental impact implement and record any changes in documented procedures Purpose - There are two distinctly different requirements in this element - corrective actions for procedural nonconformances that have occurred, and preventive actions for those environmental incidences that could occur. The standard suggests an analysis of the causes of nonconformances and prompts us to consider changes to procedures as necessary to prevent future reoccurrence of the nonconformance. If done properly, this will allow the organization to learn from identified nonconformance and will provide opportunities to demonstrate continual improvement through corrective and preventive action. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Place special emphasis on speedy corrective actions when they are involved with processes that involve chemicals of concern. Establish a reward system for employees that pursue preventive actions that minimize the release of chemicals of concern. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 17

19 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 15 Records (Check, 4.5.3) ISO Requirement -... establish and maintain procedures for the identification, maintenance and disposal of environmental records.. include training records and the results of audits legible, identifiable and traceable to the activity, product or service involved.. stored and maintained in such a way that they are readily retrievable retention times established and recorded. Purpose - Records are auditable evidence that the organization is doing what it says it will do elsewhere in the EMS documentation. Examples - See Appendix 8 for an example of an Environmental Management Program Form, which documents records for one significant aspect. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus EMS records can be objective evidence of the Bay focus of the EMS. Specific opportunities to reflect the Bay orientation can include awareness training materials, EMS Team minutes, audit results and corrective actions, monitoring and measuring results, management review minutes, etc. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 18

20 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 16 EMS Audit (Check, 4.5.4) ISO Requirement - establish and maintain a program and procedure for periodic environmental management system audits in order to determine whether the system conforms to this international standard has been properly implemented and maintained provide information on the results of audits to management audit program shall be based on the environmental importance of the activity concerned and the results of previous audits Purpose - The audit requirement provides feedback that the organization will use for verification of the utility of environmental management initiatives and the overall well being of the EMS. Normally this takes the form of an internal, first-party audit by individuals that have been trained to perform EMS audits. The observations made by auditors who have not been members of the EMS Team provides another perspective on conformance with ISO and nearly always leads to improvements in the system through audit corrective actions. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus If the organization has included Bay priorities in its policy statement, the audit will check that there are objectives and targets and management programs in place that support the policy commitment. Results of the audit will indicate whether the Bay priorities have been engrained in the system and are considered when making environmental management decisions. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 19

21 Chesapeake Bay-Focused EMS Quick Reference Element 17 Management Review (Act, 4.6) ISO Requirement - top management shall review the environmental management system to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness. The management review shall address the possible need for changes to policy, objectives and other elements of the environmental management system in light of the audit results, changing circumstances and the commitment to continual improvement. Purpose Management review is a formal process that engages top management in a critical review of the organization s ability to meet its environmental obligations and fulfill the commitments stated in the policy statement. It ensures that top management will periodically focus exclusively on environmental issues. It is an opportunity for the EMS to quantify environmental performance trends and present other data that indicates the value returned to the organization by the EMS. Suggestions for Chesapeake Bay Focus Present the results of performance monitoring to top management in terms of Bay indicators e.g., chemicals of concern replace/reduced, stormwater controls installed, sediment reduced, etc. Create an organizational Bay-environment scorecard and review the grade during each management review. Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 20

22 References 1 National Database on Environmental Management Systems Reinhard Peglau. Federal Environmental Agency Berlin, Germany. Regional Institute of Environmental Technology Walter A. Shewhart: Father of Statistical Quality Control. American Society for Quality Bay-Focused EMS Version 1.0 Page 21

23 Appendix 1 Chesapeake 2000 PREAMBLE CHESAPEAKE 2000 The Chesapeake Bay is North America s largest and most biologically diverse estuary, home to more than 3,600 species of plants, fish and animals. For more than 300 years, the Bay and its tributaries have sustained the region s economy and defined its traditions and culture. It is a resource of extraordinary productivity, worthy of the highest levels of protection and restoration. Accordingly, in 1983 and 1987, the states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government, signed historic agreements that established the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay s ecosystem. For almost two decades, we, the signatories to these agreements, have worked together as stewards to ensure the public s right to clean water and a healthy and productive resource. We have sought to protect the health of the public that uses the Bay and consumes its bounty. The initiatives we have pursued have been deliberate and have produced significant results in the health and productivity of the Bay s main stem, the tributaries, and the natural land and water ecosystems that compose the Chesapeake Bay watershed. While the individual and collective accomplishments of our efforts have been significant, even greater effort will be required to address the enormous challenges that lie ahead. Increased population and development within the watershed have created ever-greater challenges for us in the Bay s restoration. These challenges are further complicated by the dynamic nature of the Bay and the ever-changing global ecosystem with which it interacts. In order to achieve our existing goals and meet the challenges that lie ahead, we must reaffirm our partnership and recommit to fulfilling the public responsibility we undertook almost two decades ago. We must manage for the future. We must have a vision for our desired destiny and put programs into place that will secure it. To do this, there can be no greater goal in this recommitment than to engage everyone individuals, businesses, schools and universities, communities and governments in our effort. We must encourage all citizens of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to work toward a shared vision a system with abundant, diverse populations of living resources, fed by healthy streams and rivers, sustaining strong local and regional economies, and our unique quality of life. In affirming our recommitment through this new Chesapeake 2000, we recognize the importance of viewing this document in its entirety with no single part taken in isolation of the others. This Agreement reflects the Bay s complexity in that each action we take, like the elements of the Bay itself, is connected to all the others. This Agreement responds to the problems facing this magnificent ecosystem in a comprehensive, multifaceted way.

24 By this Agreement, we commit ourselves to nurture and sustain a Chesapeake Bay Watershed Partnership and to achieve the goals set forth in the subsequent sections. Without such a partnership, future challenges will not be met. With it, the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay will be ensured for generations to come. We commit to: LIVING RESOURCE PROTECTION AND RESTORATION The health and vitality of the Chesapeake Bay s living resources provide the ultimate indicator of our success in the restoration and protection effort. The Bay's fisheries and the other living resources that sustain them and provide habitat for them are central to the initiatives we undertake in this Agreement. We recognize the interconnectedness of the Bay's living resources and the importance of protecting the entire natural system. Therefore, we commit to identify the essential elements of habitat and environmental quality necessary to support the living resources of the Bay. In protecting commercially valuable species, we will manage harvest levels with precaution to maintain their health and stability and protect the ecosystem as a whole. We will restore passage for migratory fish and work to ensure that suitable water quality conditions exist in the upstream spawning habitats upon which they depend. Our actions must be conducted in an integrated and coordinated manner. They must be continually monitored, evaluated and revised to adjust to the dynamic nature and complexities of the Chesapeake Bay and changes in global ecosystems. To advance this ecosystem approach, we will broaden our management prospective from single-system to ecosystem functions and will expand our protection efforts by shifting from single-species to multi-species management. We will also undertake efforts to determine how future conditions and changes in the chemical, physical and biological attributes of the Bay will affect living resources over time. GOAL Restore, enhance and protect the finfish, shellfish and other living resources, their habitats and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries and provide for a balanced ecosystem. Oysters By 2010, achieve, at a minimum, a tenfold increase in native oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, based upon a 1994 baseline. By 2002, develop and implement a strategy to achieve this increase by using sanctuaries sufficient in size and distribution, aquaculture, continued disease research and disease-resistant management strategies, and other management approaches. Exotic Species In 2000, establish a Chesapeake Bay Program Task Force to: 1. Work cooperatively with the U.S. Coast Guard, the ports, the shipping industry, environmental interests and others at the national level to help establish and implement a national program designed to substantially reduce and, where possible, eliminate the introduction of non-native species carried in ballast water; and 2. By 2002, develop and implement an interim voluntary ballast water management program for the waters of the Bay and its tributaries. By 2001, identify and rank non-native, invasive aquatic and terrestrial species which are causing or have the potential to cause significant negative impacts to the Bay s aquatic ecosystem. By 2003, develop and implement management plans for those species deemed problematic to the restoration and integrity of the Bay s ecosystem. Fish Passage and Migratory and Resident Fish

25 By June 2002, identify the final initiatives necessary to achieve our existing goal of restoring fish passage for migratory fish to more than 1,357 miles of currently blocked river habitat by 2003 and establish a monitoring program to assess outcomes. By 2002, set a new goal with implementation schedules for additional migratory and resident fish passages that addresses the removal of physical blockages. In addition, the goal will address the removal of chemical blockages caused by acid mine drainage. Projects should be selected for maximum habitat and stock benefit. By 2002, assess trends in populations for priority migratory fish species. Determine tributaryspecific target population sizes based upon projected fish passage, and current and projected habitat available, and provide recommendations to achieve those targets. By 2003, revise fish management plans to include strategies to achieve target population sizes of tributary-specific migratory fish. Multi-species Management By 2004, assess the effects of different population levels of filter feeders such as menhaden, oysters and clams on Bay water quality and habitat. By 2005, develop ecosystem-based multi-species management plans for targeted species. By 2007, revise and implement existing fisheries management plans to incorporate ecological, social and economic considerations, multi-species fisheries management and ecosystem approaches. Crabs By 2001, establish harvest targets for the blue crab fishery and begin implementing complementary state fisheries management strategies Baywide. Manage the blue crab fishery to restore a healthy spawning biomass, size and age structure. VITAL HABITAT PROTECTION AND RESTORATION The Chesapeake Bay s natural infrastructure is an intricate system of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, linked to the landscapes and the environmental quality of the watershed. It is composed of the thousands of miles of river and stream habitat that interconnect the land, water, living resources and human communities of the Bay watershed. These vital habitats including open water, underwater grasses, marshes, wetlands, streams and forests support living resource abundance by providing key food and habitat for a variety of species. Submerged aquatic vegetation reduces shoreline erosion while forests and wetlands protect water quality by naturally processing the pollutants before they enter the water. Long-term protection of this natural infrastructure is essential. In managing the Bay ecosystem as a whole, we recognize the need to focus on the individuality of each river, stream and creek, and to secure their protection in concert with the communities and individuals that reside within these small watersheds. We also recognize that we must continue to refine and share information regarding the importance of these vital habitats to the Bay s fish, shellfish and waterfowl. Our efforts to preserve the integrity of this natural infrastructure will protect the Bay s waters and living resources and will ensure the viability of human economies and communities that are dependent upon those resources for sustenance, reverence and posterity. GOAL Preserve, protect and restore those habitats and natural areas that are vital to the survival and diversity of the living resources of the Bay and its rivers.

26 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Recommit to the existing goal of protecting and restoring 114,000 acres of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). By 2002, revise SAV restoration goals and strategies to reflect historic abundance, measured as acreage and density from the 1930s to the present. The revised goals will include specific levels of water clarity which are to be met in Strategies to achieve these goals will address water clarity, water quality and bottom disturbance. By 2002, implement a strategy to accelerate protection and restoration of SAV beds in areas of critical importance to the Bay s living resources. Watersheds By 2010, work with local governments, community groups and watershed organizations to develop and implement locally supported watershed management plans in two-thirds of the Bay watershed covered by this Agreement. These plans would address the protection, conservation and restoration of stream corridors, riparian forest buffers and wetlands for the purposes of improving habitat and water quality, with collateral benefits for optimizing stream flow and water supply. By 2001, each jurisdiction will develop guidelines to ensure the aquatic health of stream corridors. Guidelines should consider optimal surface and groundwater flows. By 2002, each jurisdiction will work with local governments and communities that have watershed management plans to select pilot projects that promote stream corridor protection and restoration. By 2003, include in the State of the Bay Report, and make available to the public, local governments and others, information concerning the aquatic health of stream corridors based on adopted regional guidelines. By 2004, each jurisdiction, working with local governments, community groups and watershed organizations, will develop stream corridor restoration goals based on local watershed management planning. Wetlands Achieve a no-net loss of existing wetlands acreage and function in the signatories regulatory programs. By 2010, achieve a net resource gain by restoring 25,000 acres of tidal and non-tidal wetlands. To do this, we commit to achieve and maintain an average restoration rate of 2,500 acres per year basin wide by 2005 and beyond. We will evaluate our success in Provide information and assistance to local governments and community groups for the development and implementation of wetlands preservation plans as a component of a locally based integrated watershed management plan. Establish a goal of implementing the wetlands plan component in 25 percent of the land area of each state s Bay watershed by The plans would preserve key wetlands while addressing surrounding land use so as to preserve wetland functions. Evaluate the potential impact of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay watershed, particularly with respect to its wetlands, and consider potential management options. Forests By 2002, ensure that measures are in place to meet our riparian forest buffer restoration goal of 2,010 miles by By 2003, establish a new goal to expand buffer mileage.

27 Conserve existing forests along all streams and shorelines. Promote the expansion and connection of contiguous forests through conservation easements, greenways, purchase and other land conservation mechanisms. WATER QUALITY PROTECTION AND RESTORATION Improving water quality is the most critical element in the overall protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. In 1987, we committed to achieving a 40 percent reduction in controllable nutrient loads to the Bay. In 1992, we committed to tributary-specific reduction strategies to achieve this reduction and agreed to stay at or below these nutrient loads once attained. We have made measurable reductions in pollution loading despite continuing growth and development. Still, we must do more. Recent actions taken under the Clean Water Act resulted in listing portions of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers as impaired waters. These actions have emphasized the regulatory framework of the Act along with the ongoing cooperative efforts of the Chesapeake Bay Program as the means to address the nutrient enrichment problems within the Bay and its rivers. In response, we have developed, and are implementing, a process for integrating the cooperative and statutory programs of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. We have agreed to the goal of improving water quality in the Bay and its tributaries so that these waters may be removed from the impaired waters list prior to the time when regulatory mechanisms under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act would be applied. We commit to achieve and maintain water quality conditions necessary to support living resources throughout the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Where we have failed to achieve established water quality goals, we will take actions necessary to reach and maintain those goals. We will make pollution prevention a central theme in the protection of water quality. And we will take actions that protect freshwater flow regimes for riverine and estuarine habitats. In pursuing the restoration of vital habitats throughout the watershed, we will continue efforts to improve water clarity in order to meet light requirements necessary to support SAV. We will expand our efforts to reduce sediments and airborne pollution, and ensure that the Bay is free from toxic effects on living resources and human health. We will continue our cooperative intergovernmental approach to achieve and maintain water quality goals through cost-effective and equitable means within the framework of federal and state law. We will evaluate the potential impacts of emerging issues, including, among others, airborne ammonia and nonpoint sources of chemical contaminants. Finally, we will continue to monitor water quality conditions and adjust our strategies accordingly. GOAL Achieve and maintain the water quality necessary to support the aquatic living resources of the Bay and its tributaries and to protect human health. Nutrients and Sediments Continue efforts to achieve and maintain the 40 percent nutrient reduction goal agreed to in 1987, as well as the goals being adopted for the tributaries south of the Potomac River. By 2010, correct the nutrient- and sediment-related problems in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries sufficiently to remove the Bay and the tidal portions of its tributaries from the list of impaired waters under the Clean Water Act. In order to achieve this: 1. By 2001, define the water quality conditions necessary to protect aquatic living resources and then assign load reductions for nitrogen and phosphorus to each major tributary;