Environmental Management System (EMS) Brochure

Feb. 2010 Page 1 of 6 1. Course Objectives a. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to: i. Recognize the importance of an Environmental Management System (EMS), ii. Identify how the Laboratory uses the EMS, iii. Determine your EMS responsibilities, iv. Recognize how your work interacts with the environment, v. Identify ways you can help improve the Laboratory’s environmental performance and prevent pollution, and vi. Locate EMS information and resources. 2. The Laboratory Has a Governing Policy That Focuses on the Environment The Laboratory expects its workforce to: ? Be responsible stewards of the environment, ? Comply with environmental laws and regulations, ? Prevent pollution, and ? Reduce the impacts of its work on the environment. 3. Why Is an EMS important? a. An Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a systematic approach to: i. Understand how your work impacts the environment, ii. Prioritize the risks posed by these impacts, iii. Control your work activities so that their impacts are minimized, and iv. Continually reduce the impacts of your work on the environment. Feb. 2010 Page 2 of 6 4. EMS Supports ISMS EMS supports ISMS using the ISO 14001 elements and steps. 5. EMS at the Laboratory a. Every year, the Laboratory commits to specific environmental objectives. b. Every year, Directorates develop Environmental Action Plans to help the Laboratory meet its objectives. c. Directorates track progress toward the Laboratory’s targets and objectives. 6. Your EMS Responsibilities a. Actively participate in the Laboratory’s EMS by: i. Understanding the Laboratory’s Governing Environmental Policy, ii. Reading your Directorate’s Environmental Action Plan, (View the Environmental Action Plan online at http://hsrasweb.lanl.gov/emsdb/org_list_public.asp) iii. Recognizing how your work interacts with the environment and how you can prevent pollution and have a positive influence, and iv. Being a responsible environmental steward. Feb. 2010 Page 3 of 6 Table 1. Everyone’s Work Impacts the Environment Aspect Category Examples 1. Hazardous and Radiological Materials and Chemical-related e.g.: packaged chemicals ? Procurement, use and storage of industrial and laboratory chemicals ? Packaging and transportation of chemicals, and hazardous or radioactive materials ? Procurement, use and storage of hazardous materials such as explosives, beryllium, paint, aerosols, fuels, oils and lead ? Storage of fuels, chemicals or hazardous materials in tanks ? Use and operation of fueling stations ? Use of green chemistry, green products, substitution of less toxic materials, and buying only what is needed for the job 2. Waste-related e.g.: solid waste sorting ? Pre-planning to minimize waste ? Generation and management of solid, sanitary, hazardous, mixed and radioactive waste (e.g. trash, sanitary wastewater, chemicals or paint, radioactive electronic equipment, and low level waste) ? Operation of waste management and storage areas or facilities ? Management or storage of wastes in tanks ? Disposal of RCRA regulated items including bulbs, batteries, uninterrupted power systems (UPS), and canned air ? Disposal of high risk items (e.g. computers, laptops, office equipment with memory) ? Recycling of paper, wood, clean metal, plastics, aluminum cans, construction materials ? Reuse of equipment, furnishings, and other items ? Packaging and transportation of wastes ? Use of “green is clean” practices and segregation of wastes ? Procurement of green products and products with recycled content ? Practicing waste reduction through efficient use of resources and procurement of green and recycled-content products ? Do not bring unnecessary items into radiological areas 3. Water-related e.g.: surface and storm water ? Surface water and waste water - Construction, excavation and other ground disturbance activities require permitting and specific measures regarding surface and storm water ? All water discharges from your site require a review and possibly a permit to discharge ? Hazardous chemicals (pouring chemical down drains can result in detrimental affects to the sanitary waste-water treatment plant, negative impacts to the ground water, and is very costly to clean up) ? Groundwater and wetlands – interactions with drinking water supply; or operations within or near floodplains or wetlands ? Sanitary waste water treatment ? Water conservation and maintenance of faucets and showers to eliminate leaks Feb. 2010 Page 4 of 6 4. NEPA and Cultural-related e.g.: endangered species ? Wildlife and biological hazards (special provisions required when working near endangered species’ habitat) ? Species of ecological, social or cultural significance ? Improperly secured trash attracts wildlife ? Old buildings, historic sites and equipment ? Large structures obstructing the view of natural vistas and sites of cultural significance 5. Air-related e.g.: vehicle emissions ? Airnet stations used to measure ambient levels of radioactive particulates and tritium in the environment ? Diesel generator (be sure to find out if you will need an air quality permit to operate) ? Beryllium Test Facility stack (TA-3, Bldg-141) used for performance testing of stack systems ? Windblown construction and excavation dust ? Operation of motor vehicles ? Carpooling, use of more fuel efficient vehicles and use of alternative fuel vehicles 7. Reducing Environmental Impacts a. The Laboratory is committed to preventing pollution and improving environmental performance in the following areas: i. Integrated compliance improvement – environment, safety, and security; ii. Reducing waste; iii. Conserving energy and fuel; iv. Conducting cleanout activities; and v. Achieving zero liquid discharge by 2012. b. You are responsible for supporting your Directorate’s environmental objectives as described in the Environmental Action Plan. (View the Environmental Action Plan online at http://hsrasweb.lanl.gov/emsdb/org_list_public.asp) 8. You Can Help a. Be a responsible steward of the environment i. Use resources wisely; turn off unneeded lights and electronic devices, report water leaks, carpool or walk, print double-sided and only when necessary, and recycle b. Plan your work using existing processes such as the permit and requirements identification (PR-ID) system, job hazard analyses, integrated work management tools, pollution prevention checklists, etc. (View checklists online at http://int.lanl.gov/environment/risk/lanl_only/p2/jha.shtml) c. Responsibly perform your work by: Feb. 2010 Page 5 of 6 i. Keeping a clean and orderly workspace. A clean workspace means less waste. ii. Using only what’s necessary to get the job done. iii. Returning unneeded supplies to property control for someone else to use. iv. Checking surplus first before ordering additional supplies. v. Ordering green supplies whenever possible. vi. Taking only what you need into radiological controlled areas. 9. Advertise Your Accomplishments a. Nominate your co-workers, project, or group for a P2 award by emailing ems@lanl.gov. i. The best ideas come from people like you 10. Manager’s Responsibilities a. Ensure that all employees are prepared to take part in EMS-related assessments and audits. b. Assist in the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of environmental aspects. c. Support implementation of the Directorate’s EAP. d. Take action on all environmental non-conformities. e. Review and apply Lessons Learned. (View Lessons Learned online at http://int.lanl.gov/projects/lessons_learned) View additional information on EMS Roles & Responsibilities at (http://ems.lanl.gov/current/pdf/resources/TR_3-01_ems_roles_R2.pdf) 11. Additional EMS Information and Resources a. EMS website (http://ems.lanl.gov) b. EMS Management Team (ems@lanl.gov) c. EMS Core Team (emscore@lanl.gov) d. Your EMS Point of Contact (on the EMS web page (http://ems.lanl.gov) e. Your Waste Management Coordinator (http://int.lanl.gov/orgs/wes/wa/team_wmc.shtml) f. Your Environmental Generalist (http://int.lanl.gov/orgs/env/eaq/team_dst.shtml) g. Worker Safety and Security Team (http://int.lanl.gov/esh/wsst/index.shtml) EMS: It’s how you do your work every day Feb. 2010 Page 6 of 6 EMS Awareness Training – Course #32461 Training Acknowledgement I certify I have read the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Environmental Management System (EMS) Awareness Training. I understand that the contents of this training will be updated annually and that if I print this training for use throughout the year I am responsible for assuring I have the most current version. Credit will not be provided if the most current training content was not read. The last update of this training was February 2010. Submit for Credit OPTION 1 – Online If you have a Cryptocard with administrative access you can submit for credit using the “Receive Credit” button below and your training record will be updated within the hour. Receive Credit OPTION 2 – Fax or Mail If you do not have a Cryptocard, you must submit this form for credit to the ENV-RRO Registrar. (Please allow up to 5 working days before credit will appear in the Employee Development System database if faxing or mailing this form.) Z #: _________________________________________________________________ Name – printed: _______________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________________________ Please fax to: EMS Awareness Training #32461 (505) 667-0731 Or mail to: Verification #: ____________ ENV-RRO Registrar (to be completed by registrar) PO Box 1663 Mail Stop K404 Los Alamos, NM 87545 February 2010