Sustainability Into Your Environmental Management System 2015 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ENVIRONMENTAL | ENGINEERING | COMPLIANCE

Incorporating Sustainability Into Your Environmental Management System

2015 Contractors Environmental Conference AGC of America Arlington, VA September 2-3, 2015

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Overview

• Environmental Risks At Construction Sites?
• Environmental Risks: Why Do We Care?
• Root Causes Of Environmental Risks?
• Traditional EHS Responsibilities
• Expanding EHS Responsibilities
• How to Incorporate Sustainability into EMS

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Environmental Risks

Emissions

Dust

Wetlands Solid Waste Endangered Species

Spills

Contaminated Soil Stormwater

Construction

Site Demolition

• PCBs/Asbestos
• Solid/Hazardous/
• Universal Waste
• Air Emission
• Spills
• Stormwater

Site Preparation

• Wetlands
• Endangered Species
• Spills
• Air Emissions
• Contaminated Soil
• Stormwater

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Typical Root Causes of Environmental Non-Compliance

• Lack of awareness
• Lack of planning
• Lack of resources
• Lack of communication
• Turn-over

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Traditional Environmental Responsibilities

• Manage Risks:

– Air and water pollution control – Waste Management and Recycling – Chemical handling /storage/use – Spill control and response remediation

• Develop and Maintain EMS that:

– Identifies and communicates Environmental Risk – Contains SOPs to Address Environmental Risk – Trains Personnel – Audits Program – Memorializes required action

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Identify Covered Activity/ Fenceline

Site clearing > 1 acre & Demolition/ Construction > $2M

• Stormwater
• Air
• Wastes
• Endanger

Species/Wetlands

Identify Compliance Requirements

• Permits/Notifications
• Regulatory/Local

Operating Requirement

• Management Plans
• Inspections/

Recordkeeping

• Reports

Develop SOPs

• Roles & Responsibility
• Work Instruction
• Record Retention

Conduct Training

• Field
• Project
• Executive

Conduct Periodic Audits Identify Impact

• Stormwater
• Habitat/Wetlands
• Solid/Hazardous

/Universal Waste

• Dust/Air Emission
• Spills
• Noise

How Do We Develop EMS?

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Types of EMS

Paper Electronic

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Expanding Environmental Responsibilities

• However, overtime EHS Manager roles have expanded to

include:

– Sustainability data and reporting (Carbon and water footprint) – Supply chain/Product/Habitat stewardship – Legislative Requirements (GHG, Energy Conservation/Building Codes) – Community affairs/Stakeholder Engagement

• At the same time, Strategic Business Planning is evolving to:

– Ensure organization's context is considered (reduce/report environmental risks, opportunities and stakeholder expectations); – Effect of environmental conditions on the organization – Use of Performance Indicators – Incorporate sustainability into EMS

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Resulting In Sustainability Being Incorporated Into EMS

What is Sustainability

• Many different definitions
• Management structure to continue

a defined behavior indefinitely

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

• Initial Thoughts

– Beyond Compliance – Basics satisfied?

• Regulatory compliance
• Buy-in from Stakeholders

– Start simple but need organization wide commitment – Use EMS as backbone – Effort needs to be internally driven -If necessary, consultant should serve as “facilitator”, not a leader – Periodic meetings for accountability, ability to “check and act” – Tracking System (Sustainable Development Indicators) – ISO 14000.2015 integrates and aligns environmental with the business strategies

How to Integrate Sustainability Into EMS

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

How to Integrate Sustainability Into EMS

• Successful sustainability

programs share common foundation supported by three key pillars: – Executive buy-in from the start; – Creation of an effective sustainability committee; and – Clear and measurable sustainability goals.

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

How to Integrate Sustainability Into EMS

• Top management must demonstrate leadership

and commitment by:

− Being accountable for effectiveness

− Ensuring Sustainability Program is:

• Aligned with organization’s Environmental and

business policy and objectives

• Integrated into businesses practices
• Adequate resources are available
• Communicated effectively

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

How to Integrate Sustainability Into EMS

• Identify clear and measurable sustainability goals that

you can control:

‒ Sector-wide perspective key areas include:

• Construction waste
• Sediment run-off
• Habitat Impact
• Carbon emissions from energy used in

manufacture/transport of construction products and construction activities. ‒ Company perspective review EMS to identify priorities

• Areas of violations
• Local Environmental concerns
• Corporate or government initiatives

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

How to Integrate Sustainability Into EMS

Examples

– Solid waste – reduce, reuse, recycle

• Work with suppliers to take back and reuse packaging
• Crush and reuse concrete, asphalt and aggregates

– Stormwater

• Minimize impacted areas
• Use pervious pavement, reuse collected

Stormwater – Habitat Impacts

• Create habitat

– Air Emissions

• Use a portable plant to reduce trucks and travel distance
• Alternative Fueled Vehicles
• Use renewable energy sources

– Carbon neutral

• Purchase Carbon credits, Plant trees
• Use renewable energy sources

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

• Develop and implement clear policy that affirms commitment to:

− Continually integrate sustainability in safe, compliant and cost- effective manner − Support continual improvement in environmental management − Re-enforce commitment to resource conservation, energy management, affirmative procurement, and pollution prevention

• Incorporate into employee training
• Develop and implement tracking tools
• Report progress to stakeholders

How to Integrate Sustainability Into EMS

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Industry Observations

• Compliance is mandatory, it’s no longer “optional”, need

to go beyond

• Environmental concerns “at the table”?
• Role is Evolving
• Attitude and Awareness
• Disconnect Between Design and Project Personnel
• Staffing Challenges
• EMS and Sustainability Acceptance
• EMS and Sustainability Variability (complexity and

medium)

THANK YOU.

| Contractors Environmental Conference, AGC of America, September 2-3, 2015

Thomas S. Seguljic, PE HRP Associates, Inc. 1 Fairchild Square Suite 110 Clifton Park, NY 12065 (518) 877-7101 x 104 tom.seguljic@hrpassociates.com