Voluntary environmental management system standards: Case studies in implementation

Abstract

Many anticipate that over the next decade, voluntary environmental management system (EMS) standards will take on thesame importance in the marketplace as the I S 0 9000 quality standards; the draft international EMS standard (IS0 14001) is on pace to be completed by mid-1 996. In the United States, despite rapidlygrowing interest in EMS standards, most companies and regulatory agencies are uncertain about their potential benefits and about the process of developing an EMS. Case studies of EMS implementation, partkularly in small and medium-sized companies, are needed to demonstrate the process and identim areas in which further EMS guidance is needed for environmental managers.This article presents seven case studies of EMS implementation in small, medium-sized, and large companies. Each company is participating in an EPA-sponsored Demonstration Project in which a variety of organizations are piloting the implementation of EMS standards (the project is being coordinated by NSF International, a not-for-profit company specializing in environmental and public health standards and certification). The case studies, written by the companies themselves, share experiences of EMS assessment, planning, and implementation, and discuss challenges that are special to particular industries. he I S 0 14000 series of environmental management standards have been officially under development in the International T Organization for Standardization (ISO) since the summer of 1993. One question often asked about the I S 0 14000 standards is how will EPA and state regulatory agencies incorporate them into decision making. Of particular interest is how the draft environmental management system (EMS) standard, I S 0 14001, will be used in regulatory development, compliance, and enforcement.There is a growing hope in industry that regulatory agencies will provide preferential treatment to companies that are registered to an EMS standard. One possibility is that regulators will be less likely to focus compliance and enforcement efforts on companies that have a recognized EMS in place. The EMS might assure agencies that those companies were in compliance with regulations, allowing regulators to CCC 1055-75 71/96/0502009-15