Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management
24 January 2007
Executive Order 13423 "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management", signed by President Bush on January 24, 2007. The order sets goals in the areas of energy efficiency, acquisition, renewable energy, toxics reductions, recycling, renewable energy, sustainable buildings, electronics stewardship, fleets, and water conservation. In addition the order requires more widespread use of Environmental Management Systems as the framework in which to manage and continually improve these sustainable practices.

This document, issued by OFEE, clarifies what is required in order to declare conformance with the EMS requirements of EO 13423.

This DOE Order details the implementation of EMS at DOE Facilities.

Chapter 4 of this Departmental Manual sets forth Departmental policy, responsibilities, and functions regarding implementation of environmental management systems as a means to promote both environmental compliance and sound environmental stewardship throughout the Department.

This Directive establishes policies and assigns responsibilities for complying with Executive Order 13148, "Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management," (Order) dated April 21, 2000.

NASA Procedural Requirement 855.3.1A describes NASA's Environmental Management System (EMS).

This guidance, issued by the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) will increase the use of EMSs in civil settlements and explains how they will be used to address the root causes of violations and the risks they pose to communities and ecosystems. In addition, EPA is working with the U.S. Department of Justice to seek EMSs in appropriate criminal plea agreements to achieve beneficial outcomes for the environment. EPA also has issued a memorandum, Expanding the Use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), to encourage and expand their use in enforcement settlements and in community involvement. The EMS guidance is an extension of EPA’s May 2002 Position Statement on EMSs, in which the agency committed to promote EMS use and emphasize the adoption of EMSs to achieve improved environmental performance and compliance and pollution prevention through source reduction.

USEPA's position statement on the use of EMSs to address an organization's environmental responsibilities -- signed by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, December 13, 2005.

The text of the position statement signed by Administrator Christine Todd Whitman on May 15, 2002.

This updated statement replaces the 2002 Position Statement on EMS signed by Administrator Whitman and reflects EPA's experiences to date with the promotion of voluntary EMSs as well as our continued commitment to be a leader in this area. The Position Statement explains EPA's policy on EMSs and the Agency's intent to continue to promote the voluntary wide-spread use of EMSs across a range of organizations and settings. EPA encourages organizations to implement EMSs that result in improved environmental performance and compliance, cost-savings, pollution prevention through source reduction, and continual improvement. (Federal Register: February 2, 2006 [Notices], Page 5664-5665).

This memorandum, dated 28 December 2005, transmits recommended practices for providing EMS-related compliance assistance to Federal Facilities. The memorandum was issued to Regional Federal Facilities Senior Managers, Regional Enforcement Division Directors, Regional Media Division Directors, and Regional Enforcement Coordinators.

ISO/IEC 17021:2006 has been issued and it contains principles and requirements for the competence, consistency and impartiality of the audit and certification of management systems of all types (e.g. quality management systems or environmental management systems) and for bodies providing these activities. Certification bodies operating to this International Standard need not offer all types of management system certification.

This memorandum, jointly issued by OMB and CEQ, encourages all agencies to adopt and implement EMS, including the establishment of a firm date for final completion of the efforts. Additionally, agencies are encouraged to work with the January 2006 scorecard initiative launched by OMB. The January 11, 2006 scorecards address Environmental Stewardship, Transportation Management, and Energy Management.

This document outlines the recommended practices concerning EMS for EPA staff during federal facility inspections. In particular, EPA staff are encouraged to provide previously-prepared EMS information as a part of compliance assistance and facility education.

Answers to common questions about ISO 14000.

Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the 14000 series is primarily concerned with environmental management. The ISO standards must be purchased and so are not replicated here. The family of ISO 14000 standards includes:

• ISO 14001, Environmental management systems -- Requirements with guidance for use, 2004
• ISO 14004, Environmental management systems -- General guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques, 2004
• ISO 14015, Environmental management -- Environmental assessment of sites and organizations (EASO), 2001
• ISO 14031, Environmental management -- Environmental performance evaluation – Guidelines, 1999
• ISO 14032, Environmental management -- Examples of environmental performance evaluation (EPE), 1999

Note: DOD users may access the text of ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 free-of-charge with a valid DENIX account by clicking here and then logging into DENIX.

Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), this document is primarily concerned with the management of audit programs. The ISO standards must be purchased and so are not replicated here.

This memorandum, issued by OMB, issue the changed and finalized scorecards for Environmental Stewardship, Transportation Management, and Energy Management.

This guide provides practitioners with a tool to improve NEPA implementation and achieve the environmental sustainability goals laid out in NEPA and Executive Order 13423. The guide provides examples of how NEPA and EMS together can help federal agencies more effectively manage their environmental responsibilities. For example, identifying environmental aspects in the development of an EMS can build on aspects identified in previous NEPA analyses. Conversely, a new NEPA analysis can consider the identified environmental aspects in an EMS when assessing potential environmental impacts of a proposed future action.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (E-Pact) established new statutory requirements specifically designed to improve the environmental management of federal facility underground storage tanks (USTs). Executive Order 13423 Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, requires that federal agencies implement environmental management systems (EMS) at all appropriate organizational levels. This EPA document provides guidance and examples of how efforts to address Underground Storage Tank regulatory requirements and implement best management practices for UST operations can work in concert with Environmental Management System implementation.

This document provides background information about the connection between EMSs and the FEC program. One primary purpose of an EMS is to coordinate environmental management activities into one integrated framework that enhances and improves the overall efficiency and effectiveness of these existing, but separate, environmental programs. The FEC is an environmental management program that can exist within the structure of your EMS to improve your facility’s environmental performance.

(EPA 742-R-05-001) The goal of this report is to help Federal facilities integrate green purchasing into their EMS. The intended audience includes those tasked with implementing an EMS, reducing environmental impacts, meeting green purchasing requirements and/or buying products and services in a Federal facility.

This tool was developed to address the elements of ISO 14001 EMS Standard in the context of electronic equipment management across the lifecycle of the equipment. The tool provides resources for locating information and FEC program tools to help establish and implement your EMS, specifically the portions that concern electronic equipment management. The tool also provides equivalent activities that can “populate” your EMS and at the same time meet FEC program requirements for recognition.

This program offers a complete one-stop introduction to a wide range of environmental issues and decisions that affect small to medium-sized communities. It offers communities the chance to judge their own needs and preferences, and to make informed decisions on their own. Major sections cover:

• Environmental laws and regulations
• Self-assessment
• Planning and comparative risk analysis
• Financial tools and financial self-analysis
• Case studies
• Contact and information directory

Each section includes interactive tools, such as a notebook tool to fill in and save survey forms and keep notes.

This website presents the research results of the National Database on Environmental Management Systems (NDEMS), funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NDEMS is a research study of facilities that are implementing environmental management systems such as ISO 14001. The site provides access to research papers and reports, databases and research protocols produced by this study, as well as other resources on environmental management systems.

This program is an approach to regional scale, priority-setting assessment being developed by EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). ReVA integrates research on human and environmental health, ecorestoration, landscape analysis, regional exposure and process modeling, problem formulation, and ecological risk guidelines. Rhe scope of ReVA is to conduct pilot assessments that focus on one geographic region that is well characterized biologically. The ReVA program is responsible for the collection, management, and analysis of multiple data sources to evaluate environmental conditions and known stressors within the Mid-Atlantic region. This website includes a basic introduction to the environmental vulnerability assessment approach, and an overview of the ReVA tools and their applications.

The first issue of this newsletter was issued in April 2005. The purpose of this newsletter is to summarize and disseminate available, up-to-date information about sustainability.

While ISO does not itself issue certificates or accreditation, the need has been felt for ISO to play a role in the dissemination of information on the national programmes in operation in various countries. This directory is intended to contribute to meeting that demand.

This directory was developed by GETF through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. EPA Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation.

Sustainability News explores the relationships between people, their landscapes, and their future, and how national parks and park partners are demonstrating "best practices" systemwide.

Case studies on developing and implementing EMS in both the private and the public sector.

The EMS Library is designed as a clearinghouse for Joint Service EMS resources. This resource specifically addresses EMS issues and fosters information sharing, success stories, and lessons learned.

A collection of documents, guides, and case studies about EMS.

The EMS Library is designed as a clearinghouse for EMS resources. It is a website that provides the most comprehensive, current, and pertinent EMS information available to the joint services and federal facilities.

The Center helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. It is a coalition of educational organizations, environmental organizations, citizen groups, the National Resources Defense Council, Consumer Federation of America, the Public Utility Law Project, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It addresses issues such as institutional purchasing, development of more sustainable products, living sustainably, and buying wisely.

This site is dedicated to providing information on environmental management systems (EMS) to employees of the Government of Canada, and to EMS practitioners around the world.

Sustainability is the ability to achieve economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet, and providing a higher quality of life for its people. Individuals, communities and institutions are developing and implementing sustainability practices with the help of dozens of EPA programs, partnerships and policy tools. This site provides links to many EPA programs and tools that contribute to sustainability. These are organized into three main areas: planning and practices; scientific tools and technology; measuring progress.

This collaborative network was launched on Earth Day, April 2000, when a small group of Federal leaders on the west coast saw the need to promote the principles of sustainability within government organizations. OFEE is working with FNS on creating sister networks elsewhere in the country. Their highlights actual sustainable practices being implemented by member agencies in the areas of biodiesel, EMS, green power, sustainable buildings, electronics stewardship, and copier paper. Partners include, but are not limited to, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Corps of Engineers, NASA, DOE, EPA, NPS, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the U.S. Navy.

A non-profit, non-partisan, world federation of national associations for environmental management and sustainable development. Their site contains articles, case studies, and tools on environmental management, as well as links to other EMS sites.

ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 148 countries, on the basis of one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. The ISO 14000 family of standards are the basis of environmental management systems throughout the world.

The PEER Center is funded by EPA's Office of Water through a grant to the Global Environment and Technology Foundation. It is meant to be a one-stop shop for EMS information and resources for public entities. While the Web site is intended for public entities, it should be useful for any organization developing and implementing an EMS

The 2005 CTC winners are the The Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An overview what they have done in the EMS arena that warrented this award starts on page 2 of the Closing the Circle News.

The northwest Regional Office Green Team used it’s EMS to make significant environmental improvements to its 72,000-square-foot, GSA-leased facility.

State and Federal agency programs which reward and/or recognize leadership in EMS.

This award is given to recognize efforts to ensure mission accomplishment and protection of human health through implementation of environmental management systems, pollution prevention, and environmental compliance that promotes sustainability in the areas of environmental planning, waste management, and land, air and water resource protection. These are annual awards celebrating the previous years' accomplishments/innovations. Nominations are typically accepted until March and the awards given in June.

This award is given to recognize efforts to ensure mission accomplishment and protection of human health through implementation of environmental management systems, pollution prevention, and environmental compliance that promotes sustainability in the areas of environmental planning, waste management, and land, air and water resource protection. These are annual awards celebrating the previous years' accomplishments/innovations. Nominations are typically accepted until March and the awards given in June.

The military winner for 2007 is the U.S. Navy Environmental Program Office at the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest for their entry titled “Continual Environmental Improvement for Sustainability.” The civilian winner for 2007 is the Department of Energy Brookhaven National Laboratory EMS Team for their entry titled “Expanding the Envelope of BNL’s EMS.”

The military winner for 2008 is Robins Air Force Base for their entry titled Environmental Management for the Future. The civilian winner for 2008 is U.S. Postal Service in Washington D.C. for their entry titled USPS Environmental Performance Track Initiative.

Contains proposed language for inclusion in Statements of Work for new on-site contracts.

Contains proposed language for inclusion in Statements of Work for current/existing on-site contracts.

U.S. Department of Defense's environmental management system's home page. Contains DoD-wide and Service-specific EMS policy and guidance, tools and training material, POCs, presentations, pilot studies and other useful information.

This Web site provides information and resources related to Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) for businesses, associations, the public, and state and federal agencies. An EMS is a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.

This guide is designed to explain environmental management system (EMS) concepts and to support and facilitate the development of EMS among small and medium-sized organizations.

The Executive Summary of a 2 volume in-depth study funded by the EPA Office of Water and Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation at EPA. This study, was designed to determine if EMSs do in fact improve environmental performance. Baseline information, information on EMS design, and information on changes in performance were collected from each facility over several years. This study was also supported by a number of states, through the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Management Systems. State managers played a critical role in ensuring data quality and worked closely with a number of facilities involved in the research.

Volumes 1 and 2 of an in-depth study funded by the EPA Office of Water and Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation at EPA. This study, was designed to determine if EMSs do in fact improve environmental performance. Baseline information, information on EMS design, and information on changes in performance were collected from each facility over several years. This study was also supported by a number of states, through the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Management Systems. State managers played a critical role in ensuring data quality and worked closely with a number of facilities involved in the research.

An article by Edward A. Boling, Deputy General Counsel for the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), reprinted with permission from ELR News & Analysis, Environmental Law Institute, Washington, D.C., focusing on the interplay of NEPA and EMS at federal facilities.

This guide is designed to help Federal managers who are considering adopting an environmental management system (EMS).

A quick overview of the EMS process and EPA resources.

This Handbook will help take your organization through each of the steps necessary to develop a high quality EMS, using the examples and real world experiences of your peers.

This is derived from a list of facilities, activities, tasks, aspects and impacts developed for the Department of the Army. The Army-specific facilities have been deleted (i.e. bombing ranges) and the language modified to reflect more common-use terms (i.e. “vehicle maintenance” instead of “Auto Hobby Shop”). This is not a comprehensive list, instead, it is a starting point. The Facility Types in this list include, but are not limited to: Automotive Service Station; Cafeteria; Car Wash; Dental Clinic; Domestic Wastewater Treatment Facility; Fossil-Fuel Electric Generating Plant; Fuel Dispensing; Hazardous Waste Storage Area; Historic Sites; Housing; Individual Sewage Systems; Medical Centers and Hospitals; Oil/Water Separators and Grit Traps; Pesticide Storage Area; Remediation Site; Tank Truck Load/Unload Facility; Underground Storage Tank System (UST); Universal waste storage area, Vehicle Maintenance; and Wetlands.

Information for anyone that reviews and approves agency environmental budgets.

This guide is designed to explain environmental management system (EMS) concepts and to support and facilitate the development of EMS among small and medium-sized organizations.

Identifies what EPA program Offices map to which environmental aspects.