A presentation at the 2015 Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference, May 13-14, 2015, Overland Park, KS

1. Environmental Management Systems:
Compliance, Continuous Improvement, and
Sustainability
2015 MIDWEST ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE CONFERENCE
JOSEPH TELL
TELLEVATE
MAY 14, 2015

2. 2015 MECC; 5/14/2015 2
• EHS management systems development
and implementation
• Information management systems and tools
• Compliance program support
• Environmental Compliance and EMS
Auditing
• Training
• Offices in Atlanta, GA; Lincoln, NE; and
Bethesda, MD
Tellevate Overview

3. 32015 MECC; 5/14/2015
Joseph Tell
• Tellevate Owner and Director
• 20 years experience providing EHS management
and compliance services to commercial and
government clients
• Development and implementation of IT tools and
software
• B.S. Civil Engineering, Northwestern University

4. 2015 MECC; 5/14/2015 4
• EMS Basics
• Defining Your Needs
• Compliance Focus
• Implementation Strategies
• Continuous Improvement
• Finding the Value
• Integrating Sustainability – What Does it Mean?
EMS:
Presentation Objectives

5. 52015 MECC; 5/14/2015
• Standard framework with processes for prioritizing risks
and setting goals
• Used to assess and improve performance
• Includes organizational structure; planning activities;
roles and responsibilities; practices, plans and
procedures (controls); and resources
• Integrates environmental considerations into overall
operations
EMS:
Basics

6. 2015 MECC; 5/14/2015 6
• EMS specification published in 1996,
updated November 2004, update 2015
• Sibling to ISO 9001(Quality)
• Definitive, global, voluntary standard
for EMS
• Supported by ISO 14000 family of standards and ISO 19011
auditing guidelines
• ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ model
EMS:
ISO 14001

7. 72015 MECC; 5/14/2015
• Identify business drivers – why implement a formal EMS?
• Evaluate existing EMS: Perform a review of operations, related
environmental aspects and impacts, and current operational
controls
• Assess key environmental compliance programs and requirements
• Identify key stakeholders and needs
• Consider available systems and tools
• Estimate implementation and maintenance costs
• Develop an implementation strategy/plan
EMS:
Defining Your Needs

8. 82015 MECC; 5/14/2015
EMS:
Compliance-Focused Approach
• Being green is great, but compliance is still
a primary driver in many organizations
• That is OK!
• Compliance improvement/assurance is a key
benefit of an EMS
• Focusing on compliance requirements helps
define the scope of the EMS and approach
• Compliance is the foundation – get that right, then build on
successes

9. 92015 MECC; 5/14/2015
EMS:
Implementation Strategies
• Keep it simple and flexible – easy to use, maintain, and teach
• MUST have top management support
• Leverage existing systems and knowledgeable people – cross
functional teams
• Define environmental roles, responsibilities and specific tasks
• Provide managers and employees with tools to improve their
understanding and work practices
• Simplify document and data burden with information technology

10. 102015 MECC; 5/14/2015
EMS:
Implementation Strategies
• Strong communication – internal and external
• Set realistic goals using SMART objectives/targets:
 Specific
 Measurable
 Achievable
 Realistic
 Tracked
• Evaluate performance and make adjustments often
• Keep management informed and involved

11. 112015 MECC; 5/14/2015
EMS:
Continuous Improvement
• Take small steps and demonstrate results
• Be sure you can measure and clearly
communicate results
• Build success stories and win support –
be a sales person and advertise!
• Leverage momentum to work towards
larger goals
• Listen to management and incorporate feedback into planning
• Keep the cycle going, but never lose sight of organization
priorities and the value proposition
Continuous
Process

12. 122015 MECC; 5/14/2015
EMS:
Finding the Value
• Improve risk management – reduced liabilities/incidents
• Compliance improvement/assurance
• Financial considerations:
 Implementation costs – how to minimize?
 Operational cost savings
 Good ROI? Need process for evaluation.
• Stakeholder value:
 Knowledgeable workforce
 Competitive advantage with customers
 Improved corporate and public image

13. 132015 MECC; 5/14/2015
EMS and Sustainability?
What is Sustainability? Needs to be defined for your organization:
• Operational capability, financial stability, stakeholder engagement
and value, reduced environmental and social impacts
• Take longer-term view
• Objectives should fit with overall business goals
• Don’t lose sight of operational needs, stakeholders
and culture
• Define what Success means to your organization
and put plans in place to achieve

14. 142015 MECC; 5/14/2015
EMS and Sustainability?
• Use EMS as management tool to support operational sustainability
• Establish and capture institutional knowledge of workforce
• Integration with other management systems and tools – e.g,
Safety, Quality, HR, etc.?
• Leverage tools and resources that will be supported by
management in the future
• Remember those realistic objectives (SMART)
• EMS and operational sustainability become core values of
organization

15. Questions?
Joseph Tell
Tellevate
(404) 538-5494
jtell@tellevate.com