Participants named for federal EMS initiative

Over the past two years, nine local government entities have experienced environmental and economic benefits through the implementation of environmental management systems (EMSs) under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative. The program’s success has prompted EPA to conduct a second EMS initiative involving 14 additional participants.

“We were extremely gratified by the level of interest shown by local governments in this project and the level of sophistication shown in the applications,” says Jim Horne, national project manager for EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management. “It is clear that public sector organizations are becoming aware of the value of implementing EMSs. We are delighted with the diverse range of organizations that were selected and expect great things from each of them.”

An EMS is a set of management processes and procedures that allows an organization to analyze, control and reduce the environmental impact of its activities, products and services. Anticipated benefits include improved overall environmental performance, expanded pollution prevention opportunities, and enhanced operational control and efficiency. Initiative participants will develop EMSs in a four-phased implementation process over a two-year period.

EPA has selected the Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF), an Annandale, Va.-based organization dedicated to building infrastructure for sustainable development, to provide in-depth training, coaching and on-site technical assistance.

Participants in phase II of the EMS program are: * Berkeley, Calif.; * Detroit; * San Diego; * Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Fla.; * the Port of Houston, Houston, Texas; * Jefferson County, Ala.; * the Little Blue Valley Sewer District, Independence, Mo.; * King County Solid Waste District, Seattle; * the Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, Louisville, Ky.; * the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; * Wall Experiment Station, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wis.; * the Tri-County Metropolitan District, Portland, Ore.; * the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Mass.; and * the New Hampshire Department of Transportation Traffic Bureau, Concord, N.H.

For further information on the project, contact Horne at EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management, Mail Code 4201, 401 M St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460; telephone (202) 260-5802. Current information on the project is available on GETF’s web site, www.getf.org/muni.htm.