TURI - Toxics Use Reduction Institute

Table 3. TURA EMS Required Elements

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Element

Description

1.

Environmental Policy

A written environmental policy that expresses management support for, and makes a commitment to: compliance with legal requirements; pollution prevention through source reduction; and continual improvement of the EMS and environmental performance.

2.

Aspects and Impacts

A process for identifying significant environmental aspects and impacts from current and future activities at the facility. All covered toxics shall be identified as significant environmental aspects.

3.

Legal Requirements

Identification of environmental legal requirements, including a system for tracking compliance and learning about and integrating changes to legal requirements into the EMS.

4.

Objectives and Targets

A process for establishing measurable objectives and targets that address significant environmental aspects and other EMS commitments and that emphasize preventing pollution at its source.

5.

Environmental Management Programs

Environmental management programs designed to monitor progress toward documented objectives, targets, and commitments in the EMS, including the means and time-frames for their completion.

6.

Roles and Responsibilities

Established roles and responsibilities of the facility’s staff and management, on-site service providers, and contractors for meeting objectives and targets and complying with legal requirements, including a senior management representative with authority and responsibility for the EMS.

7.

Training

Environmental and compliance training for those whose jobs and responsibilities involve activities directly related to significant aspects, achieving objectives and targets and compliance with legal requirements, and initiation training for new personnel.

8.

Communication

Procedures for communicating environmental and EMS information throughout the facility, including EMS awareness programs for all employees.

9.

Operational Controls

Operational controls to ensure that equipment and other operations comply with legal requirements and address significant environmental aspects.

10.

Documentation and Document Control

Documentation of key EMS elements and procedures for document control and records management.

11.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency preparedness and response procedures.

12.

Monitoring and Measuring

Procedures for monitoring and measuring key operations and activities to assess environmental performance.

13.

Audits and Corrective Action

Procedures for preventing and detecting non-conformance with legal and other requirements of the EMS, including an established compliance audit program and an EMS audit program, and procedures for corrective actions to ensure timely compliance and commitment to continual improvement. The EMS audit program shall require independent auditing on at least a two-year cycle and senior management review of audit results.

14.

Management Review

Documented management review of performance against established objectives and targets and the effectiveness of the EMS in meeting policy commitments.