Developing an EMS to the ISO 14001 standard for municipal government -- The experiences of Hamilton-Wentworth, Canada
Conference
·
OSTI ID:20003299
In March 1997, the Regional Environmental Department of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth initiated a project to develop an environmental management system (EMS) and seek registration to the ISO 14001 Standard. The development of management systems following the ISO 14001 environmental management standard is seen as the next step in the Region's Sustainable Community and Pollution Prevention Initiatives and as a key tool for improving the quality and structure of its services. With an annual budget of $100 million and over 220 employees, the Department is responsible for the delivery of the Region's: water treatment and distribution services, wastewater collection and treatment services, solid waste disposal and management services, regional planning and development services, and collection of storm water in the City of Hamilton. The goal of the ISO 14001 Initiative is to develop an EMS for these five core businesses of the Department. Although there are a number of reasons why the Department started this initiative, the key reason for the project is to establish creditability with the community and throughout the Regional Corporation that their environmental issues of concern are being addressed in the delivery of municipal services. It creates a structured process for ongoing consideration of community concerns about environmental and service delivery issues by: regular identification and prioritization of the issues of concern; establishing measurable objectives and targets to address the concerns; allocating the resources and defining the structures and responsibilities required to achieve the objectives and targets; and communicating with the community on how their concerns are reflected in the objectives and targets and being addressed through the allocation of departmental resources.
- Research Organization:
- Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, Ontario (CA)
- OSTI ID:
- 20003299
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990608--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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