Responsible practices, proactive communications yield positive environmental image
- Delta Environmental Consultants Inc., Charlotte, NC (United States)
Industrial corporations nationwide are struggling to maintain their standing as good community citizens and neighbors in an era of heightened public awareness about environmental issues. The challenge of achieving and maintaining compliance with tens of thousands of pages of environmental regulations is s formidable task. In addition, most major companies work hard to protect their employees and surrounding communities from the hazards of environmental accidents. Nevertheless, despite substantial efforts and large expenditures on environmental programs, companies increasingly find their environmental images tarnished over relatively minor incidents or issues, some of which the companies cannot control. Industrial organizations traditionally could conduct business behind closed doors. However, the rules of the game changed during the last decade. The federal government and many states have passed freedom of information laws allowing public access to government records, including environmental permit documents. Worker right-to-know laws were passed to inform workers of the potential hazards of chemicals in the workplace. SARA encompasses the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA; commonly known as SARA Title III). This statute provides citizens direct access to chemical inventory information and toxic emissions data for industries within their communities. In many areas of the country, news media have collected the toxic emissions reports required under this program to prepare a list of dirty dozen industries in their states or communities. Such laws have placed large volumes of technical environmental information on industry into the hands of the public, without also providing guidance for understanding or interpreting the data. One result has been numerous citizen misunderstandings about the environmental risks specific facilities pose to a community.
- OSTI ID:
- 5168615
- Journal Information:
- Hazmat World; (United States), Vol. 7:2; ISSN 0898-5685
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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