“Each module provides an instruction document that includes example approaches to develop the EMS,” Deuth says. “However, it is up to the facility to determine what benchmarks they will utilize within their own program.”

Facilities that implement an EMS may see benefits such as improved environmental performance, improved compliance, reduced liability, reduced wastes, improved employee awareness of environmental responsibilities, an improved public image, and a competitive advantage.

A company that implemented an EMS during a four-year period (during which its production increased by 20 percent) showed a 38-percent decrease in waste, a 28-percent decrease in recycled waste, and a 9-percent decrease in electricity usage, according to the former Blue Circle Industries.

“Environmental Management Systems can aid the aggregate industry by improving environmental programs that are already in place and improving environmental performance at facilities that lack a developed environmental program,” Deuth says. “Facilities that implement an EMS may see benefits such as improved environmental performance, improved compliance, reduced liability, reduced wastes, improved employee awareness of environmental responsibilities, an improved public image, and a competitive advantage. Facilities with an EMS may also qualify for recognition and incentive programs or, ultimately, get their program certified as ISO 14001 compliant.”

Deuth adds that the best way to develop an EMS is to put one together “that you are actually going to follow. Some people develop all the systems and documents, and then it sits in a book on a shelf. You need to have management and employee buy-in involved in the process. You can’t just rest on the shoulders of one person to develop it all. There needs to be input from everybody.” AM

Editor’s note: For a PDF of Trinity Consultants’ “NSSGA EMS Template: Case Studies in Implementation,” go to www.aggman.com/environmental-management-system-template-for-nssga/.