A Guide to Local Environmental Auditing by Barton Hugh;Bruder Noel;

Author:Barton, Hugh;Bruder, Noel;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1596753
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

POLLUTION MANAGEMENT AUDIT

Pollution management audits should review and assess the effectiveness of policies of the authority in relation to initiatives tackling pollution and the enforcement and effectiveness of legislation controlling pollution. The British Standards Institute document BS7750 (1994) provides a specification for environmental management systems to demonstrate compliance with a stated environmental policy (BSI, 1994a).

The elements of the environmental management system under BS7750 (1994) can be applied to the enforcement activities and initiatives of local authorities related to pollution control providing an indication of policies, procedures, activities and actions to be audited. The objectives, scope and execution of the audit should be clearly defined (BSI, 1994b). Areas likely to be covered by the audit include:

1) Organization:

– Organization structures and responsibilities to implement pollution control policies and initiatives including relationships between different departments, committees and agencies.

2) Knowledge:

– Knowledge and understanding of legislative controls, standards, guidelines and targets.

– Knowledge and understanding of the environment, ecosystems and the interactions between individual sectors.

3) Human, physical and financial resources:

– Sufficient staff, training and qualifications.

– Monitoring and control equipment, access to information and databases, office/work facilities, communications.

– Sufficient provision for current and anticipated legislative requirements and other environmentally friendly initiatives.

4) Administrative and operational procedures:

– Management procedures and manuals, operational controls, production of records and reports and quality assurance.

5) Environmental performance:

– Compliance with legislation, emission and environmental quality standards and targets.

– Effectiveness of surveys, assessment and evaluation of monitoring data.

– Use of environmental models in pollution control and environmental quality management.

– Enforcement action, response to complaints and incidents including emergency situations.

The main function of the audit is to identify difficulties or deficiencies in implementing the Pollution Management System or in gathering, assessing and evaluating environmental information. The audit may simply note problems, or may suggest remedial measures.

The Pollution Policy will have to be reviewed to establish its continuing effectiveness. Matters to be addressed as part of the review process include:

Any recommendations which have been made in pollution management audit reports, and how these should be implemented

The continuing suitability of environmental policy, and whether it should be revised in the light of, for example:

– growing environmental concerns in specific areas;

– developing understanding of environmental issues;

– potential regulatory developments;

– concerns among interested parties;

– market pressures;

– changing activities of the authority; and

– changes in sensitivity of the environment.

The continuing suitability of environmental targets and objectives, and any revisions to the environmental management programme.

CHECKLISTS

The checklists form the conclusion and summary of this chapter. The first section presents some ‘general’ principles from the EU action programmes relevant to pollution control, and could be used as an aid in gauging the performance of the authority in relation to pollution control issues:

Are the principles of ‘Prevention is better than cure’ and ‘Any damage should be rectified at source’ being applied?

Is the precautionary principle being applied?

Are environmental effects being taken into account at the earliest possible stage in decision making?

Is the exploitation of nature or natural resources which cause significant damage to ecological balance being avoided?

Is scientific knowledge to enable appropriate action to be taken

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