Environmental Guidelines

Environmental Management System (EMS)

SECTION 1 - DEFINITIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
SECTION 2 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 3 - SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 4 - DATA MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING
SECTION 5 - TRAINING / REFERENCES

ANNEX A - Typical Institutional Officials' Environmental Responsibilities
ANNEX B - Composition of Environmental Management Committees
ANNEX C - Proposed Environmental Management Committee Operating Model (Cycle)
ANNEX D - Example of Standard Agenda for an Environmental Management Committee
ANNEX E - Proposed Standardized Structure for Environmental Record-Keeping Representing the CSC's Basic Environmental Management System (EMS)
ANNEX F - Example of Record-Keeping for "Solid Waste Measurement and Management" Aspect of Environmental Activities

PRIMARY GOALS

To contribute, through efficient Environmental Management Systems (EMS), to the conservation of natural resources, the reduction of pollution in all its forms, and the implementation and maintenance of preventive measures consistent with the protection of the environment.

To ensure the continual improvement of environmental performance in Correctional Service of Canada's institutions through appropriate Environmental Information Systems (EIS), effective environmental communications and official Environmental Management Committees (EMC).

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

To promote effective and responsible management toward environmental protection in Correctional Service of Canada's institutions.

To implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) for the planning, implementation, monitoring and review of environmental aspects of institutional activities. The EMS will make it possible to:

• gather, record and save reliable, auditable data on environmental issues;
• formally manage the environmental aspect of the Sustainable Development Strategy;
• allow ongoing monitoring of results and hence environmental performance.

AUTHORITIES

Correctional Service of Canada Commissioner's Directive 318 - Environmental Programs.

Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) of the Correctional Service of Canada.

ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems - Specifications with Guidance for Use, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1996 (and subsequent editions).

ISO 14004 Environmental Management Systems - General Guidelines on Principles, Systems, and Supporting Techniques, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1996 (and subsequent editions).

SECTION 1 - DEFINITIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE

DEFINITIONS / ACRONYMS

For the purpose of these Environmental Guidelines:

AWCP - Assistant Warden, Correctional Programs.

AWMS - Assistant Warden, Management Services.

CPM - Chief of Plant Maintenance or Chief of Works.

ISO - International Organization for Standardization.

EIS - The institution's Environmental Information System.

EMC - The institution's Environmental Management Committee.

EMS - An Environmental Management System is a tool for ensuring that an institution meets all of the environmental legislation and performance requirements for which its Institutional Head is accountable. According to ISO 14004, an EMS provides the framework to help an organization to manage its environmental agenda and to document, evaluate, and communicate its environmental performance. An EMS will assist federal organizations to ensure that major environmental risks and liabilities are properly identified, minimized and managed. At a minimum, an EMS helps institutions ensure that operations are conducted in compliance with environmental laws.

REO - Regional Environmental Officer.

SDS - Sustainable Development Strategy of CSC.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Institutional Head, his or her assistants and the Corcan Operations Managers are accountable to ensure compliance with these Environmental Guidelines.

The Chief, Plant Maintenance (CPM) will normally be the person responsible for implementing and monitoring these Environmental Guidelines, so that environmental management can be conducted, reviewed and maintained from a central point in the institution.

SCOPE

All institutional sectors that are accountable for environmental aspects related to their operations are subject to these Environmental Guidelines.

SECTION 2 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. The Institutional Head will ensure that a competent Environmental Management System (EMS) is established and operated in his or her institution, the scope of which must encompass all environmental matters for which he or she is accountable, including the environmental aspects of Corcan activities conducted within the institution's premises.

2. The Institutional Head will establish a formal organization structure for managing the environmental aspects of activities for which he or she is accountable. This can normally be achieved by assigning responsibility for implementing each requirement in the Environmental Guidelines to specific officials in the institution's formal organization structure [refer to Annex A].

SECTION 3 - SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (EMC)

1. The Institutional Head will establish a permanent Environmental Management Committee (EMC) and may also establish a permanent subcommittee of the EMC.

2. The general objective of the EMC is to make tangible improvements in environmental management within the operational units. Thus the activities of the EMC must be directed at obtaining measurable results. In many cases, this will require coordinating the implementation of environmental measures at the institutional level, in cooperation with RHQ and NHQ.

3. The EMC's membership should normally include the Institutional Head (Chairperson), the Assistant Warden, Management Services (Deputy Chairperson), the Deputy Warden or the AWCP (or both), the Corcan Operations Manager, the Chief, Plant Maintenance, and the Chief, Food Services. The Institutional Head may also request others to be present [refer to Annex B].

4. The subcommittee would normally include the AWMS (Chairperson), the Corcan Operations Manager, the CPM and any other contributor as requested by the AWMS.

5. The full EMC chaired by the Institutional Head must meet at least once annually, preferably in April. The subcommittee should meet quarterly.

6. The main purpose of EMC and subcommittee meetings is to present summary reports concerning all the environmental aspects of the institution's activities and to reconfirm or alter action plans for the next period [refer to Annex C]. Meetings should be relatively brief and very focused. Most initiatives requiring approval or decisions should not be presented at committee meetings but instead should be handled as and when required by the operating organization. Each committee member should be well briefed prior to a meeting.

7. The Assistant Warden, Management Services (AWMS) acts as the convener of each EMC and subcommittee meeting by setting its venue, by preparing the agenda [refer to Annex D], by arranging administrative support such as copying and distributing briefing materials, and by preparing the minutes. The AWMS normally nominates a secretary to take notes.

8. Institutions located in a penitentiary complex (having two or more penitentiaries) should develop environmental management partnerships. Some projects would engender economies of scale through use of common infrastructures (composting, recycling, environmental emergencies plans, etc.).

Note: In some cases, a "Complex Environmental Management Committee" can be established in order to pool resources, coordinate large-scale green initiatives or simply promote synergy among the institutions. Furthermore, such cooperation might even extend to several complexes, or there could be agreements with the local communities, other departments or agencies in the region. The possibilities in this regard are almost limitless.

SECTION 4 - DATA MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING

INFORMATION SYSTEM / ENVIRONMENTAL RECORDS

1. The CPM will establish and operate the institution's Environmental Information System (EIS). The EIS normally consists mainly of a paper filing system and computer files. Since some of these records may duplicate records kept elsewhere, clear interactions and links must be established between the components of the EIS indicating where the corresponding documentation may be found.

2. While the EIS must be the central repository of environmental records, there is not a requirement to duplicate records kept in other information systems, such as in the Maintenance Management System or in the operator training and certification files administered by the CPM.

Note: The documentation may include:

1. information about the procedures put in place;
2. organization charts;
3. standards and procedures for internal operations (e.g. Standing Orders);
4. existing emergency plans on site.

3. The EIS must be comprehensive, containing files or groups of files concerning at least the following topics [refer to Annexes E and F]:

1. a set of files pertaining to every Environmental Guidelines;
2. records concerning the SDS and other environmental documents, federal government laws, regulations, guidelines, etc., and provincial and municipal government laws, regulations, guidelines, etc. that affect the environmental affairs of the institution;
3. meetings of the EMC, including minutes and follow-up action reports;
4. organization, position description, and temporary assignment description files for officers assigned responsibility for environmental activities;
5. environmental performance assessment records; and
6. records concerning other matters, such as training, audits, examinations and/or reviews (internal and external) that apply to the institution's environmental program as a whole.

4. The person assigned to the management of environmental records in the institution will establish and maintain procedures for identifying, enumerating, maintaining and discarding environmental records.

5. All the documents required in these Environmental Guidelines (audits, data, records) must be kept on site for at least five years following the date of issue.

Note:

Procedures for identifying, updating and providing access to records should focus mainly on the record-keeping tasks required for EMS implementation and operation, and on the extent to which objectives and targets are met.

Entries relating to the environment may include:

1. information on applicable environmental legislation and other requirements;
2. information on significant environmental aspects;
3. records of claims;
4. training records;
5. information on procedures;
6. information on products;
7. records concerning monitoring, maintenance, calibrations;
8. pertinent information on subcontractors and suppliers;
9. reports of environmental incidents;
10. information on emergency situations and response capacity;
11. results of environmental audits; and
12. management reviews.

Confidential information about institutional activities should be treated with due care and concern.

REPORTING

6. The quarterly reports presented to the EMC should be corrected, if necessary, after each meeting and a copy sent to the Regional Environmental Officer for information and future use.

7. Once annually, a draft report is prepared summarizing the overall environmental performance of the institution during the preceding year. This report is the principal part of the briefing for the annual EMC meeting. The annual report is finalized and issued after the meeting. A copy of the final report is sent to the Regional Environmental Officer and the Environmental Manager at NHQ.

SECTION 5 - TRAINING / REFERENCES

TRAINING

1. Measures necessary for ensuring ongoing EMS training and coaching sessions for institutional personnel should be taken. Any personnel training records for such activities should be referenced to in the appropriate EMS register.

REFERENCES

2. Environment Canada infonet site (The Green Lane home page) at: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html.

3. Environment Canada infonet site - EMS Info Home Page - at: http://www.ec.gc.ca/emsinfo//home_e.htm.

4. Canadian Standards Association (CSA) internet site at: www.csa.ca.

5. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) internet site at: http://www.ccme.ca/.

6. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) infonet site - Environmental Guide for Federal Real Property Managers at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/TB_G3/enviro_e.html.

7. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) at: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-15.31/text.html.

Assistant Commissioner,
Corporate Services

Original signed by:
Louise Saint-Laurent

ANNEX A - Typical Institutional Officials' Environmental Responsibilities

In typical institutions, the key officials are:

ANNEX B - Composition of Environmental Management Committees

Here is a suggested ideal composition of EMCs:

ANNEX C - Proposed Environmental Management Committee Operating Model (Cycle)

ANNEX D - Example of Standard Agenda for an Environmental Management Committee

ANNEX E - Proposed Standardized Structure for Environmental Record-Keeping Representing the CSC's Basic Environmental Management System (EMS)¹

¹ The structure described above represents a standardized, basic record-keeping system that is proposed for CSC's EMS. However, depending on circumstances pertaining to each site, local authorities may decide to adjust or add certain points for consistency with their internal management.

ANNEX F - Example of Record-Keeping for "Solid Waste Measurement and Management" Aspect of Environmental Activities

Table of Contents