Environmental Management Systems Case Studies:
Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities
CLIENT: Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities
TASK: Design and Implementation of ISO 14001 EMS
LOCATION: Westchester County, NY
OBJECTIVES:
- EMS scoping, design, and policy development
- EMS Procedures, work instructions, checklists, and tools
- Training development and presentation
- Update facility electronic Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Manuals
- Integrate EMS components into electronic O&M Manuals
- EMS and compliance auditing
First Environment is in the process of assisting the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) with the design and implementation of an award winning EMS meeting the requirements of ISO 14001.
The Westchester County DEF is comprised of the water, wastewater treatment, and solid waste divisions. The water agency is responsible for ensuring the provision of adequate and safe drinking water and also for preserving the County’s drinking water supply. The wastewater treatment division of DEF is responsible for providing adequate wastewater treatment to 13 sanitary sewer districts and maintaining satisfactory water quality for the County of Westchester. The solid waste division of DEF is responsible for the county solid waste disposal system including a waste-to-energy plant, a recyclable materials recovery facility (MRF), and an ash fill.
First Environment and DEF have developed the overall structure of the EMS and implemented the EMS at the 120 MGD Yonkers Joint wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the largest in Westchester County. As part of the effort, First Environment provided an onsite individual to support implementation. The Yonkers Joint WWTP was certified to ISO 14001 in the summer of 2006. Implementation is currently underway at the remaining 6 WWTPs.
EPA Region 2 selected the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant to receive a 2008 Environmental Quality Award for its EMS.
