| Policy |
Objective
/ Target |
Reported
Information |
| Energy
and Resources Use |
| We
will manage and protect our renewable resources to ensure
sustained yield and multiple use. |
Reduce
the percentage of original natural material required in
packaging by 50%. |
A
team was established to ensure that packaging practices
are state-of-the-art in terms of design, materials and
waste minimization.
Original
natural material in packaging was reduced by 55% by
switching from cardboard with 30% recycled material
to 70% recycled material for our packaging and reducing
the number of cardboard dividers in the package. This
project has reduced packing waste by approximately 6
tonnes annually and reduced packaging costs by $XX.
|
| We
will minimize the intrusion on the environment to recover
non-renewable resources and restore sites to their original
condition. |
Establish
a facility that recovers non-renewable resources from
existing products. |
The
department processed over YY tonnes of recyclable material
containing base and precious metals. We are also working
closely with our contractors to recycle used durable products
that currently go to landfill sites. |
| We
will minimize energy consumption in operations. |
| Reduce
electricity consumption by 10% and gas consumption
by 6% |
|
| Refurbish
the office lighting, heating and cooling systems
to reduce energy consumption. |
|
| We
fell short of our goal due to unforeseen power outages
and shutdowns, and new equipment start-ups. We expect
new energy efficiently projects, however, such as
the co-generation facility at Site M, to put us
back on target. |
| Energy
management programs resulted in emissions reductions
of YY tonnes of carbon dioxide. |
| A
new office lighting system reduced energy consumption
by YY and saved the bureau/department $XX. |
|
| Pollution
Prevention |
| We
will minimize discharges and emissions of contaminants
to air, water and land arising from our laboratory operations. |
| Reduce
air emissions (of substance X) by 10% from prior
year. |
| Reduce
water discharges (of substance Y) by 6% from prior
year. |
| Build
a new water treatment plant to treat water before
it is discharged in the environment at Laboratory
A. |
|
| Tonnes
of substance A released in air emissions - this
year and last year. |
| Tonnes
of substance B discharged in effluents - this year
and last year. |
| New
water treatment plant, costing $XX, was put into
operation during the year, removing an additional
YY tonnes of substance C prior to discharging the
water back into the environment. |
|
| We
will promote reuse, recycling and by-product recovery
and disposal of remaining wastes will be done in an environmentally
safe manner. |
50%
of the construction materials will be packaged in reusable
containers or in recyclable materials. |
Redesigned
transport packaging for re-use reducing waste by XX tonnes.
Equipment is being installed to increase the content of
old corrugated containers to 100%. |
| We
will search for technology to reduce and eliminate waste
from our operations. |
Establish
a waste elimination team to investigate best available
technologies. |
The
bureau/department established a waste elimination team
during the year. A survey was developed and sent to all
operating units to gather information about the technology,
used and materials and energy efficiency. The team will
analyze results and make recommendations in the coming
year. |
| Scientific
and technological innovation will be supported to enhance
environmental and economic well-being. |
Commit
$XX to research and development activities to design products
that can be reused, recycled or safely disposed of. |
Our
research and development efforts have largely focused
on environmental issues directly related to product design.
During the year, the bureau/department worked on two main
projects, at a cost of $XX.
Laboratory
A was used to test a new method for removing contaminants
from plastic waste. The recompounded material is used
at Facility B. The net savings are projected at $XX
per year.
|
| Environmental
Management |
| We
will conduct operation audits on a regular basis and initiate
action plans, where required, to ensure compliance with
the bureau/department environmental policy and government
regulations. |
Conduct
5 site audits each year. |
Audits
are performed at all major facilities and operations at
least once every three years. Five audits were completed
in the past year in accordance with our plans. |
| Audit
results were reviewed with location management and action
plans developed to address all deficiencies. Progress
against plans is reviewed on a regular basis. |
| Operations
or Programmes |
| We
will determine the potential environmental liabilities
of a property or land being developed. |
All
property and land developed will be subject to an environmental
assessment where appropriate. |
The
bureau/department has budgeted a total of $XX annually
for 6 years, which can only be used to pay for environmental
assessments. |
| We
will identify activities and developments that are harmful
or potentially harmful to people and the environment with
alternatives that minimize social and ecological costs
over their life-time. |
Establish
management processes to introduce environmental analyses
and maintain awareness of evolving best practices in new
programmes or operation. |
The
xxx job responsibilities were revised to include a review
of the environmental impact of new programmes or operations
and to explore possibilities for reducing any harmful
effects. |
| Purchasing
and Contracting |
| We
will expect high environmental standards from our suppliers. |
Develop
a package containing information about the bureau or department's
environmental and purchasing policies and send it to all
major suppliers. |
Suppliers
information package sent to 150 major suppliers. |
| Education
and Training |
| We
will develop understanding among all employees of their
responsibilities and assign the necessary authority. |
Increase
employee and management participation in training and
workshops by 5%. |
More
than 2000 employees participated in environmental awareness
and training sessions. This brings the total training
coverage in the last three years to 80% of the workforce,
up from 63% last year. |
| Develop
introductory and advanced training courses. |
A
general environmental awareness program was developed
and presented to all personnel at all plant locations. |
| An
advanced training program was developed and presented
to all managers with plant level responsibility for complying
with environmental policy and legislative requirements. |
| Workshops
were held with drivers to discuss emergency response programs
and legislative requirements in the event a spill occurs
when product is in transport. |
| Compliance |
| We
will conduct all construction activities in a manner which
places a premium on effective planning, careful monitoring
and timely mitigation. |
Conduct
regular inspections at all sites. |
Regular
inspections were conducted at all sites. |
| Develop
a detailed plan for dealing with environmental accidents
and emergencies at Site A and Site B. |
Emergency
response plans and a crisis management team has been established
at Site A and Site B. Emergency response drills took place
to ensure staff were familiar with the new procedures. |
| We
will comply with environmental laws and regulations at
all times and in the event of difficulties these will
be reported to the regulatory authorities without delay. |
Achieve
100% compliance with environmental laws and regulations. |
Five
water discharge locations were 100% in compliance in 19XX. |
| Four
other had compliance levels averaging between 95-100%.
All these operations have corrective action plans in place.
|
| Six
spills of untreated water occurred due to pump failures.
More pumps have been added to increase the water handling
capacity of the water treatment system. |
| Communications |
| We
will report regularly to our directors on our environmental
status. |
Present
a quarterly report to the directors on environmental status
and significant findings from the environmental audit
program. |
Quarterly
reports were presented to the directors by the Green Manager.
Significant items requiring the directors' attention included
the impact of proposed regulation X on activity Y and
programme C. |
| We
will communicate openly about our environmental policy,
practices and performance. |
Prepare
an environmental report for public distribution annually. |
This
is our third year in which we have reported on environmental
performance in a separate publication. This report is
used to inform our staff, suppliers, and the community
in which we operate about our commitment to the environment
and how we are fulfilling that commitment. |
| We
will keep the facilities open to our community and involve
them in plant operations. |
| Nominate
an environmental contact person at all operational
sites. |
| Establish
a community advisory panel for the facilities. |
|
| Further
information on each site can be obtained by contacting
the people listed at the end of this report. |
| A
community advisory panel was established and is
composed of school board and police representatives,
as well as other interested individuals in the community. |
|
|