Environmental Management Systems

The most advantageous way to develop and improve an industrial company’s business is to create strong policies concerning quality standards, health and safety, and environmental management which are based on industry best practices. This requires the implementation of modern management systems, to include:

• Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
• Quality Management Systems (QMS)
• Health and Safety Management Systems (OH&S Management Systems)

ICF International provides the following services:

• Development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems in accordance with international standards
• Environmental monitoring program development

An EMS provides solutions to environmental issues through its approach on how to allocate resources, assign duties, and continually assess the methods, procedures and processes of a company. An operational environmental management system can show great economic results at a very early stage by: saving raw materials, supplies, and energy; reducing environmental fees and penalties; and reducing risks from industrial emergencies, just to name a few benefits.

The management systems shown above can be applied simultaneously or separately (time-wise and component-wise) depending on a company’s purpose and objective.

In order to demonstrate a responsible approach to assumed obligations and development, leading companies seek certification in international standards, such as ISO 14001 (for EMS), ISO 9001 (for QMS) and OHSAS 18001 (for OH&S Management Systems). Receiving certification does not imply the achievement of all management goals. On the contrary, the process of improving and reforming must be persistent, which requires renewing certifications periodically in line with existing international practice.

Environmental measures, as one part of a sustainable economic development plan, should include an environmental monitoring system which collects, processes and analyzes environmental data, as well as issues environmental forecasts.

Environmental Management System Development and Implementation at OOO Surgutgazprom

In 2004 ICF conducted Phase 1 of an environmental, health, and safety audit of the OOO Surgutgazprom in Siberia, including 17 natural gas compressor stations, 16 auxiliary facilities, and a natural gas stabilization plant. The works were performed in the cities of Surgut, Tyumen’, and Noyabr’sk. ICF assessed the company’s EMS against ISO 14000 standards, provided detailed recommendations to improve the company’s environmental performance, and rationalized the EMS to meet ISO 14000 standards. In addition, ICF developed a Draft Environmental Policy and Program on implementation of an ISO 14000-based environmental management system. In 2007 ICF conducted the next environmental compliance audit and worked out recommendations on curative measures aimed at improving the compliance status, developed and agreed a list and schedule of preparing the policy documents regulating the environmental management system at Surgutgazprom, and prepared the following draft documents: “Environmental Policy,” “Regulation on EMS Chief Manager,” “Regulation on EMS Working Group,” EMS Document Format,” etc. In addition, ICF developed and conducted a training workshop on EMS and international standards of ISO 14000 series for senior leadership of Surgutgazprom and its subsidiaries.

ISO 14000 Based Environmental Management System at OOO “Astrakhangazprom”

In 2004 ICF was contracted by Gazprom, Russia’s largest natural gas company, to develop and implement the first ISO 14000 EMS at one of its largest subsidiaries. Astrakhangazprom is comprised of a natural gas production division and natural gas processing plant staffed by 16,500 employees. This subsidiary was selected by Gazprom for the pilot EMS project due to its size and serious environmental concerns related to high levels of hydrogen sulfide content in its natural gas. Astrakhangazprom has an annual natural gas condensate production of 12 billion tones. ICF completed three phases of work: environmental compliance audit, EMS development, and EMS implementation and ISO 14000 certification.

In October 2007, the EMS developed and implemented by ICF was awarded the Vernandsky Award, Russia’s most prestigious environmental honor. Representatives from the Russian Academy of Sciences reviewed more than 100 nominations for this award. Vladimir Vernadsky (1863-1945) was a famous mineralogist and geochemist born in St. Petersburg. He was the original pioneer of biospherics for taking a global approach to ecological problems, as well as making a number of important contributions to mineralogy, geochemistry, and radiochemistry. Vernadsky believed that limiting and reducing the human impact on the biosphere was critical to the survival of the human race. While he has been relatively unknown in the west, largely due to a lack of his books and articles being translated into English and other languages, he is well known in Russia and the Ukraine with museums, streets, mountains, and awards named in his honor.