Just came across a great plain language version of ISO 14001:2004, definitely our cup of tea.

For example, the plain language version of the two sections relevant to Nimonik (section 4.3.2 and 4.5.2) are clearer, though slightly longer, than the official version.

Nimonik has two partners who can help you get up to speed on ISO 14001 without all the paperwork. In Toronto, contact Shirley Segev (shirley@greenmark.ca) who works with Green Enterprise Toronto. Outside of Toronto, visit our friends at ISO 14000 store where they offer useful documents and tools to build your own EMS or go DOWNLOAD some free EMS documents to get you started.

Official ISO 14001 version:

4.3.2 Legal and other requirements

The organization shall establish, implement and maintain a procedure(s)

• to identify and have access to the applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes related to its environmental aspects, and
• to determine how these requirements apply to its environmental aspects.

The organization shall ensure that these applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the
organization subscribes are taken into account in establishing, implementing and maintaining its environmental
management system.

4.5.2 Evaluation of compliance

4.5.2.1 Consistent with its commitment to compliance, the organization shall establish, implement and maintain a procedure(s) for periodically evaluating compliance with applicable legal requirements.

The organization shall keep records of the results of the periodic evaluations.

4.5.2.2 The organization shall evaluate compliance with other requirements to which it subscribes. The organization may wish to combine this evaluation with the evaluation of legal compliance referred to in 4.5.2.1 or to establish a separate procedure(s).
The organization shall keep records of the results of the periodic evaluations.

Plain Language version:

4.3.2 Clarify legal and other requirements.

1. Establish procedures to identify and clarify the legal and other requirements that apply to your organization’s environmental aspects.

• Implement procedures to identify and clarify the legal and other requirements that apply to your environmental aspects.
• Maintain procedures to identify and clarify the legal and other requirements that apply to your environmental aspects.

4.5.2 Evaluate legal and other compliance.

4.5.2.1 Evaluate compliance with legal requirements.

1. Establish a procedure to periodically evaluate how well your organization complies with all relevant legal environmental requirements.

• Implement a procedure to periodically evaluate how well your organization complies with all relevant legal environmental requirements.
• Maintain a procedure to periodically evaluate how well your organization complies with all relevant legal environmental requirements.

1. Record the results of your organization’s legal environmental compliance evaluations.

4.5.2.2 Evaluate compliance with other requirements.

• Implement a procedure to periodically evaluate how well your organization complies with other environmental requirements.
• Maintain a procedure to periodically evaluate how well your organization complies with other environmental requirements.

1. Record the results of your organization’s other environmental compliance evaluations.

Establish a procedure to periodically evaluate how well your organization complies with other environmental requirements.

The minister of the environment (MOE) of Ontario, John Gerretsen, just spoke at an Ontario Environment Industries Association (ONEIA) event in Toronto. He discussed a number of things, but focused mainly on the Green Act and it’s implications for the Ontario economy. Clearly a forward thinking man, he insists the environment industry will play a large role in any economic recovery by offering practical solutions with quicker than expected payback periods.

Specifically, the Green Energy Act proposes to have a one (1) permit system to help projects cut through the red, or as the minister calls it, green tape. Right now, you need at least 4-6 permits from the MOE to get a project of the ground. While permitting procedures may be cumbersome, the minister maintains that Ontario has had it easy compared to the rest of the world. Low energy costs, vast resources and a small population have allowed wasteful practices to go unpunished. To help with the new, but simpler requirements, the MOE will offer facilitation services to businesses, though it is still unclear what this entails.

Ontario certainly has ambitious goals, the list includes a 6 month permit approval timeframe on their 1 permit system, the removal of coal plants from the Ontario grid by 2016 (coal currently accounts for 1/6 of electricity), 50 000 new green jobs this year, zero waste companies, rehabilitate Lake Simcoe and a strong solar power industry. As the minister said, society needs ambitious goals to hope to even achieve part of them.

The ministry is also introducing new Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste Management programs. On top of this, as chairman of the Council of Canadian Ministers of the Environment (CCME), Mr. Gerretsen is pushing national packaging standards forward. We all know there is too much bad packaging on our products. The ministry is also reaching out internationally, particularly to Europe and the Dutch to exchange technologies on brownfield rehabilitation and water contamination. The cherry on the top of the proverbial cake is a plan to introduce a carbon cap-and-trade plan in conjunction with the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) and Québec – which would then put pressure on Obama and Harper to quickly follow suit with a North American standard. Ontario can lead, but the rest of us have to follow.

At the same event on Thursday, Alex Gill from the ONEIA announced it will be surveying Ontario companies to better understand the environment industry, it’s priorities, challenges, and opportunities. This report is expected to be released April 29th, in conjunction with the Environment Industry Day.

All told, it looks like Ontario, Canada’s industrial giant, has woken up to the possibilities of a green(er) economy. Now, we will see if this giant can walk and talk at the same time.

Canadian Environmental Regulations are getting stricter and broader by the day. We are here to help, but some companies are taking very proactive action (see this article from the Harvard Business Review). The first step to moving beyond compliance, is to understand the laws and regulations affecting your business – and even more importantly, staying on top of changes. Without that knowledge, how can you move beyond compliance? 

Though the article mentioned above applies mainly to the United States, it is very valid here in Canada. By proactively reducing your greenhouse gas emissions (Notice with respect to reporting of greenhouse gases (GHGs) for 2008), waste generation (Reg 347 in Ontario) and use of dangerous goods (Federal TDG Regulations, National Fire Code) – you expose your operations to less risk and lower management costs. If you are serious about your green image and environmental performance it is clear that understanding regulations is the bedrock of any sustainability initiative.