Setting%20Objectives%20and%20Targets%20to%20Achieve%20Meaningful%20Results

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Setting Objectives and Targets to Achieve
Meaningful Results

• 2008 Virginia EMS Conference
• October 7, 2008

Susan Garrison Town of Blacksburg Environmental
Manager
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OPERATIONS
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PROGRAMS
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ORDINANCES
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Environmental Policy

• Regulatory Compliance
• Pollution Prevention
• Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
• Communication with Employees and Public

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Environmental Management System

• ISO 14001
• Plan-Do-Check-Plan

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Environmental Management Program

1. Pollution Prevention
2. Regulatory Compliance
3. Education
4. Sustainability Issues
5. Formal Workgroups
6. Environmental Planning

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Pollution Prevention
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Regulatory Compliance

• Regulatory compliance audits
• MS4 Permits
• Recycling Rates
• SPCC plans
• Chemical Handling/Storage

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Education

• Employees
• Community
• Sustainability Week
• Green Home Tour
• Steppin Out
• Green Infrastructure
• Website

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Sustainability meeting the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Alternative Transportation
Open Space Preservation
Protecting Ridgelines
Alternative Fuels
Sustainable Buildings
Regional Storm Water Management
Land Use
Indoor Air Quality
Reducing Energy Needs
Energy Efficiency
Global Climate Change
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2008 Workgroups

• Watershed Management
• Urban Forestry
• Transportation
• Program Education
• Climate Protection
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
• Solid Waste
• Green Certification Programs
• Greening the Town Code
• Indoor Environmental Quality

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Environmental Management System Team

• A permanent team composed of work group leaders
  and departmental representatives, responsible for
  accomplishing the EMS objectives and targets
  under the leadership of the Environmental Manager

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Environmental Management Advisory Board

• Board ensuring the suitability, adequacy, and
  effectiveness of the Towns environmental program
  which includes the EMS, Pollution prevention, and
  Sustainability

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Environmental Aspects

• Element of an organizations activities,
  products, or services that can interact with the
  environment
• August/September identify aspects that have or
  can have a significant impact on the environment

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Environmental Aspects

• Sanitary Sewer Overflows
• Energy Use in Town Buildings
• Fuel use by Town vehicles and employee commute
• Emissions by Town vehicles and employee commute
• Solid waste produced in Town operations

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Determine the Significance

• Damage to human health
• Damage to the environment
• Consume substantial amounts of natural resources
• Loss of bio-diversity
• Produce substantial unassimilated waste
• Hinder sustainability efforts
• Adversely hinder pollution prevention efforts

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Establishing Objectives

• The significant environmental aspects
• Legal and other requirements
• Technical options
• Financial, operational, and business requirements
• Views of interested parties
• Outreach objectives

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Environmental Objective

• An overall environmental goal, arising from the
  environmental policy, that an organization sets
  itself to achieve, and which is quantifiable
  where practicable

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Workgroups

• Designation of personnel responsible for
  achieving objectives and targets
• Description of methods and means for achieving
  objectives and targets
• Establishing timeframes for completion of the
  tasks
• Train associated employees

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2007 Initiatives

• Emissions Reduction
• Town Development Code
• Solid Waste
• Chemical Use
• Urban Forestry
• Watershed Management
• Transportation
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

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Urban Forestry Workgroup Plan

• Person Responsible John Boyer, Horticulturist
• Objective Maintain healthy urban forests and
  promote planting native trees to increase shade
  and absorb CO2 .

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Goals

1. Maintain Standards and receive Tree City USA
   Award.
2. Develop inventory of trees around Town buildings
3. Research the Remarkable Tree Program
4. Develop a plan to replace trees around buildings
   that are unhealthy or that have been removed.
5. Establish tree nursery. Planting in Town parks
   will occur as instructed by the Director of PR

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Tasks (to accomplish a specific goal)

• Layout and prepare planting location (complete by
  1/06)
• Order seedlings and other supplies (complete by
  1/06)
• Plant seedlings (complete by 4/06)

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Implement Plan
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Greening the Town Code

• Objective Green the Town Code and Comprehensive
  Plan to be compatible, supportive and proactive
  in developing the Towns adopted Environmental
  Management Program.

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2008 Workgroups

• Watershed Management
• Urban Forestry
• Transportation
• Program Education
• Climate Protection
• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
• Solid Waste
• Green Certification Programs
• Greening the Town Code
• Indoor Environmental Quality

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Measure/Verify/Report Performance

• Audits
• Program
• Legal Requirements
• Reports
• Workgroup report
• DEQ VEEPS Report
• Town Council

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Feedback Loop
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Accomplishments

• Exemplary Environmental Enterprise
• 850,000 in Energy Efficiency Upgrades
• Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
• EPA Region III Grant
• National Partnership Environmental Priorities

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Watershed Management

• Storm Water Ordinance
• Storm Water Task Force
• Rain Barrel Workshop

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Transportation

• Bikeways/walkways
• Public Transportation
• Cars
• Municipal Fleet
• Bio-diesel
• Hybrids
• Green Fleet Policy

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Climate Protection

• Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
• Mayors Task Force on Climate Protection and
  Sustainability
• Greenhouse Gas Inventory
• Climate Action Plan

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Solid Waste

• Electronics Recycling
• Fluorescent Lamp Challenge
• Downtown Recycling
• Re-usable bags

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Urban Forestry

• Tree Nursery
• Tree City USA
• Ordinances

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Green Certification Programs

• Town Funded Projects
• New Construction
• Renovation
• Community

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Environmental Policy and Planning

• Short term
• Strategic
• Long range

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Short Term Environmental Goals

• Current Workgroups
• Emissions Reduction
• Watershed Management
• Solid Waste
• Town Development Code
• Transportation

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Strategic Plan

• Environmental Policy
• Mission Statement
• Action Plan
• Pollution Prevention
• Sustainability Issues

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Susan Garrison Environmental Manager Town Of
Blacksburg sgarrison_at_blacksburg.gov