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Located in central Virginia Established as a town in 1762; independent City since 1888

Located in central Virginia Established as a town in 1762; independent City since 1888 10.4 square miles 40,000 inhabitants (excluding UVA student population). Charlottesville’s Reasons for Adopting an EMS.

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Located in central Virginia Established as a town in 1762; independent City since 1888

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  1. Located in central Virginia • Established as a town in 1762; independent City since 1888 • 10.4 square miles • 40,000 inhabitants (excluding UVA student population)

  2. Charlottesville’s Reasons for Adopting an EMS • Complex regulatory environment and a need for compliance assurance (regional examples opened eyes of local officials) • Credibility and accountability with both community and regulators (EMS approach is promoted by both EPA and Virginia DEQ) • Need to capture institutional knowledge to deal with turnover of staff • Need to quickly adjust to changing operations • Desire for the City to be an innovator and leader in environmental stewardship • Minimize environmental impacts and maximize improvements

  3. Goal: Compliance, Pollution Prevention and Continual Improvement through Sustainable Operations Charlottesville’s Reasons for Adopting an EMS

  4. Our EMS is a program, not a project …a cycle aimed at continual improvement

  5. First Cycle:Significant Aspects • Wastewater generation from vehicle and equipment washing • Potential spills from bulk fuel storage and use • Potential releases and reactions from chemical storage and use • Thermal reactions from vegetative debris management • Runoff from pesticide/herbicide/insecticide application • Water consumption from various activities

  6. First Cycle: Objectives and Targets & Management • Guidelines and restrictions on vehicle and equipment washing to minimize stormwater impacts • Bulk Fuel Storage Management(Tanks and drums) • Chemical Management Program (City-wide) • Water Consumption Management • Vegetative Debris Management

  7. First Cycle: Compliance and pollution prevention oriented improvements Second Cycle: More environmental improvements & leadership projects

  8. Unexpected Successes • The EMS has served as a forum for raising other workplace and management issues. The effectiveness of an EMS as a management tool beyond an environmental tool has been seen. It has been a vehicle for dialogue. • Employees “feel good” that management wants to improve their work environment and protect the natural environment • Employees have internalized EMS to a surprising degree • Visibility to the City’s environmental commitment • Tremendous citizen support

  9. What have we gained from our EMS efforts? • Enhanced compliance posture • Improved recordkeeping • Citywide chemical management program being implemented • Citywide storage tanks management program • Parks and Recreation water consumption baseline…water conservation opportunities are clearer and will be measurable

  10. What have we gained from our EMS efforts? • Enhanced internal communication, training, and documentation of institutional (“tribal”) knowledge • Environmental awareness at a level not previously seen • Current and future projects are being linked to EMS (e.g., electric golf carts, integrated pest management, demonstration rain gardens, stream buffer enhancement, chemical constituent review.) • Environmental Excellence (E2) designation from Virginia DEQ and other public recognition

  11. “Under the Umbrella”

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