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North Carolina Pork Producers - Environmental Management Systems

North Carolina Pork Producers - Environmental Management Systems . Jamie Ragan N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA).

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North Carolina Pork Producers - Environmental Management Systems

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  1. North Carolina Pork Producers - Environmental Management Systems Jamie Ragan N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA)

  2. In 2000, Smithfield Foods and Premium Standard entered into voluntary agreements to implement third party certified ISO 14001 system on company- owned farms DPPEA and NCCES offer to provide technical assistance for EMS implementation to pork producers not covered by voluntary agreement N.C. Pork Producers EMS History

  3. DPPEA receives 2001 EPA-Office of Water grant • Assessed usefulness of EMS on swine operation • Selected seven farms • Implemented and evaluated EMS • Created an online tool • blank template with examples for producers to create their own operation-specific EMS • http://www.p2pays.org/porktool/

  4. Pork EMS Tools Home What is an EMS? Getting Started Using this Tool Build the EMS Aspect/Impact Manager Environmental Management Systems for Pork Producers • What is an EMS?  • An environmental management system (EMS) is an organized approach to managing environmental impacts. An EMS:  • is voluntary;  • leads to more orderly, consistent and comprehensive environmental management; • provides standard procedures and steps designed to support continual improvement; • provides a framework for a producer to meet their environmental goals and objectives;  • increases a producer’s confidence that they are addressing all issues related to their farm’s impact on the environment;  • is dynamic and adaptable; • is results-oriented; and • emphasizes pollution prevention. • Producers who implement an EMS may also benefit from enhanced compliance, increased employee environmental awareness, improved operating efficiencies, improved public perception and better understanding of root causes of noncompliance. See potential benefits. An EMS does not: • establish additional environmental compliancerequirements. • establish any performance levels. • An EMS follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle, or PDCA, and has similar elements to quality programs farms now use. Following a PDCA model leads to continuous improvement, an important feature of an EMS. Plan - Identify environmental impacts and legal and other requirements. Establish environmental performance goals and objectives, and develop plans for addressing environmental impacts. Do - Implement plans and procedures. Establish roles and responsibilities. Check - Implement techniques for measuring progress towards goals and for addressing EMS problems and corrective/preventive actions. Establish audit processes.Act – Implement management review procedures, improvement plans, and adjustments (to goals, procedures, etc.).  An EMS takes an “umbrella” approach and considers day-to-day activities, infrequent activities (such as sludge clean-out), and potential accidents or emergencies that may impact the environment. An EMS also allows for a farm to consider cumulative impacts from various activities that combined may have more of an impact than when considered singly.  NEXT BACK N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA)1639 Mail Service Center • Raleigh NC 27699-1639 • (919) 715-6500 • (800) 763-0136Leave Feedback The online“Porktool” • Step-by-step EMS explanation and how it applies to operation • Producer/technical service providers answers specific questions about operation • Addresses all 17 elements in accordance with ISO 14001 standard • Producer/technical service providers creates EMS online with minimal previous knowledge of ISO 14001 standard

  5. Aspect/Impact Manager • AIM tool provides: • Complete listing of: • all farm activities with potential for environmental interaction • all the farm’s most significant environmental aspects and impacts ranked from highest to lowest from selected criteria • Virtual guide for what improvement goals to set to meet necessary improvements http://xapps.enr.state.nc/us/survey/index.jsp

  6. EMS for Pork Producers Workshop • DPPEA hosted pork producers workshop to discuss pilot farms’ EMS – November 2003 • Farmers spoke candidly about their EMS successes and other general thoughts • Farmers spoke about EMS’s relativity to their operation’s daily functions

  7. Farmer’s Opinion of EMS • “In my operation I had done all that was possible to identify environmental issues. However, with an operation my size this was not enough. Invariably I found myself behind the problem rather than in front of it. Although the EMS has not instantaneously corrected all of my problems, it has given me the vision needed to address environmental impacts related to my farm. Within the year I feel confident that my overall operation will be dramatically enhanced by the implementation of EMS.” • Chuck Stokes,Little Creek Hog Farm Inc.

  8. Will an EMS reduce compliance issues? • EPA-Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance (OECA) awards DPPEA new grant • Goal of grant: • evaluate effectiveness of EMS as compliance assistance tool • reduce or eliminate compliance issues • enlighten producer to all his environmental impacts

  9. North Carolina independent/contract pork producers eligible Selection based on: Diversity Environmental impact Location Compliance history Need for EMS Project understanding Commitment Openness to initiative ideas Six new participants Received recommendations from local technical assistance staff Review committee DPPEA NCSU DSWC EMS for Pork Producers Grant

  10. Grant recipients will receive: Coaches to aid in EMS development and implementation Online tool access and assistance applying them Training Networking opportunities Technical assistance Grant recipients will gain: A completed EMS Improved organizational skills Increased understanding of their environmental impacts Better knowledge of EMS EMS Pork Grant

  11. Does EMS help reduce compliance issues? • Upon completion of EMS, predetermined measures will be evaluated to examine effectiveness of EMS at reducing compliance issues • Examples of measurements: • Reduced NOVs, NODs • Enhanced operational organization • Better management of required testing (soils, lagoon waste, etc) • Improved record-keeping (mortality, rainfall, pumping, etc.)

  12. DPPEA’s Goals … • Evaluate if EMS can improve compliance • Strive for agricultural community awareness of EMS as non-technology-based tool capable of implementation on all farming operations • Provide EMS technical assistance to agricultural community

  13. Contact Information: Jamie Ragan N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance http://www.p2pays.org 1639 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1639 (919) 715-6519 jamie.ragan@ncmail.net PORKTOOL ADDRESS: http://www.p2pays.org/porktool/ AIM TOOL ADDRESS: http://xapps.enr.state.nc/us/survey/index.jsp

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