Environmental Management Systems:
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performance
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Standing Ground in a Stampede of
Regulations and Safety Concerns
Meat processing plant operations in the U.S. face a wide
range of new and changing regulatory requirements, And
it won't get any easier, Heightened concerns about the
deliberate biological, chemical, or radiological contamination
of the nation's food supply are challenging the industry to
preserve consumer confidence in food safety—from the
safety of the supplied animals to the final product,
High employee turnover and encroaching residential areas
are equally important challenges as processing plants
struggle with properly training employees and concerns
within their communities,
Many meat processing facilities have found a way to remain
competitive in this tight-fisted and uncertain era through the
use of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs),
Companies such as Advance Brands, Excel Corporation,
Farmland Foods, Humbolt Sausage, Smithfield Foods and
West Liberty Foods are already taking advantage of EMSs
to improve their businesses' effectiveness,
Meat processing facilities have already realized the
following benefits by implementing an EMS:
• Reduced operating costs;
• Improved environmental compliance;
• Improved internal communication;
• A bolstered corporate image; and
• Enhanced environmental decision-making,
If your facility is looking for a proven, efficient way
to improve your environmental performance while
improving your bottom line, an EMS may be right
for you.
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Environmental Management System (EMS)
Fundamentals
An EMS weaves environmental decision-making into the
fabric of a meat processor's business, facilitating compli-
ance while improving overall performance, Like the
Quality Management Systems used at many meat pro-
cessing facilities, an EMS' systematic approach allows
facilities to be more efficient, more competitive, and
better able to meet crucial challenges, such as
increased security While each EMS is unique, most
follow the Plan-Do-Check-Act model,
Continual
Improvement
A Plan-Do-Check-Act approach
establishes a framework to
examine the environmental
aspects of your facility, then
develop, implement, monitor,
review, and revise the facility's
environmental procedures
over time to promote continual
improvement,
Many facilities already have compo-
nents of an EMS in place that they can
build upon, such as written and unwritten procedures,
practices, and environmental training, Your facility may also
want to consider integrating safety, quality, maintenance,
public relations, and other facets of your business into one
integrated system,
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Evaluate Your Operations for Opportunities
to Reduce Costs
Many meat processing facilities that have implemented an
EMS have experienced significant cost savings attributed to:
• Lowered energy usage, resource conservation, and
reduced material inputs;
• Reduced wastes and associated disposal costs; and
• Minimized redundant paperwork and reporting costs,
These cost reductions can be used to help facilities
compete with domestic and international facilities—either
by reducing overhead costs or by freeing up funds for
investments in the facilities or employees, Upfront costs
for an EMS can be quickly recovered through EMS' identi-
fication of money-saving pollution prevention initiatives and
opportunities for continuous improvement in your operations,
An EMS can identify opportunities for environmental
improvements and help you weigh associated costs and
benefits to make an informed decision, According to
Mike DeMarr of West Liberty Foods, the facility's EMS-
V
prompted decision to begin a new recycling and compost-
ing program "has reduced landfill costs by 35%, saving us
between $2,000 and $3,000 per month," An EMS can
also reduce future liabilities and manage risks as potential
environmental problems are identified early and resolved,
"Our EMS process influenced us to
introduce aeration at our wastewater
treatment plant and we're projecting
annual savings of $300,000. We also
installed a new sludge press that we
expect to save us $150,000 per year
and a plastic waste compactor that
should save us $100,000 per year."
—DaveFrotz, Excel Corporation
"Through our EMS we were able to
make a significant improvement by
using less chemicals to treat
wastewater. We're proposing to cut
our caustic use in half, reducing our
chemical use by 27,000 gallons for
annual savings of $56,000. We're also
working with our sanitation
department to recycle or reuse our
cardboard. We expect significant
future savings."
—SueLeaverton, Advance Brands
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Systematically Facilitate
Environmental Compliance
American meat processors face an array of environment
regulations, An EMS' systematic approach can bring a
sense of order to the environmental compliance process
Many facilities with EMSs agree that they now have
greater assurance about maintaining environmental com-
pliance, As noted by Terry Mott of Humboldt Sausage,
"One of the major benefits of our EMS so far is the
improved ability to track—to see where we are weak and
improve upon those areas,"
By implementing an EMS, your facility can stay in compli-
ance with environmental regulations, avoid violations and
fines that can damage your public image, and keep an
eye on the future,
"The EMS has definitely improved our
environmental performance in terms
of wastewater. It also has helped us
keep our paperwork in line and has
made us more confident during
audits of our facility."
—Sue Leaverton, Advance Brands
'An EMS is a framework that peopl.
can grab hold of to capture
information about various and
complex environmental regulations,
to determine their environmental
aspects, and then determine the
significance of them."
—jeffFiagle, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
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Enhance Internal Communication to
Encourage Environmental Responsibility
Effective communication among your facility's employees
plays a critical role in improving your environmental per-
formance and can also lead to increased employee
morale and elevated employee retention rates,
Meat processing facilities that communicate well internally
often boast more informed, involved, and proactive
employees who not only implement their assigned parts of
the EMS, but who suggest other potential areas for
improvement or cost-saving opportunities, To encourage
environmental responsibility, Smithfield Foods assigned
every employee at their farms an environmental-related
job, from not letting something go down a drain to not
throwing something into the waste chain, According to
Dennis Treacy at Smithfield Foods, "It makes the program
work and helps prevent problems instead of having to
clean up after them,"
Facilities such as Excel Corporation, Advance Brands
and others reported improved internal morale as a
direct result of their EMS,
"Our employees were excited
about the value they were
able to bring to the company ,
by helping to implement EMS."
—DaveFrotz, Excel Corporation
"Our EMS has really helped employees
become more aware of environmental
issues. Morale has improved since
employees now realize that our
company cares and is being proactive
in terms of the environment."
—Sue Leaverton, Advance Brands
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Take a Proactive Stance on the Environment
to Bolster Your Facility's Image
By sharing information about your environmental perform-
ance with your community, customers, and state, you
can build credibility and trust, An EMS will help you
establish a dialogue with those directly impacted by your
facility's operations,
According to Sue Leaverton of Advance Brands, EMS
opened lines of communication with local officials, the
environmental community, and environmental regulators,
Says Ms, Leaverton, "Our communication with city officials
has improved since initiation of the EMS,"
Your facility can build a positive relationship with regulators
by taking advantage of available state and national pro-
grams, States such as Texas and Virginia and national
programs such as the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's National Environmental Performance Track offer
incentives ranging from public recognition to regulatory
flexibility to facilities that consistently perform beyond regu-
latory compliance,
"Facilities that implement an EMS
embrace pollution prevention as a
way to achieve their long-term goal
of reducing environmental impact-
it's a win-win process. Through an
EMS, facilities can potentially
downsize their environmental
footprint, become more efficient,
and save money."
—JeffFiagle, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
"EMS, and the process of receiving ISO
certification (including third-party
audits of the performance of our EMS),
give credibility to our environmental
programs, and reinforce our image and
commitment to sound environmental
performance and management."
—Dennis Treacy, Smi tit field Foods
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Lead Environmental Decision-Making
at Your Facility
Your participation in the environmental decision-making
process can ensure that your facility's environmental policy
is relevant, that your facility is meeting its regulatory obliga-
tions, and that it is applying resources appropriately The
senior management review process established by an
EMS ensures your continued involvement in environmental
decisions and can lead to improved operations and
reduced liabilities,
Facilities that have implemented an EMS have noted
increased senior management involvement in establishing
metrics, plans, and results,
"The elevation of the importance of
environmental programs is definitely
a benefit of EMS. EMS gives the
company a formal process to seize
upon and rally around. Because our
top management is 100% behind this
effort, our employees don't have to
worry about hitting a wall when trying
to implement environmental
processes—they just keep moving
the chain and finish the project."
—Dennis Treacy, Smithfield Foods
"Since starting the EMS process, we
have established monthly
environmental team meetings
attended by our top management."
—Sue Leaverton, Advance Brands
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Get Started with Environmental
Management Systems
Now that you've learned how an EMS can reduce costs,
improve your business processes, and enhance your
internal and external communication, here are steps you
can take to get started,
Take Advantage of Assistance and Tools
Tailored to Meat Processors
To begin developing your facility's own customized EMS,
visit EPA's Sector Strategies Web site at
www.epa.gov/sectors/agribusiness for an EMS
implementation guide created specifically for the meat
processing industry You can also find many resources
related to EMS development and implementation as well
as a list of Technical Assistance Providers near you on
EPA's EMS Web site at www.epa.gov/ems/, Other
organizations, such as state environmental agencies and
universities, may also offer EMS expertise,
Start Small and Build Momentum
An EMS is based on common sense and intuitive business
decisions, Learn from the tools listed above, then start
by taking small, doable steps and build momentum from
there, To be effective, you'll need proactive involvement
from senior management, front- ine workers, and super-
visors throughout your facility, Keep the big picture in
mind, but define reasonable expectations, set goals and
time frames in line with your expectations, then monitor
progress, making corrections where necessary,
Capitalize on any elements of an EMS your facility may
already have in place to advance to the next level in
environmental management,
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Meat Processing Facilities Already
Implementing EMS
Advance Brands
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
www. advancebrands, com
Humboldt Sausage Company
Humboldt, Iowa
www, smgmeats.com
fl CsnJiD rotate OJTVWT
Excel Corporation
Wichita, Kansas
www.excelmeats.com
Smith/ield
Smithfield Foods
Smithfield, Virginia
www, sm ithf ieldfoods, com
Farmland
Farmland Foods, Inc.
Kansas City, Missouri
www, farmlandfood, com
West Liberty Foods
West Liberty, Iowa
www.wlfoods.com
Photographs used in this business case are courtesy of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the
USDA Online Photography Center.
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Discover what other leading meat processors
across the country are finding—
EMS is a
GOOQ Business
Decision
_^s a former regulator, and now business
executive, I am convinced that EMS strategies
at any level improve the environment, save
money, and streamline operations.
-Dennis Treacy, Smithfield Foods
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SectorStrategies
V—x
Insight • Innovation • Results
visit www.epa.gov/sectors or contact your trade association
October 2003
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