Why is EPA required to have a EMS?
Executive Order (EO) 13148: Greening the Government through Leadership in Environmental Management required that by April of 2002, each Federal agency implement EMS pilot projects at selected facilities and by December 31, 2005, implement EMS at all appropriate agency facilities. The EO also directed Federal agencies to conduct an agency-wide self assessment using an accepted EMS framework by October of 2001. EPA determined that the EPA Region 10’s Seattle building and the Manchester Laboratory as appropriate facilities for EMS in the Pacific Northwest. Ron Kreizenbeck, Acting Regional Administrator, EPA Region 10 signed the “self-declaration” memorandums to EPA HQ stating that EPA Region 10 believes that the Seattle building (in June 2005) and Manchester Laboratory building (in January 2005) are in compliance with the Executive Order 13148 that requires all federal facilities to have an EMS. The buildings used by EPA’s Operation Offices may choose to comply with EMS requirements.
