Search

Why Go “Beyond Compliance?”

Posted on 10/13/2011 by James Griffin

At Lion Technology, many of the questions we hear in our workshops and receive in our e-mails are very specific, asking about particular regulations and scenarios to figure out “I don’t want to get fined, what’s the least I can do to comply with these regulations?” While complying with regulatory mandates can often seem like a tedious, expensive chore, there are many reasons to do more than the bare minimum. A firm that goes above and beyond the standard can protect its assets in the long term, out-compete the competition, and reap the rewards of a good reputation.
 
A bare minimum approach may limit your costs in the short run, but can expose you to more risk over time. For example, the strict liability clause of CERCLA (the Superfund Act) means that if any product your firm ever had a hand in is found at an uncontrolled hazardous waste site, the EPA can hold your business responsible for cleanup costs whether or not you broke a law or violated a regulation.
 
Would you rather set the bar for your industry or struggle to meet someone else’s standards? Historically, those industries that caused the most pervasive environmental damage are on the receiving end of the earliest, most stringent, and most prescriptive regulations that come out of a new program. On the other hand, businesses that are the first to reduce pollution can set the standards for their industry.
 
The overarching goal of all environmental regulation is to protect the health of the nation and the vitality of the environment. Government mandates and regulations only describe the minimum limits for environmental protection. Anything you do to reduce pollution or protect the environment beyond those minimums can pay for itself with the value of a good reputation and relationships with the community.
 
How Do You Go Beyond Compliance? 
On December 15, 2005, then Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Stephen L. Johnson, signed a position paper encouraging industry to voluntarily implement environmental management systems. This paper was later published in the Federal Register on February 2, 2006 (71 FR 5664-5665).
 
An environmental management system is a set of policies and practices designed to mitigate an organization’s impact on the environment. While there are many options, the best-known one is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)’s “ISO 14000” program. Global companies are already under pressure to be “ISO 14000 certified” While the certification process is potentially long and expensive, once completed it reaps benefits both abroad (by being able to do business in Europe) and domestically (by establishing your green credentials).
 

Tags: best, EPA, practices

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

The online course was well thought out and organized, with good interaction between the student and the course.

Larry Ybarra

Material Release Agent

Amazing instructor; real-life examples. Lion training gets better every year!

Frank Papandrea

Environmental Manager

Lion courses are the standard to which all other workshops should strive for!

Brody Saleen

Registered Environmental Health Specialist

We have a very busy work schedule and using Lion enables us to take the course at our own time. It makes it easy for me to schedule my employees' training.

Timothy Mertes

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Well designed and thorough program. Excellent summary of requirements with references. Inclusion of regulations in hard copy form, as well as full electronic with state pertinent regulations included is a great bonus!

Oscar Fisher

EHS Manager

One of the best trainings I have ever received!

Brandon Morfin

EH&S Manager

I really enjoy your workshops. Thank you for such a great program and all the help Lion has provided me over the years!

George Chatman

Hazardous Material Pharmacy Technician

This training broke down the regulations in an easy-to-understand manner and made them less overwhelming. I now feel I have the knowledge to make more informed decisions.

Amanda Oswald

Shipping Professional

Energetic/enthusiastic! Made training enjoyable, understandable and fun!

Amanda Walsh

Hazardous Waste Professional

The instructor's energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the subject make the class a great learning experience!

Brian Martinez

Warehouse Operator

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

A guide to developing standard operating procedures, or SOPs, that help you select, manage, and audit your hazmat agents and contractors.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.