A

PROJECT REPORT

ON

“Role of Manager in Environment

Management”
P
Consulting Prof. – Aswani

Submitted By:
Seema Suryawanshi (M-24)
Prasad Sakru (M-19)
Tejas Panchal(F-17)
The changing role of the environmental manager - Business and the Environment

Environmental management is vital to the very survival of almost any business.

Consumers and lawmakers are showing increasing concern about the "green" reputation
of a company. Virtually every industry is subject to pervasive regulation of waste
disposal. The media routinely report about massive write-offs for major corporations that
have become susceptible to environmental liabilities. Many smaller companies have
sought bankruptcy protection or have become barely viable as a result of these costs.

Even after a firm declares bankruptcy, environmental agencies demand greater priority
than all other creditors. Acquiring a reputation as a polluter creates regulatory problems
that later create operating difficulties, not only with environmental agencies, but with
securities regulators and investors as a result of required disclosures. A tarnished
reputation can also hinder expansions or modifications of plants and facilities.

Firms that do not make any effort to manage environmental affairs will manage poorly
and incur great costs.

There were few environmental managers prior to the environmental revolution in the
1970s. Because such issues were not financially significant to most businesses, the
majority of people concentrating on this area were technicians. With the increasing
importance and financial significance of federal legislation, environmental management
positions became emphasized and upgraded. Many former activists from the 1960s, who
accepted positions in regulated industries, brought an environmental ethic to industry, as
well as an understanding of the difference between "scientific truth" and "regulatory
truth."

We have since become more sophisticated in our understanding of the causes and effects
of pollution. As a result, we are able to detect pollutants in increasingly small amounts
and concentrations. But we have failed to recognize broader regulatory and social policy
implications.

When the original Clean Water Act of 1972 targeted a goal of zero pollution, pollutants
could be detected at the parts-per-million level. Today, we can often detect pollutants
down to parts-per-quadrillion. Many regulators show private concern that the new
sophisticated detection equipment has become available because of the regulatory
problems the equipment creates. The public often cannot discern the difference between
harmful quantities and detectable quantities: the mere presence of a carcinogen or
hazardous pollutant suffices to cause concern. Many citizens will accept only "zero" or
"background" levels.

As public pressure mounts to limit toxics and hazardous wastes to zero or background
levels, greater emphasis will be placed on regulating these materials. At the same time,
corporations, whose current watchword is "cost-effective," have begun to emphasize
reducing operating costs. Both these goals can be complementary: If toxics and wastes
can be eliminated, operating costs can be reduced. However, American industry needs to
seek not just cost-effective programs, but also more effective ways of managing
environmental programs.

Senior management must recognize that environmental management can be a "profit

center," for it provides opportunities to reduce both present and future costs. Management
also must realize that compliance represents only a small portion of good environmental
management.

Resolving compliance issues frees managers from spending time on environmental

concerns, allowing them to focus on the business itself. On the other hand, a reduced
emphasis on compliance could lead financially oriented managers to curtail or reorient
the funds spent on environmental functions. Thus, the environmental manager is
challenged to keep staffing and costs "lean and mean" while maintaining an organization
fully capable of dealing with environmental management challenges.

Environment Management by Reliance Power

Environment Management by Reliance Power ensures the maintenance of the standards

set down to control pollution of the natural surroundings and safeguard the planet from
the threats of industrial wastes. Reliance Power Projects have installed various upgraded
machines in the power plants to ensure that the environmental norms are maintained.
Moreover, the projects also included plantation of trees for the benefit of the
environment.

Exemplifying the endeavors of Reliance Power in Environment Management is the

Dahanu Thermal Power Station. Acknowledged for its excellent performance in
environment management, the Dahanu power plant showcases the array of technology
used to curb water, air, noise and soil pollution. The restrictions formulated by the
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board are strictly adhered to by this power station.

Environment Management- the programs

Various plans have been devised and implemented to lessen the effect of the power plants
on the surrounding area and its natural environment. Some of them are as follows:

• The installation of the Electrostatic Precipitator for the collection of fly ash.
• Use of burners that produce less NO x.
• Coal with a low amount of ash and sulphur is imported and washed before
putting into the burner.
• Arrangements to spray water to block coal dust particles.
• The installation of 275.34 m stack so that the particulate matter can be dispersed
in a better way.
 • System to extract coal dust from air has been put into use. Fresh air is let in
through the ventilation system installed in the power plant.

Water Treatment Plants and Systems

The solid waste produced in the power plant is managed by the three treatment plants
namely Ash Handling Plant, Domestic Effluent Treatment Plants and Ash Utilization. The
Domestic Effluent Treatment Plants also put a check on water pollution. Other water
pollution control measures include the following:

• Chambers to neutralize the water containing hydrochloric acid and caustic soda.
• Surface ponds to equalize the effluents from the power plant.
• Zig-Zag channel as well as seawater is used to cool the water before dispensing it
into the creek.
• The Boiler Blow Down Effluent System.

Monitoring the environmental parameters

The electronic equipments installed in the following stations to monitor the maintenance
of environmental restrictions:

• Stations to monitor Fixed Ambient Air.

• Station to check Ambient Weather.
• Online Analyzers to monitor Chimney Emission.
• Stations to check Mobile Ambient Air.

Along with the use of upgraded technology to check the environmental

parameters, the power stations are put under the manual monitoring as well.
Reliance Power, with the use of modern technology, ensures the protection and
management of the environmental surroundings.
 Hydro Power – The Green Power

All River Valley Projects Irrigation Power and Multipurpose, began to be referred to the
Govt. of India for environmental clearance in 1978. The objective of environmental
impact assessment is to ensure that development proceeds hand-in-had with ecological
preservation so as to achieve sustained growth.

The objective of considering environmental aspects as integral part of development

projects is to achieve:

• Sustained development with minimum environmental degradation.

• Prevention of long-term environmental side effects by incorporating
mitigative measures.

Environment Management In BBMB Projects

All the three-river valley projects managed by BBMB i.e. Bhakra-Nangal, BSL Project
and Beas Dam Project were planned and executed before 1978 when environmental
clearance from Govt. of India was made mandatory.

The EIA studies of BBMB Projects show that the beneficial impacts of BBMB Projects
are much more compared to the negative impacts. Bhakra and Beas Projects being the
multi-purpose projects have brought ‘Green Revolution’ in the country. Bhakra And
Beas Reservoirs have saved the regional ecology from the devastating floods. These
Reservoirs have provided a source of tourism and fish production enhancement. In
addition, BBMB Projects brought socio-economic upliftment of the Region by way of
enhanced employment opportunities on BBMB Projects, better energy and irrigation
facilities, enhanced industrialization, ecological improvement in the downstream areas of
the dams due to non-devastation of floods etc.

Green & Industrial Revolution

BBMB also started studying and evaluating the post-construction status of environmental
components and assessing the impacts, if any, for short-term and long-term mitigative
measures.

BBMB is also evaluating and improving the environmental status for all the project
colonies under its management in respect of potable water, waste water, solid waste
management and hospital wastes etc.

BBMB is improving ecological environment by ‘Plantation Programme’ undertaken

every year on BBMB spare land, maintaining gardens, terraces, fringe areas of the
reservoirs, project colonies etc. by developing its own horticulture-wings at project
stations.

Ecological Improvement

Under ‘Environmental Upgradation Programme’, BBMB assigned a project to NEERI,

Nagpur in 1999 to undertake ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ (EIA) studies and to
prepare the ‘Environmental Management Plan’ (EMP) for silt disposal from BSL
Project. HP State Pollution Control Board, HP I&PH Department, HP Civil Authorities
(Mandi District) and the public at large were associated in the study to have the practical,
fair and techno-economic solution of the problem. The ‘Final Report’ of the Institute was
received in December, 2000.

The report of the Committee was discussed in the 176th meeting of BBMB held on
12.11.2001 in which it was approved to implement the short term mitigation measures as
recommended by NEERI at a cost of Rs. 182.80 lacs. It was also decided in the said
meeting that studies would be carried out for identifying the least cost item option with
respect to Long Term Measure.

BBMB’s pursuit under Environment Management

• To undertake the studies for implementation of NEERI Report for safe

disposal of silt from BSL Project.
• To give guidelines to Chief Engineers to conduct regular meetings with stake-
holders of Environmental Projects and the public for redressal of their
problems/grievances and to maintain harmony with them.
• Setting up of fully equipped central laboratories at all project stations for
conducting silt analysis, chemical and bacteriological tests for checking the
performance of potable water, treatment plants, sewage treatment plants etc.
• Identification of green belts & development of parks, nurseries, gardens in the
spare land of BBMB.
• To check encroachments along the roads to stop choking of drains, supply
lines, sewer lines etc.
• To prepare proper solid waste management plans for its safe and scientific
disposal around the project areas.
• To prepare ‘Catchment Area Treatment’ and ‘Fringe Area Treatment’
plans and to implement the plans while coordinating with H.P. Govt.
Authorities.
• To remain in touch with H.P. and Central Pollution Control Boards for latest
guidelines, innovations, instructions in the environment field.
• To start an ‘Awareness Programme’ among BBMB employees to plant more
and more trees/plants around their residences/colonies.
• To attend seminars, publish papers relating to the steps undertaken and results
gained and to conduct pilot studies, if found necessary.
• Environmental Upgradation of Power Plants and Project Colonies by having
‘ISO:14000 Certification’, for which action has been initiated.
The Role of the Environmental Manager in Green Engineering and Design: survey

Originally, the activities of the environmental manager in industry were performed at the
loading dock, at end of the pipe, and at the top of the smokestack. His or her purpose was
to capture the waste, treat it to the extent feasible to reduce potential impacts to human
health and the environment, discharge what could be discharged, and isolate what could
not. This is the first generation of environmental management. As the profession evolved,
we began to understand that in most cases it was more efficient to reduce the amount of
waste generated by: general good housekeeping, reuse of materials where possible, and
recycling materials that still had value. For the first time, during this second generation
of environmental management, managers were invited inside the plant. More recently,
some leading companies decided that it would be most efficient to incorporate principles
of environmental protection into design criteria for new products and processes, and
redesign criteria for existing products and processes. This move heralded the beginning
of a third generation of environmental management.

The objective of this study was to determine to what extent are our traditional
environmental managers involved in this third generation of environmental management
and what value do they bring. At the time of preparing this report, they had interviewed
ten large companies with international markets. These companies were identified as
those having a record of proactive environmental management and green design. Some
had received awards for their accomplishments or had otherwise been acknowledged for
the value of their green engineering or management practices. The companies are
involved in the manufacturing of a wide variety of products including: lubricating oils,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, optical equipment, optical equipment, single-use cameras,
and ice cream packaging. With only one exception, they spoke to individuals at the
senior manager level or above. Interviewees were located at several levels within the
organizations including: corporate HQ, Division HQ, and in specific business units.

Thier first line of inquiry asked, “What was the motivation for including environmental
considerations as design criteria in the research, design and development (RD&D)
process? Corporate environmental policy was cited by every company as a principal
motivation for incorporating environmental concerns as design criteria, public interest
followed in a distant second place, international trade and regulatory influence tied for
third and, client requests and environmental audit results were fourth.

There was considerable variation among the companies interviewed when they sought to
determine whom, or what unit, within the organization initiated the inclusion of
environmental considerations as design criteria. Basically, there appeared to be three
categories of answer to this question:

1.Product RD&D teams seeking to conform to corporate environmental policy

and streamline
2.Risk management or strategic planning units
 3.Senior executives

They were also interested in who in the organization has the authority to pay for
environmental enhancements. In more than half the companies, the product or process
development manager had the authority to approve modifications to the product or
process for the purpose of mitigating potential environmental liabilities or enhancing
environmental attractiveness. Some responders indicated that approval authority could
also vary with the relative cost of the modification and that in some cases approval would
need to be secured from a senior executive.

Once we established why the company was doing this, who initiated it, and who had the
authority to fund it, we wanted to know who did the actual work? We began with the task
of identifying the environmental aspects and concerns for a new or redesigned product or
process. Four of the ten companies used their product/process development team to
identify environmental concerns for new product or process designs or redesign of
existing products or processes. Of the remaining six companies, three relied upon their
environmental management or EHS experts, and three relied upon their product/process
development manager with support as needed from EHS.

After the environmental concerns are identified, they need to be addressed. There was no
reason to assume that this task would be performed by the same mix of individuals. So
we posed this as a separate question. The product or process development manager was
identified by every company as being involved in addressing environmental concerns,
environmental or EHS managers were identified as a close second, marketing and quality
professionals were also identified as typical participants.

In most companies, environmental managers are not involved in the initial conception of
the product or process to be designed and developed. The notable exceptions were in the
case of identifying existing products or processes that needed to be redesigned for
environmental, health or safety benefit, and in a case where an environmentally benign
product already existed (it was a lubricating oil that met food quality standards) and the
company was interested in developing new applications that would exploit this unique
product characteristic.
Environmental managers usually are involved early on in the RD&D process, however,
typically during the design phase, and are almost always involved in identifying the
environmental aspects associated with a product or process. Most often, environmental
managers participate in identifying which environmental aspects present the potential to
create problems for the company. In more than half the companies the environmental
manager is involved in determining the potential extent of a problem or concern, in
researching more benign alternatives, in benchmarking how other organizations have
dealt with similar concerns.
In almost every case, including environmental concerns as design criteria was reported as
a successful effort. One company felt it was still too soon to tell. Companies reported
that it had helped the company:

•Achieve good environmental performance in the US, Western Europe and Japan,
and make significant environmentally related progress in countries with
developing economies
•Establish environmental awareness across the organization
•Accomplish an environmental process redesign goal that was then presented as
an exemplary practice in the Green Chemistry section of an American Chemical
Society conference
•Integrate EHS concerns across its design process
•Successfully commercialize an environmentally sound product
•Successfully design and manufacture a recyclable/reusable product that reduced
cost and lead to a positive consumer response to the product
•Meet the goals of its corporate environmental vision

The environmental manager’s participation was reported to have added value by:

•Identification of “show stoppers” early in the process, saving time and money;
•Making the difference between a product that could have become an
environmental liability and one with environmental characteristics that add to its
economic assets;
•Preparing the company today to meet the increasing environmental regulatory
demands and public expectations of tomorrow, thus enhancing long-term
competitiveness and product sustainability;
•Asking the right questions; and
•Serving as an interface with regulatory agencies and eco-labeling organizations

Having an environmental manager involved in the design and development process

helped us identify potential regulatory obstacles early on and avoid them. Permitting
went more smoothly, quickly and cost effectively, and having EHS involved up front in
the process reduced the time that would otherwise have been spent downstream
mitigating problems

While this is still an ongoing work, there are some conclusions that seem apparent:
•Environmental Managers have an important role to play in product and process
design and redesign
•Much of the value of their upstream participation is realized when it is time to go
to production and in the long-term viability of the product
•Upstream involvement increases the effectiveness of environmental management
resources
And, there are issues that need more scrutiny:
•How EHS costs are charged in the RD&D process. The issue of EHS
participation costs presents interesting areas for further work. To what extent
should EHS costs for RD&D be absorbed as overhead or pre-budgeted?
•
The extent to which responsibility for identifying and addressing EHS concerns
may be assigned to the product or process development manager. Does the
environmental manager need to participate in each stage of RD&D or can systems
be established enabling the Product Manager to recognize when EHS assistance is
warranted