Environmental Engineering & Science PDF

Environmental Engineering is the study of Environmental Engineering is the application living organisms and how they interact with our of science and engineering knowledge and concepts environment. It covers a broad range of disciplines, to care for and...

Environmental Engineering is the study of Environmental Engineering is the application living organisms and how they interact with our of science and engineering knowledge and concepts environment. It covers a broad range of disciplines, to care for and/or restore our natural environment including engineering, information, studies and and/or solve environmental problems. research of environmental issues. Often referred to Environmental Science Engineering: as ecology, environmental scientists aim to a) Energy Efficiency understand our surroundings better by utilizing - Natural Sunlight different fields and combining the various findings to - Proper Ventilation create a complete picture. b) Waste Management - Waste water treatment Environmental Science deals with the facility or plan interaction between the physical, chemical and - Rain Water Harvesting biological components of the environment. As things such as climate change and global warming are major The word Environment is derived from the concerns effecting people today, environmental french word “Environ” which means “surrounding”. scientists use their research to look for ways to Our surrounding includes biotic factors like human inhibit the continuation of these problems, and, in being, plants, animals, microbes, etc. and abiotic turn, creating a sustainable future for the earth. They factors such as light, air, water, soil, etc. Environment also investigate any possible ecological problems and is a complex of many variables, which surrounds man look at ways to ensure these problems do not come as well as the living organisms. to fruition. Environment includes water, air and land and Physical Components - Land, Water and Air the interrelationships which exist among and Chemical Components - H2O, CO2, and O2 between water, air and land and human beings and Biological Components - Biotic and Abiotic other living creatures such as plants, animals and microorganisms. She suggested that environment Climate Change - Change in climate, weather, consists of an inseparable whole system constituted temperature, humidity, etc. by physical, chemical, biological, social and cultural Global Warning - Change in temperature only. elements, which are interlinked individually and collectively in myriad ways. Environmental Science comes from the word environment is derived from french word “Environ” The natural environment consist of four which means surrounding or enveloping. It is a interlinking systems namely the atmosphere, the multidisciplinary science which combines physics, hydrosphere, the lithosphere and the biosphere. chemistry, biology, medical, health science, life These four systems are in constant change and such science, agricultural science, forestry, public health changes are affected by human activities and vice engineering and so on. The main objective is to versa. protect the environment.  Types of Environment: protecting the earth’s environmental a) Natural Biotic and Abiotic Components resources. E.g: Soil, Water, Air, Trees, Noise ▹ Studying the interrelationship between the b) Man-Made - most powerful components of environment. environmental agent ▹ Carrying out impact analysis and E.g: House, Road, School, Railways environmental audit. ▹ Preventing pollution from existing and new Components of Environment: industries. a) Abiotic/Non-Living/Physical ▹ Stopping the use of biological and nuclear ▹ Hydrosphere weapon. ▹ Lithosphere ▹ Managing unpredictable disasters. ▹ Atmosphere b) Biotic/Living Importance of Environment: ▹ Biosphere ▹ Environment is not a single subject. It is an c) Energy Components integration of several subjects that includes both science and social science. To Biotic Environment includes all living understand all the different aspects of our organisms and biological life such as animals, birds, environment, we need to understand forests, reptiles, insects, bacteria and biology, chemistry, physics, geography, microorganisms like algae, fungus, etc. resources management, economics and population issue. Thus, the scope of Abiotic Environment includes all non-living environmental studies is extremely wide components such as land, mountains, rivers, air, and covers some aspects of nearly every water, temperature, humidity, water vapour, sand, major discipline. dust, clouds, etc. ▹ We’re in a world where natural resources are limited. Water, air, soil, minerals, oils, Scope of Environmental Science: the product we get from the forests, ▹ Our surrounding includes forest, rivers, grasslands, oceans and from agriculture and mountains, desert or a combination of these from livestock are all the part of our life elements. support system. Without them, life itself will ▹ Most of us live in landscapes that have been be impossible. heavily modified by the human beings in ▹ As we keep on increasing in number the villages, town and cities. quantity of resources each of us uses also ▹ But even those of us who live in cities get increases. The earth cannot be expected to our food from surrounding villages. sustain this expanding level of utilization of ▹ We use water to drink and other day to day resources. Added to this is misuse of activities, we breathe air, we use resources resources. We waste or pollute large from which food is made. amount of plastic that we discard after the ▹ Our dependence on nature is so great that single use. We waste large amount of food, we cannot continue to live without which is discarded as garbage.  ▹ Air pollution leads to respiratory diseases. include issues such as environmental legislation and Water pollution leads to gastrointestinal pressure from customers. (GIT) disorder. And many pollutants are known to cause cancer. Environmental Auditing should not be confused ▹ Improving this situation will only happen if with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Both each of use begins to take actions in our environmental auditing and EIA are environmental daily lives that will help preserve our management tools and both share some environmental resources. We cannot expect terminologies such as impact, effect and significant. government alone to manage the safe But there are some important differences between guarding of our environment nor can we the two. expect other people to prevent environmental damage. We need to do it Environmental Auditing is carried out when a ourselves. development is already in place, and is used to check The more population we have, the more on existing practices, assessing the environmental environmental issue we face. effects of current activities. Environmental auditing therefore provides a “snapshot” of looking at what is Environmental Auditing is essentially an happening at that point in time in an organization. environmental management tool for measuring the effects of certain activities on the environment Environmental Auditing - during the project/on- against set criteria or standards. Depending on the going/present types of standards and the focus of the audit, there “…is already in place” are different types of environmental audit. “…on existing practices” Organizations of all kinds now recognize the “…of current activities” importance of environmental matters and accept that Environmental Impact Assessment - before the their environmental performance will be scrutinized project/pre-project. by a wide range of interested parties. Environmental auditing is used to: The International Organization for ▹ Investigate the area Standardization (ISO) has produced a series of ▹ Understand the situation standards in the field of environmental auditing. ▹ Identify the issue These standards are basically intended to guide Reduce operating costs. organizations and auditors on the general principles common to the execution of environmental audits. These are used to help improve existing human activities, with the aim of reducing the adverse Environmental auditing means different things effects of these activities on the environment. An to different people. Environmental auditing is often environmental auditor will study and organization’s used as a generic term covering a variety of environmental effects in a systematic and management practices used to evaluate a company’s documented manner and will produce an environmental performance. Strictly, it refers to environmental audit report. There are many reasons checking systems and procedures against standards for undertaking an environmental audit, which or regulations, but it is oftern used to cover the gathering and evaluation of any data with evaluate the status of the company’s operating units. environmental relevance - this should actually be It enabled managers to check compliance with: termed an environmental review. ▹ Local environmental laws and regulations - specific rules and regulations, mostly Environmental Review: proposed by LGU’s. Objective: Determine which performance standards ▹ National environmental laws and should be met (eg. Company decides to reduce total regulations organic compound emissions from 100 tonnes o 10 ▹ Corporate policies - too broad tonnes/year). Environmental issued covered: All known It was also regarded as an activity useful for environmental issues with or without explicit avoiding prosecution or civil law suits under the standards to measure performance. increasing pressures from environmental legislation. How often: Before developing environmental The USA Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) management systems or before and after any also played a role in the development of auditing, as significant changes in operations or practices. they had reason to believe that certain trading Geographic Boundaries: Wherever the business companies had a high exposure to financial loss as a could have an environmental impact in the life of the result of poor environmental performance. The SEC product (eg. Raw materials selection, transportation, requested that environmental details should be manufacturing, product use and disposal) presented in the end-of-year report and accounts along with financial information in order truly to Environmental Audit: represent the financial stability of those companies, Objective: Verify performance against these such as US Steel, Occidental Petroleum and Allied standards (eg. Company checks that it really has Chemicals. In October 1979, the US Environmental reduced emission to 10 tonnes/year). Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft report calling Environmental issued covered: Only issues for which for independent, certified third-party „auditors‟ who standards exist (eg. Regulatory requirements, would visit plants, collect samples, perform analyses, internal company standards or good management and report results back to government authorities. practice). This governmental auditing concept received How often: regularly and on a pre-planned cyclical considerable attention (and opposition) within basis. industry, and never made it beyond the draft report Geographic Boundaries: Usually well-defined stage. geographic boundaries (eg. Limited to site, distribution companies or local planning authority). In the rest of the world, the evolution of environmental auditing was largely due to the History of Environmental Auditing influence of USA subsidiary companies operating Environmental auditing began in the USA in the abroad. In Europe, environmental auditing began in early 1970’s, when a handful of industrial companies, the chemical and petrochemical industries, largely as working independently and on their own initiatives, a reflection of the intrinsic environmental hazards of developed environmental auditing programs as these businesses, but also as a result of their internal management tools to help review and involvement with American operations. Environmental auditing only became widely ▹ Investment and decisions to buy accepted by industry in the late 1980s as a common facilities management tool in developed countries, and is ▹ Detailed investigation of specific issues increasingly being applied in developing countries by ▹ Corporate image and marketing both foreign and local industry. opportunities ▹ Concern about environmental impact of As businesses have realized the value of paying the organization generally attention to environmental issues, the concept of ▹ Past environmental accidents environmental auditing itself has evolved to address wider issues than simply legal and regulatory Audits enable the management of an compliance. The widening use of environmental organization to see exactly what is happening within audits reflects the broadening attitudes of the organization and to check the operation (or organizations towards environmental issues in otherwise) of systems and procedures. Some general, and the increasing pressures from investors, environmental auditing programs have been insurers, consumers, and other interested parties. motivated by the occurrence of an environmental Environmental auditing is therefore playing an problem or incident, that is, a reactive response; increasingly common role in the management of others have been established in response to a desire organizations worldwide and, in some countries, to anticipate and head off potential problems, that is, governments have made (or are considering making) the organization takes a proactive stance. The the practice a legal requirement. incentives for environmental auditing, and the objectives an organization will have in undertaking Environmental audit essentially involves three such an audit, have diversified since the early days of main questions for an organization. environmental auditing. This diversification reflects ▹ What are our current effects on the the increasing awareness of environmental issues, environment? which is present in society as a whole, and the ▹ Can we reduce our negative effects on the realization by organizations of the need to integrate environment? these issues into all aspects of their activities. ▹ How can we make further improvements? Environmental auditing can help to reveal the This applies equally to an audit of an entire likely weaknesses of an organization’s strategy, organization, a single site, or even an audit of a therefore reducing the risk of unexpected events. A particular issue, for example, energy properly prepared and conducted environmental audit will bring real benefits to an organization Why would an organization wish to undertaken an committed to act on the results. Some broad groups environmental audit? of the motivations an organization may have for Some of the reasons are: carrying out an environmental audit are looked at in ▹ Pressures from environmental the following pages. legislation ▹ Environmental liabilities and insurance costs What are the main benefits and costs of improve environmental performance. An environmental audit? environmental audit merely provides a There are a number of benefits to firm „snap-shot‟ of what is happening at that undertaking an environmental audit. Some of the moment in time, and doesn’t help to ensure benefits are obvious, while others are less easy to ongoing management effectiveness and the identify. Two of the more easily to recognized proper operation of systems and procedures. benefits are: As a tool which aids decision- making and ▹ Increased management effectiveness management control, an environmental To manage an organization effectively, audit is often carried out as part of an management must be aware of every aspect overall environmental management system. of the organization’s operational procedures ▹ Cost saving and processes. An environmental audit An environmental audit should identify should reveal any weaknesses in the opportunities for improvements in an structures and, when these are rectified, the organization’s management, and this will management can be confident that nothing often lead to savings in spending. This is has been overlooked and nothing particularly common in the case of „issue‟ unexpected is likely to occur. In the words audits, such as the water or waste audit. of Dwight D Eisenhower: „The uninspected inevitably deteriorates.‟ As an example, waste minimization is an area where there are many opportunities An environmental audit can enable for an organization to save money. Waste management personnel to become aware of requires to be disposed of, and this itself many environmental issues of which they costs money. For instance, companies are formerly may have been less well informed. charged for disposing of waste into licensed This is especially the case in organizations landfill facilities, or it may be necessary to with multiple facilities or with large pay for special treatment of a chemical manufacturing operations, where the senior before disposal. Reducing the amount of managers and directors are often located at waste produced can therefore lead to a distance, for example, in the head office. savings, as the organization has to dispose Managers may not have visited many of the of a smaller quantity. An obvious way of sites where there are obvious minimizing the amount of waste generated environmental risks and, even if they have, is to minimize inputs. Adopting a more they may not have the appropriate efficient process could mean that fewer raw knowledge or training to identify that risks materials are required, and that the overall are present. The use of environmental cost of raw materials is therefore reduced. audits can provide management with the Reductions in the amount of water required confidence that any actual or potential risks can also lead to savings, as organizations are have been identified. almost always charged for their water usage. However, auditing by itself does not Recycling not only leads to a reduction in  the total amount of waste produced, and the ▹ Environmental Compliance Audit associated financial benefits of this, but can reviews the company’s or site’s legal also lead to direct cost savings. For example, compliance. It verify whether or not a the by-products of one process may have company meets certain requirements potential uses in another. In addition, the while handling a project. Comply permits recycling of water, which may involve or legal matters. treating/cleaning/cooling can also lead to a ▹ Environmental Management Audit reduction in wastewater disposal costs. It helps the organization or company may be useful to explore the possibility of understand how it is performing on its waste-exchange schemes, that is, selling own environmental performance your waste to other businesses to use as a standards. raw material, or buying in waste for your ▹ Functional Environmental Audit own use. The former can lead to reductions measures the effects of a particular in waste disposal costs, with the latter issue or activity. It investigates specific providing the possibility of reduced raw areas of concern such as air quality material costs. monitoring, materials management or wastewater management. It is less An issue audit will often highlight the need common and may be included in an for an ongoing program of improvements. A environmental compliance audit or an waste audit can lead to the implementation environmental management audit. It of a waste reduction program, which may measures the effectiveness of particular feature the major redesign of products, or issue such as air quality or material and simply minor changes to working practices. waste management. Less common Organizations, which carry out an because of its functions are incorporated environmental audit in order to establish to the first two. that they are in compliance with environmental legislation, can benefit Environmental Audit Stages or Phases: financially in another way. An audit Phase 1: The Pre-Audit identifies any areas where an organization ▹ Create the Audit Team. Including a mixture may be in breach of regulations, and if these of skills, talents and perspectives. problems are subsequently corrected, ▹ Create an Audit Plan financial loss through plant closures, clean- ▹ Request and review documents, including: ups or restrictions imposed by government permits, production records, reports and bodies or through bad publicity can be previous audits including corrective actions avoided. The opportunity to make savings is and status of prior audit terms. not limited to large companies. ▹ Prepare a list of questions that regulators would ask, follow-up questions on prior Different Types of Environmental Audits audits and requests for additional materials There are three main types of environmental needed. audits:  ▹ Begin to fill-in the Disclosure of Violation ▹ Planning the audit, including activities to be Table as issues are identified. conducted and responsibilities for each activity Phase 2: Audit ▹ Review the company’s environmental ▹ Set the ground rules protection policy and the applicable ▹ Determine what happens which issues are requirements, federal, state and local identified requirements ▹ Conduct daily meetings to keep every ▹ Assessment of the organization, it’s informed management and equipment ▹ Perform a document review: policies, ▹ Gather data and relevant information compliance, training, ▹ Evaluate overall performance air/water/waste/noise controls, monitoring ▹ Identify areas needing improvement and records, emergency response to ▹ Report findings to management complaints ▹ Response to complaints When an Environmental Audit is Necessary? ▹ Check documents for completeness, Environmental audits are an important part of a consistency, legal compliance and whether company’s environmental policy and performance. it’s up to date However, many companies either don’t do them or ▹ Conduct a site inspection do them improperly. ▹ Evaluate operations for compliance ▹ Take samples if needed There are many environmental rules and ▹ Interview EHS personnel, operations, regulations that apply to every business. Is your management and maintenance, to see if business in compliance with all of them? Do you have policies are understood and consistently all the permits you need and are you fully compliant handled. with all the details of each? You don’t know unless ▹ Discover issues of concern you have done an audit done by an independent ▹ Conduct a closing meeting listing and environmental auditor. discussing of all issues, develop corrective actions for each issue. If you are not an expert on environmental compliance and regulations, you need an Phase 3: Post-Audit environmental audit. When an inspector arrives at ▹ Preparing the Environmental Audit Report your work site, you’ll know that you are in and Disclosure of Violations form. compliance and be able to provide documentation ▹ List confirmed issues and areas of concern that outlines everything you are doing to stay in ▹ List action items and required follow-up compliance. Environmental Audit Steps If the business is in compliance or not with the The environmental audit process includes the environmental rules and regulations. following steps as a minimum: What documents do I need to conduct an improvement/skills and who to apply certificates Environmental Audit? or seminars. Show that employees have been Before beginning an environmental audit, you trained in the knowledge and skills needed to should gather and review all the required documents. perform their duties. These records also Here are the six types of documents you will need to demonstrate the company’s efforts to develop begin an environmental audit: and maintain the facilities environmental ▹ Maps and floor plan for the activity - to know standards. where to change/improve or the so called intervention. Helps you define the scope of an An audit can be a valuable tool to determine a audit. They’ll clue you into changes that have facilities compliance with current environmental been made and proceduresthat might have regulations and record progress being made. It changed and need a thorough review. provides additional benefits to the business: ▹ Copies of all environmental permits - to know what to comply and what have been complied. ▹ An environmental audit can help you avoid These permits are the first step to verifying that fines by regulatory agencies by identifying the facility is in compliance with the permit non-compliance issues and allowing time terms. for corrective actions before an inspection. ▹ Environmental inspection reports and checklists ▹ Audits increase awareness of environmental - to prove already what has been completed and standards and employee responsibilities. what to do next. Prove that inspections have Increased compliance leads to fewer been completed as required. Hazardous waste enforcement actions and penalties. manifests, sampling data, and other inspection ▹ Regular environmental audits identify and reports help show that recordkeeping is up-to- informs management of the newest date and in compliance. Likewise, they can help regulations that apply to the business. identify compliance issues. ▹ Environmental audits improve employee ▹ An inventory of all chemicals and other raw relations and improve the company’s image materials used, their locations and amounts - to in the community. be aware of the possible hazards that may ▹ Companies with environmental stewardship experience in the site. programs are desirable to investors and ▹ Environmental plans and procedure, best employees. management practices and other applicable ▹ Environmental audits reduce operating documents - what will you audit if you don’t have costs by identifying issues these? Show how the facility is managing sooner,minimizing waste, and allowing the environmental issues and preventing problems. company to plan corrective actions. Include the EPA Risk Management Plan, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and written emergency response programs, if applicable. ▹ Employee training records, tests and certificates - to determine which of your employees lack Government Agencies governing to protect the classification of lands, purposes of forestry, Environment and its function: and the usage of forest resources. ▹ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ▹ Presidential Decree No. 1151 Is responsible for the formulation and Also known as the Philippine implementation of policies, guidelines, and Environmental Policy. Signed on June 1977. rules related to environmental management, as well as the management and It shall be the duty and responsibility conservation of the country’s natural of each individual to contribute to the resources. preservation and enhancement of the Philippine environment. The DENR also implements rules and regulations governing the exploration, ▹ Presidential Decree No. 1152 development, extraction, disposition, and Also known and cited as the use of forests, minerals, wildlife, and other Philippine Environmental Code of 1977. natural resources. This act makes provision for the E.O 131 DEENR to E.O 192 DENR protection of the environment in a broad sense. Its provisions are divided into Titles, ▹ Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) the major part of them dealing with specific Its mission is to restore, protect, and aspects of environment protection. enhance environmental quality towards good public health, environmental integrity, ▹ Presidential Decree No. 1586 and economic viability. Also known as Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System. Established on June Mandated to implement PD 1586, RA 11, 1978. 6969, RA 9003, RA 9275, RA 8749 Establishing an EIS system including National Environmental Legislation other environmental management related Waste, Ecosystem, Forestry and Environment measures and for other purposes. Legislation: ▹ Presidential Decree No. 705 Two Certificates: Also known as Revised Forestry Code ▹ Environmental Compliance Certificates of the Philippines. Approved on May 19, (ECC) 1975 and been amended by RA 7161. ▹ Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC) This act lays down the basic ▹ Presidential Decree No. 856 principles of forest management and Also known as Code on Sanitation of conservation, makes provision for the the Philippines. Signed on December 23, administration of forestry, the survey and 1975.