BACKGROUND
In the fall of 2003, Administrator Jenna Dorn issued a Dear Colleague letter to the 100 transit agencies with the highest ridership levels inviting them to apply for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) sponsored training and assistance for implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMSs). She recently selected ten of the applicant agencies to participate in this training, which is being conducted by the Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. FTA and Virginia Tech are structuring the program to address the specific environmental requirements of transit agencies with the intention of developing a template for the continued EMS training of similar agencies across America. This effort supports President Bush’sExecutive Order 13148 Greening the Government initiative and Executive Order 13274 Environmental Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Reviews.
EMS is a set of procedures to ensure that an organization’s daily operations comply with environmental regulations and support environmental stewardship objectives. An EMS addresses various operation and management issues such as energy conservation, efficient water use, vehicle emission reduction, materials recycling, and management of hazardous materials. Organizations with EMSs are better able to manage their environmental obligations, and report cost savings over time, improved bond ratings, reduced insurance premiums and better community relations.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
FTA used a number of criteria to select participants, including:
- Organizational commitment by transit agency leadership to EMS implementation;
- Geographical diversity;
- Previous environmental experiences; and
- Environmental challenges from operations and/or pending capital projects.
FTA believes that organizational commitment to environmental protection is the most important element of the program. Training teams include both upper management and operational personnel in an effort create support for the effort through all organizational levels. Transit agencies from across the country were selected for training, from medium sized agencies with bus and paratransit services to agencies with large, complex operations including ferry services, heavy rail, commuter rail and bus rapid transit. These agencies are faced with a variety of environmental challenges.
Inspecting WMATA’s train washing operation at their Greenbelt, MD facility during their initial environmental audit in January 2004.
COURSE CONTENT AND PARTICIPANTS
Training and technical assistance includes workshops, on-site technical support visits, electronic software, and consultation. During the 18-month training period, each agency will develop an EMS suited to its needs. The Administrator has selected the following ten transit agencies to participate in the training:
- City of Tucson Department of Transportation (Tucson, Arizona)
- Community Transit (Everett, Washington)
- Hampton Roads Transit (Hampton Roads, Virginia)
- Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Phoenix Public Transit Department (Phoenix, Arizona)
- San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (San Francisco, California)
- Sound Transit (Seattle, Washington)
- Transit Authority of River City (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Utah Transit Authority (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Washington, DC)
Training is designed to help agencies develop and implement a complete EMS, using the 14001 Standard of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The 14001 Standard is a toolbox of management techniques to minimize harm to the environment. The 14001 Standard is serving as the basis of the EMS training, although it will be at the discretion of the agency whether to pursue ISO certification. FTA will assemble a final report that includes the participating transit agencies’ case studies and assesses training results. The report will be available at this website at the conclusion of the program.
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02/29/2008