E.I.A in Practice - sample conditions of approval

This write-up is related to my earlier post titled ‘The E.M.P (Environmental Management Program)’. Here, a sample of the terms and conditions of an approved EIA is displayed, and, as I mentioned then that this is amongst the basis of establishing an EMP. The checklist consists of all the terms of approval from the authority i.e. the DOE in Malaysia, and in this example, it’s for a new electrical powered intercity public train rail track system. In this project both the project proponent and its main contractor are certified ISO14001. I hope readers who are pursuing civil engineering, environmental engineering, environmental sciences, occupational health and safety, urban and town planning, etc. would treat this example as a connotation of the likely demands in one’s career. Welcome to the multi-disciplinary integrated ‘web’ of environmental management where collective decisions is the ‘operating system’ and more than 10 agencies are appointed ‘browsers’. This example is one of their many endeavors that illustrate the shared-responsibility. My personal opinion on the EIA conditions concludes this article. Bon voyage!

Paper - ISO14031 on EPE (Environmental Performance Evaluation)

I'm obliged to share this paper which was first made public in 2003. In my professional opinion E.P.E is designed to alleviate the torment of compiling documents in view of reporting such as during an Audit and the Management Review. It's like the K.P.I used in conventional management. Without the E.P.E, it is like Sebastian Vettel having to drive his F1 beast without the tachometer or at slower pace a sailor without a compass! Ironically, too few organizations believed in this, even today. Happy reading!

ISO14001 tips - Sample Procedure - Aspects' Impact Identification and Evaluation

Here’s a sample procedure titled Environmental Aspects’ Impact Identification and Evaluation. This sample is displayed with the assumption that readers have fully understood the meaning of Environmental Aspect, Initial Environmental Review and have a vivid idea as how to establish the Environmental Management System vis-a-vis ISO14001. Note: misleading knowledge of environmental aspects has made many whom have to rework their EMS in a state of procrastination, still. I must say that this term is being defined by a team of ingenious TC207 members. Please click 'read more' to view the sample. Cheerio.

Scheduled Waste's APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

Scheduled Waste's APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL MANAGEMENT

The Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE) has classified certain wastes and defined them as scheduled wastes as listed in the First Schedule of the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations, 2005. In some cases, however, a number of these scheduled wastes does not exhibit any hazardous characteristic and pose any potential hazard either to human health or to the environment. Therefore, this legislation provides a provision for the application known as the Special Management of Schedule Waste. It is a legalized exemption but not amounting to its preclusion from DOE's supervision.

  

EMS ISO14001 – Refresher Awareness

EMS ISO14001 – Refresher Awareness

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 1 day

ISO14001 – Root-Cause-Analysis

ISO14001 – Root-Cause-Analysis

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 1 day

ISO14031 - Environmental Performance Evaluation

ISO14031 - Environmental Performance Evaluation

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY

Duration: preferably 2 days to include practical workshops.

ISO14001: Environmental Aspects’ Impact Identification and Evaluation in Determining the Significance of their Potential Impact

ISO14001: Environmental Aspects’ Impact Identification and Evaluation in Determining the Significance of their Potential Impact

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 2 days

S.H.E-MS In-depth Refresher Awareness

S.H.E-MS In-depth Refresher Awareness

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 1 day

ISO14040/44 - LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT - ISO14040/44

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 2 days

Environmental Audit in Practice

Environmental Audit in Practice

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 3 days

Noteworthy: The content and training duration may vary according to request.

ISO14001 EMS – Interpretation in Practice

ISO14001 EMS – Interpretation in Practice

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 2-days

Industrial Effluent & Sewage Treatment System – unit processes.

Industrial Effluent & Sewage Treatment System – unit processes, maintenance, troubleshooting and sludge treatment options. A concise understanding of the industrial effluent and wastewater treatment designs and operating principles for enhancement of competency by reviewing vast experience in practice. 

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND CONTROL

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND CONTROL 

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 2 days

Hazardous Waste Minimization Technique

Hazardous Waste Minimization Technique

CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 5 days

SITE ASSESSMENT IN MANAGING CONTAMINATED SITE

SITE ASSESSMENT IN MANAGING CONTAMINATED SITE

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 1 day

Awareness in Chemical Handling via Understanding of the CSDS

Awareness in Chemical Handling via Understanding of the CSDS

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 1 day

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY Duration: 1 day.

Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) and (Sewage) Regulations, 2009

Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) and (Sewage) Regulations, 2009

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY (Malaysia) Duration: 2 days

Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations, 2005

Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations, 2005

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY (Malaysia) Duration: 2 days

Environmental Quality Act, 1974 (EQA 74)

 Environmental Quality Act, 1974 (EQA 74)

COURSE CONTENT & ITINERARY (Malaysia Only) Duration: 2 days

 

ISO14001 Tips - Environmental Policy Examples

The Environmental Policy is, in my opinion, a set of noble statement. A reflection of certain intention or conscience with regards to a level of environmental commitment that an entity wishes to translate into good deeds. Ironically, some who are driven into it due to the market-niche for ISO14001 Certification are often left with more words than deed. Still, the policy serves as a reminder of their environmental endeavour and that it is relentless. A reminder that is usually self-triggered amidst re-certification or surveillance by their respective certification bodies. Clause 4.2 of the international standard globalized its requirement and criteria. Delightfully, I’d like to share for the benefit of all who are ‘committed’ in EMS with some selected policy statements sampled over decades of my ‘indulgence’ in the area. They are also found in my training handout notes titled ISO14001 Interpretation in Practice.

Sekitar Synergy: RoHS – Register of Hazardous Substance

Sekitar Synergy: RoHS – Register of Hazardous Substance: RoHS – Register of Hazardous Substance is an international requirement of the Occupational Safety and Health regime. The six substances ar...

Our Radiant Life... poor Lynas

Our Radiant Life... poor Lynas
Lets not get too excited on the inevitable fact that we are exposed to fugitive radioactive nucleotides all our life. We must learn to manage it. Firstly, we must know the levels of radioactive fallouts that we are 'receiving' and experts must show us on how to mitigate it.

Sekitar Synergy: The E.M.P (Environmental Management Program/Plan)

Sekitar Synergy: The E.M.P (Environmental Management Program/Plan): The E.M.P (Environmental Management Program/Plan) The EMP is commonly established to ensure prompt action on measures desired to achieve...

The E.M.P (Environmental Management Program/Plan)

The E.M.P (Environmental Management Program/Plan)

The EMP is commonly established to ensure prompt action on measures desired to achieve or comply to certain environmental requirements or objectives. In achieving environmental requirement, such as ‘Terms and Conditions’ of an E.I.A approval, is widely seen in the construction industry involving mega projects such as highways, railways, ports, land-reclammation etc. This serves as a planning tool to execute those legally based specific requirements. On the other hand, in ISO14001 Environmental Management System (EMS), clause 4.3.3 stipulates the requirement to set objectives, targets and program (EMP) for any organization which adopt the EMS, as means of environmental continual improvement. Hence, the redundancy of this term seems to have confused several parties, except, those who are in organizations subscribing to the EIA and at the same time certified ISO14001. Also, the term EIA is NOT referring to the Aspects’ Impact Evaluation task conducted in screening for Significant Environmental Aspects as performed in establishing ISO14001 EMS! So, in ISO14001 please use the term ‘evaluation’ and not ‘assessment’. Delightfully, in this write-up I’ll discuss both EMPs; one for the EIA compliance and the other for EMS ISO14001. Enjoy it.

RoHS – Register of Hazardous Substance

RoHS – Register of Hazardous Substance is an international requirement of the Occupational Safety and Health regime. The six substances are under strict scrutiny. Here we’ll recapture these substances and discuss their properties in brief. Mostly thanks to Wikipedia for facilitating my work.

CSDS/MSDS of Zinc Phosphate a disgrace?

Zinc Phosphate is one of the most important chemical used in the automotive industry. It serves as the initial layer of coating to the naked metal bodies of our vehicles before undergoing subsequent coating and painting finishes. It is an environmental hazardous substance especially to the aquatic life. Despite repeated exposure to workers who work in related activities, little is known of its actual effect to human. Or, are some entities have undisclosed information? I implore local universities whose undergraduates are related in studies of the Environmental Sciences and Engineering be given a chance to deepen findings on this substance. Its existing CSDS/MSDS is still suspicious to a sceptic scientific mind. Take a look at one sample of its CSDS I retrieved recently. While some countries banned this substance, they persists in different names as displayed under 'synonyms'. 

Air Impurities Emission Standard

Air Impurities Emission Standard

A Summary in accordance to the limits stipulated in the 

Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulations, 1978

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE (TCE)

Tetrachloroethylene is a synthetic solvent which became popular as a dry cleaning fluid in 1930s. Tetrachloroethylene, C₂Cl₄ is also known as PERK, PERC, Perchloroethylene, Dowper, Perclene, tetralex, tetravec, and tetraguer. It’s boiling point and melting point is 121.1 ⁰C and 22.1⁰C respectively. It almost insoluble , the solubility is 0.015g/100mL in water at 25 ⁰ C. It is colourless, has an ether-like odour, and denser than water.

Poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of highly stable, non-corrosive and relatively non-flammable chemicals, which were first manufactured on a commercial scale in 1929.  For several decades they were used extensively in a wide range of industrial applications, including cutting oils, sealants, caulking compounds, inks, carbonless copy paper, paint additives, and, in particular, as coolants and lubricants in closed electrical applications, such as transformers and capacitors.

Pesticide in the environment

WHAT IS PESTICIDE?

            Pesticides are substances that protect plants against molds, fungi and insects; therefore decreasing the percent of potential illness. This helps control shortages, higher prices, and income loss and prevents unappealing blemishes. Most pesticides are produced by plants naturally towards repelling-off their predators. Allowed pesticides are very low on the list of risks hazardous to health. Large-scale studies suggest that pesticide residues are unlikely to be an important risk factor for cancer to the general public. Major risk factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, several occupational chemicals and dietary imbalances. Another definition of pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.

NOx Emission

NOx Emission

The causes of high NOx emission from internal combustion is normally due to the following variable factors:

- Oxygen concentration and mixing pattern

- Nitrogen content of fuel

- Combustion temperature

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN)

• Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is widely used as an industrial chemical in the production of synthetic fibres, plastics and nitrites and as fumigant and rodenticide. It is released by the combustion of nitrogen containing plastics. It is an extremely toxic compound, rapidly producing symptoms, including headache, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest and death.
• Exposure is typically by inhalation of HCN vapour. Ingestion and absorption do not occur unless individuals are in contact with HCN liquid or contaminated water. Liquid is also rapidly absorbed across the skin.
• Although cyanide salts are toxic, most inhalation poisoning results from exposure to HCN. Other cyanide compounds may also produce cyanide poisoning and some may be intensely irrigating.

Dioxin

Synonyms

a)           2,3,7,8 – tetrachlorodibenzodioxin

b)           TCDD

Dioxin and Furan

Dioxin and Furan are known to cause carcinogenic and mutagenic effect to many life-forms including human. They are very stable compounds. For instance, Dioxin are being released upon combustion of P.V.C plastic products and enters the atmospheric medium which constitutes the only source of air for us. This obnoxious substance is not destroyed even when incinerated at 1200 Deg. Celcius. Hence, Malaysia opted to regulate its emission standard from its respective sources.

The Regulation:    Environmental Quality (Dioxin and Furan) Regulation, 2004

Emission Control From PETROL Motor Vehicle

SUBJECT	Emission Control From PETROL Motor Vehicle.
The Law	Environmental Quality (Control of Emission from Petrol Engines) Regulations, 1996 -       a subsidiary of the Environmental Quality Act, 1974.
The Issue	N.S.T’s 11th October 2001; Front Page,  titled “Workshops roped in – Service centres also allowed to conduct smoke emission tests”

ISO14001 TIPS - related laws.

Other Malaysia Laws affiliated to the Environmental Management vis-à-vis ISO14001

ISO 14001 Clause 4.3.2 requires us to identify and address any legal requirements or other requirements that our organization subscribes to or ‘susceptible to’ based on the environmental aspects that we have identified. In Malaysia, the Environmental Quality Act, 1974 is the only law meant for environmental control. However, since the definition of environmental aspects leads to an infinite spectrum of the entire living earth; where we have our activities, thus, interacting rapaciously with the earth's medium; other laws seems to emerge as affiliates in the legal perspective in practice.

Effluent Treatment - Tips for Logbook

IETS/WWTP – Tips on IETS-Logbook

An Industrial Effluent Treatment System (IETS) and Sewage Treatment System are delicate biotechnical equipment. Their biochemical dynamics often varies not according to mechanical equations that we prompt them to. Occasionally we encounter systems upset and expensive rectification work. Bulking, foaming and other symptom of ‘shock-loading’ are common challenges in IETS operation. These fluctuations are usually not caused by the system, instead, by us, the originators of effluents and sewage. How do we ensure consistent performance? How do we use those monitoring data to predict suitable settings when we know of a changed influent quality/quantity is about to enter our IETS? Hence, rule of the thumb – communication between effluent originator (releaser) and the IETS Operation Team must be established and always interacting. A good communication between them would complement the purpose of this IETS Logbook.

Investor's Digest interviewed Sekitar Synergy's Khalid Mohd Ariff in 2002.

Dear Environmental Partners.

 In 2002, we were being interviewed by Investors Digest Magazine pertaining to the current outlook of environmental management in Malaysia. Since we thought that some of the information might be an interest to you, we have decided to disperse for your review and feedback.  The write-up may have omitted some areas and details as the interview was short and snappy.

ISOKINETIC STACK SAMPLING

ISO14001 – TIPS-2: ISOKINETIC STACK SAMPLING

Pursuant to endeavours in complying to one of the elements in ISO14001 that is 'monitoring and measurement' many local have called in or e-mailed me their respective inquiries. In this segment I've compiled and summarized questions pertaining to measuring emissions from stacks or chimneys using the ISOKINETIC Stack Sampling methods. Did The Environmental Quality Act, 1974 specify this method? What do we need to know? How to justify this technique?

ISO14001 TIPS - Environmental Aspects' Data

EMS ISO14001 – TIPS.

Effectiveness of Quantifying Environmental Aspects in a Normalized Form for ISO14001 EMS

Background

The EMS is about managing environmental aspects in a systematic and justifiable manner that can control, reduce or eliminate its potential to cause associated, identified and/or probable environmental impact. Nonetheless, ‘from how much’, ‘to how much’ and ‘to what extent’, ‘who, how and whom’ and ‘until what and when’ are questions that should be addressed in MANAGING these significant environmental aspects in an EMS. Quantification of all the identified environmental aspects during the Initial Environmental Review are geared to addresses this.

Ethylene Glycol in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Ethylene Glycol in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Hello all environmental associates!

We are back in your e-mail box. This time around we’d like to share some uncommon experience and information with regard to effluent treatment. Treating effluent containing Ethylene Glycol.

Recently, I received an inquiry from a client friend who attended a public seminar on Wastewater Treatment Systems – operation, maintenance and troubleshooting, where I was the I.P.A’s main presentor. A few weeks later he inquired me through the e-mail and asked me if Ethylene Glycol has any effect to BOD, COD and SS of treated effluent. So I decided to begin working on the waste stream and source for origins of this substance in wastewater. I contacted various resource network and associates and began to seek more input on this matter. Here’s what I gathered. Please read through – surprise!

Our Radiant Life... poor Lynas

Dear friends, affiliates and environmentally concerned entities. I may not be a radioactive expert or specialist but in my course of studies and lines of duties this substance seems ubiquitous. In some situations they are used for noble reasons and in others their existence are much dreaded.

The title may connote to a preamble that I would presumably write concerning human health. In fact, this time it’ll encompass a part of the global border. It is about the environmental health. We are the inhabitant of this environment.  It’s a borderless, dynamic and interacting ‘multimedia’ that often reacts to every act of its dwelling human beings in planet Earth.