Risk and Environmental Management

Public concerns over chemicals in soil, water, air and food have resulted in a multitude of laws and regulations. In the beginning, setting standards for remedial action was a matter of educated guesswork. The development of environmental toxicology – has led to a new approach – risk analysis – to establish realistic standards based on established health effects and probability theories. After the site is characterized, the potential risks to human health and environment are evaluated and to establish target clean-up levels. A risk benefit study then determines the cost effectiveness of various remedial options that can achieve those target levels. The “do nothing” or “natural attenuation” approach is also a potentially viable alternative.

Risk assessments pertaining to public health and ecological impact are always performed on a sitespecific basis. The assessment represents a complex undertaking whereby all site specific and regional environmental factors are combined with considerations of public health and ecological welfare to yield a quantitative assessment of risk to various destined groups of human, animal and plant receptors. A public health risk assessment relates the source of environmental pollution to ultimate effects of individual pollutants on the population. AN-GEO will provide risk assessment services where deemed necessary or requested by the client.

Public demands and regulatory requirements have led to increasing pressure on companies and organizations to manage environmental matters in a responsible manner. There are trade advantages for business with proven environmental management structure. Ignoring this need or addressing environmental issues on an ad-hoc basis is likely not a prudent choice for business administration when considering the risk of potential liabilities and missing opportunities.

Environmental management system (EMS) is a fast catching operation concept for managing environmental affairs. There are national and international standards and guidelines (e.g. CSA Z750, ISO 14001 and BS 7750) with EMS requirements. AN-GEO can assist a client to develop and implement an effective EMS with due consideration for the characteristics and setting that make each business unique

E-mail: angeo@sprynet.com