TVA has transformed its Environmental Management System (EMS) from a dust-collecting notebook on a shelf to a living system that is integrated into corporate systems and puts TVA’s Environmental Policy and Principles into action.  The result, environmental protection and sustainability in the Tennessee Valley region. 

Though internal environmental audits showed that TVA’s compliance with legal requirements was improving, there were some inherent deficiencies in the design and implementation of the old program that prevented the agency from stretching beyond a compliance mentality.

A renewed management commitment emerged from the lessons learned in these reviews, and the TVA EMS reinvention began:

• Environmental protection was recognized as a critical success factor for TVA’s business success.
• A more cohesive, centralized environmental organization was formed.
• TVA’s Environmental Policy and Principles was streamlined to focus the agency’s efforts and strengthen our commitment.
• Lastly, a new TVA EMS was developed to align with all elements of ISO 14001 and implemented in harmony with corporate systems.

Fourteen teams of environmental representatives from all major internal organizations worked together for a 1½ years to improve the TVA EMS.  The collaborative process sought input and consideration from power generation, transmission, resource management, legal, communications, training, auditing, and environmental management personnel.  As EMS processes were developed and approved by the Environmental Executive, implementation occurred.  The last EMS process was released in March 2002, implementation ensued, and full internal EMS audits of TVA facilities and activities began.

The new TVA EMS is now an essential tool for TVA to fulfill its Environmental Policy, and it provides the corporate structure to improve environmental performance efficiencies and effectiveness at all TVA facilities.  Positive results are emerging:

• Environmental performance is improving.
• Costs are being reduced.
• Staff are better focused on environmental issues and discovering their personal role in TVA’s environmental efforts.
• Internal communication barriers are shrinking and there is an increased reliance on use of information technology.
• The TVA EMS is integrated into the TVA culture.

FY 2003 will be a pivotal year in discovering and applying implementation refinements to further the TVA EMS evolution at 137 facilities.

The entire minutes of last weeks meeting may be found at http://www.chattanoogaengineersclub.org/MeetingMinutes/CECMinutes062303.pdf