Environmental Management

• Updated: November 2008
• Primary Contact : Van-Anh Thai

University activities and facilities significantly impact land, air, water, natural resources, and public health. The University is committed to the protection of these resources in all its activities and at all stages of acquisition, design, development, and operation of its campus facilities.

Activities

Faculty, staff and students will carry out their responsibilities in a manner protective of the environment by:

• Planning activities to minimize the amount of waste produced and resources used.
• Reusing and recycling materials (such as paper, bottles and cans) whenever possible, taking advantage of existing campus programs.
• Using established programs for proper disposal of hazardous materials. Employees and students are prohibited from disposing of any laboratory or maintenance chemicals through the trash or sanitary sewer system without advance, written approval by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (DEHS).
• Protecting our campus and downstream waters by using storm drains for storm water and clean water only.

Any faculty, staff or student discovering a spill or other release of what they believe is a hazardous material must report such a release to DEHS. DEHS will promptly manage the release and make the proper notifications to external agencies.

Faculty, staff and students must comply with environmental laws and regulations by using programs established to meet these legal requirements. If a faculty, staff or student  causes a regulatory violation, his/her  unit is responsible for the resulting fines or penalties.

Facilities

Acquisition and Development.  Real Estate, for acquisitions of new sites, and capital project managers, for development of existing sites, must incorporate into their transactions and projects the review of the environmental impacts from hazardous substances and the cleanup of identified pollution to levels appropriate to the planned  use of the site

 

Design. Capital project managers must ensure that the design process for facilities identifies and addresses the environmental impacts of building and equipment, incorporates controls protective of environment, meets established environmental standards, and provides timely information for review and incorporation into University permits.

Construction.  Project managers and contractors must ensure that construction and renovation of facilities is done in a manner that protects the waters of State, minimizes demolition and construction wastes, fulfills regulatory requirements, and addresses environmental discoveries.

Operations. Facilities managers must operate building systems and control equipment to meet design and regulatory requirements; review practices and infrastructure systems so that sewer systems are separate and dedicated to storm water and sanitary effluent, as appropriate; and provide requisite information to DEHS for reports to environmental agencies.

This policy and its related procedures implement the environmental commitments of Board of Regents Policy: Sustainability and Energy Efficiency. The policy and the Storm Water Compliance procedure fulfill the Federal and State requirement for the equivalent of a municipal storm water ordinance for compliance with the University’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit.

• Air Quality Permit Reporting
• Air Quality Permitting
• Environmental Assessments and Remediation
• Storm Water Compliance
• Waste Management and Disposal

• Request for Permission to Dispose of Chemicals by Trash or Sewer

There are no definitions associated with this policy. See individual procedures.

Vice President for University Services

Provides resources, support and funding to facilitate the University’s compliance with this policy and reports the University’s performance to the Regents on a periodic basis.

Deans, Directors, Department Heads

Communicate this policy and procedure to affected staff and students, support programs implementing this policy, provide resources for unit to comply with policy, and pay any fines or penalties resulting from their unit’s actions.

Department of Environmental Health and Safety (DEHS)

Facilitates compliance with these environmental standards by

• Coordinating environmental programs and activities
• Maintaining expertise in environmental regulations and standards
• Representing the University with environmental regulatory agencies
• Assisting and guiding projects, operations and departments in ensuring compliance by:
  • recommending programs, procedures and options to maintain compliance
  • providing resources and services that support compliance
  • monitoring compliance and addressing noncompliance
  • promoting and advancing best environmental management practices
  • engaging and partnering with the units and people served
• Administering central collection, packaging, shipment and disposal of all hazardous chemical and radioactive wastes, including management of waste storage facilities and disposal contracts
• Providing or arranging for emergency response and clean-up of hazardous material spills
• Staff, faculty, and students are responsible for carrying out their University roles in a manner protective of the environment and in compliance with this policy.

Staff, faculty, and students

Are responsible for carrying out their roles in a manner protective of the environment and in compliance with this policy. Any student, staff or faculty member discovering a spill or release of what they believe to be a hazardous material will report such a release to DEHS

Additional responsibilities are identified in each of the individual procedures associated with this policy.

• Erosion and Sediment Control Methods
• Storm Water Compliance Definitions

There is no FAQ for this Policy.

Air:

• US Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 50-99)
• Minnesota Rules, Chapters 7001,7002, 7005,7007,7008,7009,7011,7017,7019

Waste:

• US Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 261-268)
• Minnesota Rules Chapters 7001,7045,7150,7151

Stormwater:

• US Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 122-135)
• Minnesota Rules 7090

Environmental Assessment:

• US Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR Part 312)
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup Program Guidance Documents
• Minnesota Department of Health Rules, Clean Indoor Air Chapter 4620, Parts 3000 to 3724,
• Minnesota Department of Health Rules Residential Lead Abatement Chapter 4761
• TSCA (15 U.S.C. section 2601 et seq.) Title 1 - Control of Toxic Substances
• TSCA (15 U.S.C. section 2601 et seq.) Title 2 - Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response

Effective:

November 2008