Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occur in the sediment environment as complex mixtures originating from releases of non-point and point sources. A critical component of cost allocation at multi-party sites is being able to differentiate the contribution of these sources.PAH source identification methods have been developed to support cost allocation models using a variety of techniques ranging from the examination of simple visual profiles to complex multivariate statistical approaches.Join Us on October 29 at Noon, as JR Flanders of EHS Support takes a closer look at:Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) source identification tools and analysesCommon misuse of PAH source identification techniques and the potential implications of misuseStrengths and limitations of the approaches in supporting a cost allocation positionRegister here.Let's block ads! (Why?)

Human health. Environmental risks. Business liabilities. When it comes to PFAS, there are more questions than answers. What are the legal liability risks for purchasers, owners, developers, and tenants of properties with PFAS contamination? How can you develop strategies to mitigate the associated enterprise risks?Join William Frez and Dana McCue of EHS Support, along with Charles Denton of Barnes and Thornburg, as they shed light on the known environmental risks and related liabilities for businesses.William Frez and  Dana McCue will provide an overview of existing and anticipated toxicological and risk assessment challenges posed by PFAS and suggest risk-based strategies that can help focus regulatory negotiations on use of the best available science to mitigate enterprise risk.From the legal perspective, Charles Denton will provide insight on pending lawsuits for PFAS discharges and emissions, as well as continuing due care obligations for “innocent” landowners, insurance companies, and public relations managers. Recent Federal and State PFAS regulatory developments will be explored – providing you with valuable insight from the environmental and legal perspective.Register NowLet's block ads! (Why?)

By: Bruce Martin, CPEAInstitutional and portfolio investors, limited partners (LPs), and private equity firms’ investors are moving beyond an awareness of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs of the portfolios and private equity firms with which they invest. While investors have been voicing concerns about sustainability and ESG issues for several decades, conditions have changed dramatically over the past several years as awareness of topics including climate, energy efficiency, labor practices, and other ESG concerns has exploded. Although many portfolio investments and private equity firms have been moving toward awareness of ESG factors, the progress has generally been slow. Investors, however, have been undeterred by this lack of progress and are expected to continue pushing for more ESG-focused investing.Given this interest, a growing number of private equity firms are seeing that building ESG standards into their investment strategies is becoming an essential strategy for continued success. More importantly, as social and environmental issues increasingly affect business conditions, there is growing evidence that ESG programs can actually improve returns and limit risk.The Scope of ESG IssuesESG is a term used by investors to describe how they evaluate non-financial performance indicators. Though ESG is a broad concept with no standard definition, most can agree that it covers a wide range of issues ranging from climate, waste management, and traditional environmental risks to the social and governance topics that impact all industries including labor practices, responsible sourcing of materials, and fair employment issues.The Growing Importance of ESGThe importance to investors on how a company manages ESG issues continues to grow. Since 2012, the number of signatories to the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment has grown from 1,050 to almost 2,400 funds, a group that controls a staggering $86 trillion in capital. Those funds have committed to principles that include a pledge to incorporate ESG principles into how they choose and manage investments.According to a 2019 survey of investors by Private Equity Real Estate, 78% of LPs consider ESG factors when selecting a private equity fund to invest in, but only 19% of general partners’ (GPs’) investments strongly reflect their ESG policies.The trends indicate that the message from investors is clear: incorporating ESG standards into investment strategies and operating principles is an essential element for future success.Developing an ESG Approach as an Essential StrategyDeveloping and sustaining an approach to ESG for a private equity firm includes several considerations:Goals for how the firm intends to balance financial returns and ESG impactPlans for how those goals will define its investment approachApproach for how it will measure results and how it will communicate with stakeholdersESG strategies should define specific operating changes within the firm and a timeline for implementation. The ESG approach should be applied throughout the investment value chain, from deal sourcing and due diligence to monitoring and realizing ESG goals during ownership.Examples of a well-designed ESG approach include getting early warnings on ESG ratings for target companies, assessing companies’ track records on delivering on key ESG initiatives, or helping portfolio companies succeed by supporting them in developing sustainable procurement practices.Measuring and tacking ESG performance can be difficult with so many variables. While many firms have developed their own methods of measuring ESG performance, there are several tools that private equity firms can use to assess and measure ESG performance.The Global Impact Investing Rating System (GIIRS) uses a tool called B Impact Assessment to provide an accounting of the portfolio’s impact on workers, customers, communities, and the environment.The Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) ESG Management Tool is a resource for private equity firms to make measuring and managing ESG performance a standard practice for value creation across their funds The ESG management tool provides a framework for private equity firms to assess and improve ESG management across their portfolio companies. For example, users of the tool can evaluate performance in areas such as access to ESG resources and integration of ESG management into the investment process and portfolio company operations.While every firm should define its own unique ESG strategy based on its investment approach, culture, and stakeholder preferences, it is clear that no private equity firm can afford not to think about ESG.During ownership, costs can be reduced using ESG principles by pinpointing areas where resource spending (e.g., energy, water) can be decreased and improved. For example, EHS Support is supporting clients in a variety of industries that are taking on projects that demonstrate a commitment to ESG progress, including:Focusing on reducing greenhouse gases through energy efficiencyImplementing solar power options on their properties and facilities to reduce or eliminate their dependence on electricity from the gridCreating plans for water use reduction and increasing the quality of wastewater prior to dischargeFocusing on efforts to manage and reduce contact and impact with stormwaterIncreasing community outreach and education on ESG initiativesIn addition, preventive measures can be put in place so buyers can avoid ongoing ESG risks such as environmental liabilities, employee health and safety issues, social and labor issues, and supply chain compliance, to name a few. Furthermore, portfolio companies can reach a larger customer base as U.S. consumers become more interested in sustainable products and practices.Finally, having a strong ESG program in place allows private equity firms to communicate the proactive ESG risk-mitigating processes they have implemented over their holding period, enabling them to negotiate a premium upon divestiture. This is especially beneficial when selling to a public company that may already have ESG reporting requirements in place.ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bruce Martin has more than 20 years of experience in environmental management consulting. A certified professional environmental auditor (CPEA), he brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to EHS Support’s Business Services Group…. Read MoreLet's block ads! (Why?)

Over the past 15 years our EHS Support family has experienced tremendous growth – thanks to the support of our clients, associates, and employees.Since day one, our vision has remained the same – to treat our clients as valued business partners and exceed their expectations. Your loyalty and partnership are the reason we are in business and we are truly grateful.As we celebrate this milestone, we thought it would be the perfect time to announce the official launch of our new US website – designed with you in mind.Thank you for giving us the chance to do what we enjoy and to celebrate this anniversary milestone. We look forward to connecting with you in-person soon!Let's block ads! (Why?)

By: Bob PickertCOVID-19 has accelerated trends already in motion. One of those trends is moving environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) programs and related data to the cloud so it can be shared with a larger team and is accessible whenever and wherever needed. For some EH&S managers, the imperative to move EH&S programs to the cloud has arrived.EH&S Managers must design and implement EH&S management systems – those processes and tools to establish and achieve the organization’s EH&S objectives – so they bring value to the organization. Leveraging digital management systems allows the sharing of information across the organization to reduce costs and risks, improve safety and productivity, and manage compliance. The COVID-19 experience highlights the importance of technology to share and access information, communicate, and streamline and improve EH&S processes. This moment presents opportunities to leverage technology to streamline EH&S processes and enhance your digital management systems for:Document and records managementPermit and regulatory compliance / task managementCompliance calendarIncident managementInspection and audit managementTraining and learning managementSafety tools such as job hazard analyses, lockout / tagout energy control procedures, and safety observationsEnvironmental monitoring and remediation dataEH&S performance metrics, data analytics, and dashboardingWork flows to orchestrate, coordinate, and integrate these tools across the organizationThere are a number of ways to move EH&S programs to the cloud, from highly-configurable platforms like Microsoft Office 365 and Google’s G Suite to niche software for specific applications like CR360, Brady, and HuComply; and more powerful and integrated enterprise solutions like Gensuite, Enablon, ProcessMAP, and Intelex. Regardless of which path you ultimately take, organizations should follow a disciplined process perhaps best summarized as “measure twice, cut once”.Configurable SolutionsMicrosoft Office 365, SharePoint, and PowerApps provide a surprising capacity to serve as a central platform for an EH&S intranet site. SharePoint was released in 2002 as a document management system, but has evolved over the years to serve as a platform for connecting corporate offices to multiple facilities, field operations, and remote data collection points. SharePoint sites provide a single infrastructure for collaborative intranet and extranet sites that is highly configurable to the specific needs of an organization. The simplicity of these tools is based on the use of Excel, Word, and PDF forms to collect operational data and store it in relational SharePoint lists that allow the collection, control, analysis, and reporting of business data to be shared among team members. Mobile apps can be built seamlessly on PowerApps or on third-party form builder apps (e.g., Nintex Forms, K2) and mobile app form builders (e.g., FastField, Field iD, and Formotus) to allow data collection in the field and remote locations. SharePoint can interface with many other programs to allow importing and exporting of data, and reports enhanced by data analytics.Intranet sites and applications using Office 365 and SharePoint do not require any computer coding, but do require some training and experience in using SharePoint, especially for more advanced functionality such as creating and integrating workflows. Organizations often need help developing EH&S SharePoint sites, especially those requiring greater functionality and integration. Internal resources can be supplemented with the use of experienced consultants, specialty firms, or some combination thereof. Many specialty firms that offer SharePoint site development do not provide ongoing site administrative support. The Microsoft Office suite of tools provides graphical user menus that have become intuitive for many, but the tools are constantly evolving and require administration. Many organizations find some combination of in-house resources and consulting services for hosting, routine administration, maintaining, and updating EH&S intranet sites provide the resources needed for successful projects. A SharePoint-based EH&S intranet site can be attractive for organizations that are already on Office 365, since it requires little in additional licensing fees and other costs. Still, Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint have their detractors, and many organizations prefer custom software applications or require more powerful and integrated tools.Enterprise SolutionsMore powerful enterprise-wide solutions are available from a variety of vendors. These programs offer great functionality with integrated workflows. That functionality comes at a cost in the form of initial and ongoing annual licensing fees based on the number of functional modules selected, and the number of facilities and users that connect to the system. Many organizations start with a few foundational modules like permit and compliance task management, compliance calendars, compliance verification and audits, and incident reporting and management that they can build on over time. A lot of thought has gone into the development of these systems, and most offer a high degree of workflow and integration with shared data between modules. They have been tested by users over time; however, it is often the case that the organization and their EH&S budget conforms to the software rather than the other way around.Measure Twice, Cut OnceThe variety of choices for taking EH&S programs to the cloud can be overwhelming, and finding the time to evaluate and implement digital management system improvements can be challenging. It is critical that organizations get buy-in from internal stakeholders, such as Human Resources, Information Technology, Production and Operations, Legal, and executive management. Not involving critical stakeholders or taking the wrong path can be counterproductive and costly. Having an experienced navigator to help define data management needs, map processes and improvements, assess options, select and design solutions, and host, deploy, implement, and maintain your digital management systems can make all the difference.Need help? Reach out to one of the compliance specialists at EHS Support through Bob Pickert at [email protected] or 321-543-4414.ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bob is an Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) manager with 25 years of experience leading and supporting cost-effective EHS compliance, management systems, and risk management programs for a wide variety of organizations. He specializes in environmental permitting & compliance programs; EHS audits & compliance verification; due diligence and M&A-related support; and occupational safety and health programs… Read MoreLet's block ads! (Why?)