AENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AUDIT

In the recent years more aggressive enforcement of environmental regulations has resulted in increased fines and even imprisonment for corporate officials. One important step to reduce the risk of civil and criminal penalties or lawsuits from employees or neighbors is the Environmental Compliance Audit. Large corporations sometimes have in-house staff with the sole purpose to oversee and implement the corporate environmental strategy. The corporate self audit is a good start to reduce environmental liability. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) provide incentives for self auditing, and self policing. The self audit can show the effectiveness of the environmental management system already in place. It may show the need for change or improvement or the need for additional systems including training, etc. The self audit should be complemented, reviewed or replaced with external independent consulting audits to avoid potential conflict of interest situations. On a public relations standpoint it is good business to be a responsible corporate citizen, by using audits as tool for compliance, and be able to show that environmental compliance is an important part of the corporate policy.

For additional information contact A.Q. Management & Control, Inc.