Winter 1988
Environmental Auditing: Management’s Key to Effective Environmental Compliance
Environmental auditing can be management’s key to effective
environmental compliance by assessing ones status with a
myriad of changing regulatory requirements. Since environmental
auditing activities represent a relatively new technique
for industry, the definition and methods of conducting an
environmental audit may vary significantly. The generally
accepted definition used by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) defines an environmental audit as a:
“systematic. documented, periodic and objeclive review of
facility operations and practices related to meeting environmental
requirements”. This paper will preSt’nt SQme of the
reasons for performing an environmental audit, outline the
basic procedure for performing an audit. and summarize
problem areas-deficiencies frequently identified during audits
of manufacturing facilities.
