New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has initiated a new program entitled, Environmental Stewardship Program, to recognize the efforts of companies that do more than the minimum required by environmental laws and regulations. The goal is to motivate businesses to exceed regulatory expectations and encourage them to evaluate their current operations for stewardship and sustainable activities by publicly recognizing their efforts on the NJDEP Web site.

During routine NJDEP inspections, businesses will be asked to answer a voluntary questionnaire that highlights the programs the company implemented that go beyond the state requirements. There are 24 questions on the Stewardship Checklist including a general statement regarding whether the company has adopted stewardship activities. Do they have a comprehensive written environment policy? Do they operate under an Environmental Management System designed to reduce environmental impacts? Do they publish an annual environmental report?, as examples.

The checklist continues by asking if the company has documented their greenhouse gas emission, whether they employ environmentally friendly purchasing policies and if they operate certified green buildings. A copy of the entire checklist and Environmental Stewardship Guidance Manual is available on the NJDEP website; www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/stewardship.

EWMA has extensive experience implementing cost effective techniques, tracking regulations and designing plans to assure your business is complying with all regulations and can advise your company how to “exceed beyond expectations” so the next visit from the NJDEP will recognize your efforts towards a cleaner environment for everyone. Please call Margaret Halasnik at 800-969-3159 ext. 123.