Introduction
Federal Agencies are responsible for ensuring that their facilities are in
compliance with Executive Order 13148 Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental
Management. This executive order requires that all Federal agencies implement Environmental
Management Systems (EMSs) by December 31, 2005.
An EMS represents a new approach to environmental management, but it is not another environmental program.
It is a
management tool that provides a roadmap to weave existing environmental programs and mission management
processes into a coherent "system" that enables an organization to
control the environmental impact of its activities, products and services, to improve its environmental
performance continually, and to commit to sustainable development as a strategic objective.
Many federal facilities and military installations already have active, mature environmental
programs with many EMS requirements in place, but these programs are individual and separate entities. One primary
purpose of an EMS is to coordinate these activities into one integrated framework that enhances and improves the
overall efficiency and effectiveness of these existing, but separate, environmental programs.
The primary purpose of the Joint Service P2 Library has always been to provide a source of information
sharing throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) so that duplication of effort is minimized and
funding is used as effectively and efficiently as possible. The EMS Library is designed as a clearinghouse
for EMS resources. It is a website that provides the most comprehensive, current,
and pertinent EMS information available to the joint services and federal facilities. By providing a resource specific to
EMS issues and a mechanism for sharing information, success stories, and
lessons learned, the EMS Library helps joint service and federal facility personnel to successfully
implement and maintain an EMS at their respective facility or installation.
