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City’s Environmental Management System receives national recognition - Dallas is first in the nation to achieve ISO 14001:2004 certification for broad scale operations.

Release Date: 06/12/2008
Contact Information: Laura Fiffick, Director, Office of Environmental Quality (214) 670-1200

Dallas, TX – June 12, 2008 EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson and Richard E. Greene, Regional EPA Administrator, joined Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, City Manager Mary K. Suhm and other City officials today to recognize the City of Dallas’ Environmental Management System (EMS) for achieving certification to the International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 14001:2004 standards. Dallas is the only city in the nation credited for implementing an EMS for such a broad scale of its operations.

ISO 14001:2004 is an international environmental standard which establishes criteria for organizations and communities to follow in order to exceed environmental compliance requirements, and to continually improve and reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. The City of Dallas’ Environmental Management System is a framework to help the City better manage the environmental risks and reduce the environmental impacts of its operations. The EMS covers 11 City departments and approximately 11,000 of the City’s 13,000 employees. The City’s environmental policy under the EMS emphasizes the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainable development.

“Dallas has always had a big reputation, now they also have a green reputation,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “By reducing the impact of its operations on the environment, Dallas is leading by example and continuing its commitment to the health of all residents.”

“We applaud the City for developing and implementing a plan across its entire major operations to empower all 13,000 City employees to identify problems and take personal responsibility for improving the environment,” said Regional Administrator Greene.

“We are honored to be recognized as an international leader in environmental stewardship”, said Mayor Leppert. “The enormity of the challenge proves that going green means more to us than just achieving the minimum standards.”

“The EPA has an important role to support and promote the implementation of Environmental Management Systems,” said Johnson. “In order to earn an ISO 14001:2004 certification, municipalities must establish a framework that seeks continuous improvement through a system of strategic planning, goal setting, monitoring, corrective action and reporting,” he said.

Dallas City Manager Mary K. Suhm noted that the City has been concerned about environmental issues for many years. “We began to incorporate sound environment practices in the 1990s when we decided to purchase a fleet of alternative fuel vehicles,” Suhm said. “Our first green building, the Jack Evans Police Headquarters, was our first LEED-certified structure. Now, with our EMS in place, our goal is for all Dallas residents to become active participants to reduce the environmental footprint on our City,” she said.

The City’s environmental achievements include:

· Running 41 percent of the City’s fleets, nearly 2000 cars and trucks, with alternative fuel
· Ranking fifth of the 50 largest cities in the nation for its alternative fueled city fleets by SustainLane, an online media company empowering people, businesses, and governments to go green.
· Being the first city in the nation to partner with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Sustainable Skylines, a pilot program focusing on improving air quality by reducing emissions

· Being the first municipal government in the region to install ozone monitors before the Clean Air Act mandated such monitoring

· Being recognized by the EPA for its efforts to reduce ground-level ozone

· Purchases 40 percent of municipal power in 2008 from renewable energy sources, primarily wind

· Implementing the “Too Good To Throw Away” recycling program. Residents have doubled their recycling pounds from 9,680 tons in FY 2005-06 to a projected 21,500 tons for FY 2006-07

· The City expects to complete more than 25 green facilities between by 2010, including ten libraries, seven police and fire stations, one cultural center, three recreation centers, three service centers, and a homeless assistance center

· Being the first city in the nation to launch a Web site for environmental stewardship. For more information, visit the site at www.greendallas.net .