ABSTRACT
Environmental auditing is fast becoming an integral component of a facility’s management plan that a only promotes compliance with regulatory requirements but also limits environmental liabilities in the form of costly penalties and third-party lawsuits. Corporations have come to realize the significant benefits resulting from conducting environmental audits. In addition, federal and state agencies responsible for enforcing environmental laws offer strong incentives to facilities that voluntarily conduct environmental audits, self-disclose, and promptly correct violations. Environmental audits evaluate, and are a substitute for, direct compliance activities such as obtaining permits, installing controls, monitoring compliance, reporting violations, and keeping records. Effective environmental auditing programs appear to have certain discernible elements in common with other kinds of audit programs. “Environmental auditing” is a systematic, documented, periodic, and objective review by regulated entities of facility operations and practices related to a meeting environmental requirements.
