Optimization and Harmonization of Radiation Monitoring at Nuclear Facilities through ISO 14001 Compliance

摘要

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a US Department of Energy (DOE) facility managed by the Regents of the University of California. DOE recently committed to implementing formal Environmental Management Systems (EMS) at each of its facilities to reduce the amount of waste produced and the amount of contaminants released into the environment. The goal is to have an EMS in place at all major DOE facilities by the end of 2005. DOE draft guidance focuses on ISO 14001 as a basis for an evaluation the adequacy of an EMS. This choice was made on the basis of the widespread use of the ISO EMS standard in both private and government facilities. LLNL plays a critical role in protecting national security, both as a nuclear facility and as a provider of science and technology. LLNL's existing environmental management program was recently reviewed to understand what actions would be necessary for formal ISO 14001 compliance. As LLNL uses an Integrated Safety Management System which already incorporates many components of the ISO system, a 'gap' analysis was conducted to understand what we need to do to achieve ISO 14001 compliance. The analysis, which focused on the adequacy and completeness of the current system and processes, found that the requisite elements of an EMS system are present but a number of improvements would need to be made in order to achieve ISO certification.