Environmental Management System

In June of 2007, the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) issued an Administrative Order by Consent (AOC) to the NH Department of Transportation (NHDOT) regarding compliance issues pertaining to hazardous materials management.

As part of that Order, NHDOT agreed to develop and implement an environmental management system (EMS) for each of the bureaus with the Division of Operations, … “to assist in ensuring compliance with applicable environmental requirements and to improve overall environmental performance at DOT’s Division of Operations Facilities … and to promote employee awareness, education, and involvement in the environmental aspects of DOT’s operations.” 

NHDOT has developed an Environmental Management System to formalize and organize its efforts to be an outstanding steward of the environment. The EMS has been designed to be compatible, and integrated with, NHDOT’s overall mission of serving the transportation needs of the State of New Hampshire. The EMS will support NHDOT’s goal of maintaining and reaching beyond compliance and striving to minimize impacts on the environment through a continuum of planning, implementing, reviewing, and improving the processes and actions that it undertakes to meet its environmental obligations. The result will be an integration of environmental accountability into NHDOT day-to-day decision-making and long-term planning processes, across all divisional missions, activities, and functions. 

NHDOT managers and employees already have a high sensitivity to environmental issues and a broad awareness of how their activities can impact the environment. Therefore, it is natural that NHDOT personnel join together to develop and implement a program to manage their own environmental impacts, improve overall environmental performance, and lead by example.

Through this EMS, NHDOT personnel demonstrate their commitment to protecting and preserving natural resources and reducing their impact on the environment.