An agency or agencies may approve a GEMS Participant Permit (also known as Tier I) upon demonstration to the agency’s satisfaction that the applicant has:

1. (1) Implemented a basic, robust environmental management system that is driven by environmental impacts, helps integrate environmental and business functions, provides a mechanism for evaluating continual improvement, and supports verification; committed to maintaining and exceeding regulatory compliance; committed to applying the pollution prevention definition and pollution prevention hierarchy when setting objectives and targets and implementing the environmental program; and committed to continual improvement;
2. (2) Evaluated environmental impacts of at least the facility’s regulated pollutants, and set objectives and targets that will improve environmental performance in management and reduction of regulated or unregulated pollutants;
3. (3) Developed an environmental program that will achieve environmental results that are significantly better than otherwise required by law, demonstrated by projected reductions in targeted environmental impacts;
4. (4) Established performance measures that will be used to explain environmental information in context with past performance;

5. (5) Submitted a baseline performance report that summarizes:

   1. (a) Environmental policies affecting the facility operations;
   2. (b) Environmental information regarding significant environmental impacts; and
   3. (c) The environmental program that will achieve the results anticipated in (2) and (3) above.

6. (6) Developed a plan for an annual update of the performance report that includes an update of the information required in (5) above, and:

   1. (a) Performance achievements, and, if appropriate, a description of any obstacles encountered and how addressed;
   2. (b) Environmental management system deficiencies and how addressed;
   3. (c) Compliance issues and how addressed; and
   4. (d) Stakeholder involvement activities, and input received from stakeholders; and
7. (7) Developed a plan for stakeholder involvement that provides information to the public regarding environmental performance on at least an annual basis, and includes a mechanism for receiving and responding to comments.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 468.020

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 468.501, 468.503, 468.506, 468.508, 468.511, 468.513, 468.516, 468.518 & 468.521

History

DEQ 13-1999, f. & cert. ef. 9-14-99