 Welcome to the PEER Center! PEER stands for Public Entity EMS Resource Center and provides a broad array of information and tools to help public entities understand and adopt environmental management systems (EMSs) for their operations. The PEER Center is a collaboration between the Office of Water at U.S. EPA and the Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF). In addition, a number of organizations around the country called PEER EMS Local Resource Centers are reaching out to local governments to help them adopt EMSs.
On-line EMS Tutorial for Wastewater Utilities
Based on the EMS Handbook for Wastewater Utilities (2004), the EMS Tutorial for Wastewater Utilities was developed with the support of the US EPA Office of Water and in consultation with utility managers that have an EMS in place at their facilities. The tutorial is designed for wastewater utilities and guides the user through EMS implementation based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act model. It provides instructions, lessons, exercises, and learning objectives for each step of an EMS. To download a printable copy of the EMS Handbook for Wastewater Utilities, click here.
For more information about the EMS Handbook for Wastewater Utilities click here.
 Energy Management Guidebook
EPA and its water and wastewater partners are learning more and doing more to confront serious challenges related to rising energy costs. A new guidance, Ensuring a Sustainable Future: An Energy Management Guidebook for Wastewater and Water Utilities, will help utilities systematically assess their current energy costs and practices, set measurable performance improvement goals, and monitor and measure their progress over time. To download the Energy Management Guidebook, click here.
Copies of this Guidebook can also be found at EPA's website on Sustainable Water Infrastructure www.epa.gov/waterinfrastructure/bettermanagement_energy.html.
Common Management Framework for Utilities
On May 8, 2007 EPA and six major water and wastewater associations signed an historic agreement to work collaboratively in order to promote more effective utility management with water and wastewater utilities throughout the country. This agreement establishes a common management framework for utilities based on a series of Attributes of Effectively Managed Utilities, Keys to Management Success, and Example Utility Performance Measures. EPA and these associations will also be pursuing a number of implementation actions based on the agreement signed on May 8th. This agreement is based in large part on a series of recommendations from a Steering Committee comprised of utility managers from around the country.
EPA Assistant Administrator Benjamin Grumbles signed the agreement for EPA and noted that "this continuing partnership will allow EPA and our industry partners to take a major step forward to recognize, measure, and reward excellence in utility management and help ensure that utility operations and infrastructure are sustainable in the future".
Several documents associated with this initiative are included:
1. The Final Report from the Utility Steering Committee
2. The Appendices to the Report, which contain the list of Example Performance Measures
3. A Fact Sheet summarizing the initiative
4. The Statement of Support signed by Ben Grumbles and the Associations
5. A list of Implementation Actions that we and the Associations plan to pursue For more information about this initiative, please contact Jim Horne at (202) 564-0571 or horne.james@epa.gov.
Environmental Management Systems and Asset Management Pamphlet
This pamphlet provides tools to reduce cost, manage risk, and improve performance, in addition to case studies and comprehensive information on EMS and Asset Management integration.
 Toolkit for Wastewater Utilities
Environmental Management Systems
This toolkit provides a collection of innovative tools designed specifically to assist wastewater utilities from making the initial business case decision for EMS implementation to step-by-step EMS implementation and best practices guidance. The Toolkit was developed in partnership with U.S. EPA's Office of Wastewater Management as well as wastewater managers and practitioners with experience in EMS implementation at their facilities. To enter the Toolkit or to review the individual tools available for wastewater utilities, click here!
 PEER Center EMS Newsletter - May 2008
The PEER Center published the fifth in a planned series of quarterly EMS newsletters highlighting EMS within the public sector. Proposed submissions to future newsletters are encouraged from practitioners throughout the nation. For more information, please contact arista.hickman@getf.org.
July 2007 Newsletter
March 2007 Newsletter
November 2006 Newsletter
July 2006 Newsletter
April 2006 Newsletter
CMTI Lead Auditor Training
Clean Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) at Purdue University is co-sponsoring ISO 14001 Lead Auditor Training September 15-18, 2008. Participants will be provided with extensive ISO 14001 knowledge, covering:
• Environmental auditing using ISO 19011 standard
• EMS using ISO 14001 standard and ISO 14004 guidelines
• How to audit and evaluate EMS against ISO 14001 Standard
• Tools and simulated auditing experience conforming to ISO 14001
For more information and a registration form click here. 2009 EMS Implementation Institute
Virginia Tech's Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement (COTA) is hosting an Environmental Management System Implementation Institute for ISO 14001 certification. The program includes four workshops focused on specific ISO 14001 elements, a baseline review, team and senior management conference calls, technical site visits and concludes with an ISO 14001 EMS Audit. Virginia Tech is an EMS Local Resource Center endorsed by US EPA to assist public and private entities in using EMS to implement green initiatives and sustainable practices. For more information about the institute and these workshops, please click here.  ISO 14001 Training
The Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, a PEER Local Resource Center, is currently offering a series of EMS training opportunities, including special promotional prices. For more information click here.
Workshops
Local Resource Center Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute has a variety of pollution prevention workshops and seminars posted on their website. For more information click here.
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