EPA CONDUCTS AUDIT OF U-M

Staff members from Region V of the Environmental Protection Agency conducted a multi-media audit of the University of Michigan in February 2000. We were the first higher education institution that the EPA has audited in our region, which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan. The program of targeting universities began in the New England states where 258 colleges and universities were targeted after a 1997 audit of the University of New Hampshire.

"This was a surprise," said Terry Alexander, director of U-M's Occupational Safety and Environmental Health. "The EPA Region V staff had indicated they would not target universities, but we are confident that we have strong programs in place. We think the EPA will agree."

During the audit, inspectors reviewed large volumes of files and documents in addition to visiting specific areas of campus. Programs that were reviewed included hazardous waste, underground tanks, PCB transformers, Community Right to Know, clean air, asbestos, spill prevention, pesticide usage, and lead paint in housing. Areas that were visited included the paint shop, hospital, chemistry, Beck Road storage facility, North Campus Transfer Facility, Central Power Plant, refrigeration shop, housing, areas with underground fuel tanks, and pesticide use areas.

Overall, the auditors expressed a high degree of satisfaction with our programs, including the operations, management, and controls. They will submit their reports and findings to the EPA's Enforcement Division. If anything is deemed an enforcement action, the Enforcement Division will write a complaint, and send it to the inspection team and the Regional Council for review. The process may take months before we receive a formal complaint.

Areas where the audit revealed a need to change some procedures or strengthen our follow-up are cleaning spray guns in the paint shop, chemical storage/labeling in the hospital, automatic monitoring for leaks in underground tanks, documentation for
contractor certification with asbestos, disclosures for lead paint programs, and secondary containment at delivery truck unloading areas.

"Many people throughout the campus, and especially in Plant Operations, were very cooperative with the inspectors despite the disruption to their daily work schedules," Alexander said. "We appreciate the efforts of our U-M staff members to help make this a safer place in which to work."

- Diane Brown, Facilities & Operations