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Well, sort of. You’ve also got to manage the levels of emissions and waste cre-

ated across the full lifecycle of your operations, from R&D through delivery

to the marketplace. And then of course your product has a half-life, and a full

one, too, at whose end it must be properly disposed of. You are frequently

held accountable for managing these, as well. Love them or hate them, they

are not going away. The sooner your business takes them into account, the

better off you are likely to be.

Risks of noncompliance: Fines and

public relations nightmares

The consequences of noncompliance range anywhere from token slaps on

the wrist to prison sentences for top executives to the loss of a company’s

goodwill to the forced closure of your business and consequent financial col-

lapse. Recently, the most notable examples of trouble that can befall erring

companies concern the disastrous events surrounding the toy giant Mattel.

170 Part III: Going Green

Environmental health and safety in the modern

world: Complexity and compliance

Managing environmental issues is complicated

today and only becoming more so. Companies

are paying more attention than ever to this area

because of pressure from the following forces,

both internal and external to the company:

Advent of numerous rigid environmental

regulations

Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization

of Chemicals (REACH)

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

(WEEE)

Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)

National, state, and local laws for plant

security regulations (e.g., Toxic Catastrophe

Prevention Act on NJ)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

chemical plant security regulations

Facilities permits (e.g., Title V)

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

Increasing worker’s compensation cost and

regulations: $87B in US alone

Mounting resolve for intensified risk

assessments

Escalating pressure for greater social and

environmental responsibility