PotlatchDeltic’s Environmental Management System – CSRwire

Report on PotlatchDeltic’s Environmental Compliance and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

PotlatchDeltic demonstrates a structured commitment to environmental stewardship across its six lumber mills and industrial plywood facility. The company’s operational framework is designed to ensure compliance with stringent environmental regulations and actively contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Regulatory Adherence and Environmental Protection

PotlatchDeltic’s operations are governed by comprehensive legal requirements aimed at protecting natural resources. This adherence directly supports key global sustainability targets.

• SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 15: Life on Land: Under the Clean Air Act and site-specific Renewable Operating Permits, the company meticulously monitors and minimizes air emissions, including hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). This practice is crucial for protecting air quality and mitigating climate impacts.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: In accordance with the Clean Water Act, the company protects water quality through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Strict discharge limits are maintained for all process water and stormwater, directly contributing to the health of aquatic ecosystems.

Integrated Compliance Management System (CMS)

The company utilizes a robust Environmental Compliance Management System (CMS) to ensure 100% compliance with all federal, state, and local environmental laws. This system represents an innovative approach to industrial sustainability.

Key Components of the CMS

1. Standardized Framework: The CMS establishes best practices and procedures for managing air emissions, water discharges, and waste disposal, aligning with the company’s Environmental, Health, and Safety Policy.
2. Roadmap Process: This process identifies all applicable environmental compliance requirements and links them to specific standard operating procedures. It integrates critical elements such as monitoring, operational control, and recordkeeping.
3. Objective Setting: The system facilitates the establishment of annual objectives and targets for the Wood Products Division, driving continual improvement in environmental performance.

This systematic approach to compliance and process optimization directly supports SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure by retrofitting industrial processes for greater sustainability and efficiency.

Continual Improvement and Resource Efficiency

PotlatchDeltic is dedicated to the continual enhancement of its environmental performance and resource efficiency, a core tenet of responsible production.

Mechanisms for Improvement

• Performance Evaluation: Compliance status and progress against environmental objectives are reviewed at each site at least semiannually, with business-level reviews conducted throughout the year.
• Audits and Training: The company invests in employee training, systematic performance evaluations, and regular internal compliance audits. Key findings and best practices are shared across all facilities to foster division-wide improvement.
• Waste Reduction: A focus on resource efficiency is a critical component of operations, with an ongoing commitment to reducing waste.

These efforts are central to achieving SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, by ensuring the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources and minimizing the environmental impact of industrial waste.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The article directly addresses this goal by detailing the company’s efforts to protect water quality. It mentions compliance with the Clean Water Act, meeting strict discharge limits, and managing process water and stormwater discharges through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The article discusses the operations of industrial facilities (lumber mills, plywood facility) and the implementation of an “environmental compliance management system (CMS)” and a “Roadmap Process.” These systems are designed to upgrade their industrial processes for better environmental performance and compliance, which aligns with making industries more sustainable.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  This goal is central to the article. It highlights the company’s focus on “Resource efficiency,” efforts to “reduce our waste,” and the management of air emissions, including “hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).” The entire framework of the CMS is aimed at ensuring sustainable production patterns.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  Although the article focuses on mill operations, the company’s core identity as a “leader in sustainable forest management” that owns “nearly 2.2 million acres of timberlands” directly connects its activities to the sustainable management of forests, a key aspect of SDG 15.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution

   The article states that PotlatchDeltic works to “protect water quality by meeting strict discharge limits and other provisions established at each site for process water and stormwater discharges.” This directly corresponds to the target of reducing water pollution.

2. Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable

   The company’s implementation of an “environmental compliance management system (CMS)” and its “Roadmap Process” to ensure compliance and “drive continual improvement in environmental performance” are clear examples of retrofitting industrial processes to be more sustainable and environmentally sound.

3. Target 12.2: Achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

   The article explicitly states that “Resource efficiency is a critical component of our operations,” which aligns directly with this target.

4. Target 12.4: Achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes

   The text mentions that the mills “closely monitor operating parameters and air emissions, including hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) to ensure those emissions are minimized” and have procedures for “waste disposal,” which is the core of this target.

5. Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation

   The company’s statement that “we are continually working to reduce our waste” is a direct commitment to the goal of waste reduction.

6. Target 15.2: Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests

   The company profile describes PotlatchDeltic as “a leader in sustainable forest management,” which directly relates to promoting the sustainable management of its nearly 2.2 million acres of timberlands.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Compliance with discharge limits

   As an indicator for Target 6.3, the article mentions meeting “strict discharge limits” for process water and stormwater. The rate of compliance with these regulatory limits serves as a direct measure of progress in protecting water quality.

2. Monitoring of air emissions

   For Target 12.4, the article states that the mills “closely monitor… air emissions, including hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).” The data from this monitoring is a key indicator of the company’s performance in reducing the release of pollutants.

3. Implementation of a Compliance Management System (CMS)

   As an indicator for Target 9.4, the existence and application of the “environmental compliance management system (CMS)” and its associated “Roadmap Process” serve as a qualitative indicator of the company’s efforts to retrofit its industrial processes for sustainability.

4. Establishment of objectives and targets

   The article mentions the “establishment and execution of annual Wood Products Division and facility-specific objectives and targets intended to drive continual improvement.” Progress against these internal targets, which are reviewed “at least semiannually,” is a clear indicator of performance for Targets 12.2 and 12.5.

5. Internal compliance audits

   The use of “regular internal compliance, audit and corrective action processes” is an implied indicator. The findings from these audits measure the effectiveness of environmental programs and compliance reliability across facilities.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: csrwire.com