Be Prepared

摘要

When an environmental emergency strikes, it's not the time to figure out what to do; it's the time to implement an environmental emergency response plan. Not only is it a sound management practice to be prepared for the unexpected, it is a legal obligation. For example, it was the court sentencing Chem-Security that stated its reporting obligations on a release of PCBs: "When you are dealing with extremely toxic waste...your duty is to report everything you have on any release. The company does not have a luxury or right to first conduct internal investigations or re-test or verify before reporting immediately in full all and everything they have on the release." A company's emergency preparedness plan should properly address its reporting obligations so that they are clearly understood before an incident occurs. Quick action is required on many fronts.