Release Date: October 1, 2003

Following an intensive 2 ½-year effort, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has joined the growing international ranks of government agencies and private industries who have earned the prestigious ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, NETL Director Rita Bajura announced today.

In response to Executive Order 13148 mandating that all federal sites have an Environmental Management System (EMS) in place by 2005, NETL began an effort in January 2001 to pursue certification. The lab established an EMS and identified relevant environmental aspects on its path to achieving ISO certification. The certification covers operations at its locations in Morgantown, W.Va., and Pittsburgh, Pa., including onsite research and development, site operations, and supporting administrative functions.

In announcing the certification, Bajura said that environmental management is integrated into all of the laboratory’s research and technology development programs. “Protecting the environment is also part of our mission. ISO 14001 certification proves to the world that we take our mission seriously,” Bajura said. To maintain the certification, NETL will undergo surveillance audits approximately every six months.

Regarding certification maintenance, Environmental, Safety, and Health Division Manager Jan Wachter, added, “ISO 14001 certification requires us to continually improve, to keep getting better at protecting the environment while performing our mission.”

ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, was established in 1947 “to facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards.” Today, ISO is a network of more than 140 countries who promote the development of national safety standards for government and private industry throughout the world. Before ISO certification is awarded, an independent third party verifies an organization’s adherence to rigorous international standards.

NETL, the U.S. Department of Energy’s lead center for fossil energy research and technology development, manages and implements a broad spectrum of energy and environmental programs. NETL employs approximately 1,100 federal employees and site-support contractors at its sites in Morgantown, W.Va., Pittsburgh, Pa., Tulsa, Okla., and Fairbanks, Alaska.