In Reply Refer To:
ACH/Program Operations
Mail Stop 441


							MEMORANDUM

										
January 14, 2000

To: 		Water Resources Division Senior Staff
		Branch and Office Chiefs
		District Chiefs
		Administrative Officers
		Field Offices

From: 		Catherine L. Hill /signed/
		Associate Chief Hydrologist for Program Operations

Subject:	Environmental Auditing Program

				RESPONSE REQUESTED BY MARCH 15, 2000

As described in the attached memorandum from the Chief, Office of Program 
Support,  the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is required to develop an 
environmental auditing policy.  The Bureau Safety Management Office (SMO), 
in consultation with Division Safety Managers, is presently developing the 
policy. Background information can be found at the SMO website.


While the final details of the USGS environmental auditing program are not 
yet complete, it is clear that some basic information is needed about the 
environmental activities at our facilities, both leased and owned.  To 
that end, the USGS plans to contract "baseline" environmental audits of 
all "appropriate" USGS facilities by the end of fiscal year 2002.   The 
information you provide in the attached questionnaire will be used to 
determine the level of environmental activity at your cost center, and 
thus the scope and applicability of the USGS environmental auditing 
program at your facilities.  

For each cost center, separate questionnaires must be completed for each 
main office, subdistrict office, and field office location.  The 
questionnaire you complete for each location should include all facility 
and operational information for that location -- its' office space, 
laboratories, warehouses, storage areas, etc.    Both leased and owned 
space is included.  The scope of this data call does not include field 
data-collection stations. 

We request that you complete the questionnaire(s) for your cost centers 
online and input the results directly to the SMO via the OPS Intranet 
interactive website.

Since there is no way to partly complete the questionnaire once data entry 
is begun, it is recomended that a hard copy be filled out first.  
Completed questionnaires may also be faxed to Allen Hudson at (703) 
648-7475.  Questions can be directed to either Allen Hudson 
(ahudson@usgs.gov), or Melvin Lew (mlew@usgs.gov).


Attachment

In Reply Refer To:
Mail Stop 246

MEMORANDUM



To:          Associate Directors
	
From:      James C. Leupold
               Chief, Office of Program Support

Subject:  Environmental Auditing Program 

Department Manual 515 DM 2, prescribes departmental policy, responsibilities, and functions 
on environmental auditing to be conducted on departmental lands, facilities, operations and 
uses.  Specifically, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is required to develop an environmental 
auditing policy, which involves the conduct of "baseline" environmental program assessments 
for "appropriate" USGS facilities by the end of fiscal year 2002.

The Safety Management Office (SMO), in coordination and at the request of your respective 
safety managers, has compiled the attached questionnaire to assist in determining facility 
"appropriateness" i.e., the extent of USGS environmental activities for inclusion into the 
baseline program.  Information provided will further be used to assess the future scope and 
applicability of a USGS environmental audit program, as well as identify environmental related 
support services necessary for program operations. 

Questionnaires should be completed for each field location, consolidating all facility and 
operational information under that location's jurisdiction.  For example, a district or center 
location should complete only one questionnaire including information on all laboratory 
facilities, office space, warehouses, etc., under their jurisdiction.  
Sub-district and field office locations should include similar information, etc.      

Division management may option to formally coordinate hardcopy responses or have subject 
locations forward their input directly to the SMO via the OPS Intranet interactive website.  
Questionnaires may also be forwarded to ahudson@usgs.gov or fax to (703) 648-7475 
Attn: Allen Hudson.  Responses should be returned by March 15, 2000.  

 

Environmental Auditing Program								

Completion of questionnaires for Reston, Virginia, Denver, Colorado, and 
Menlo Park, California, locations and respective facilities will be the responsibility of 
respective Regional Safety Managers within the Office of Program Support. 

Should you have any questions or an issue we can help you with regarding this correspondence 
please contact Allen at (703) 648-7556.