This paper was presented at the session titled `Reducing the environmental effects of transportation through technology'. Environmental reviews of four Transportation Bases in Nova Scotia were conducted from August to October 1999, by staff from the Environmental Services Group of the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works (NSDTPW) and the Pollution Prevention Section of Nova Scotia Department of the Environment (NSDOE). The following bases were reviewed: Lequille Base, Annapolis County; Brooklyn Base, Hants County; Port Hawkesbury Base, Inverness County; and Wentworth Base, Cumberland County. These bases represent a cross-section of the NSDTPW Base operations, ranging from small road maintenance facilities where limited mechanical work is done, to bases that include full mechanical services. The overall goal of the reviews was to assess the bases' compliance with the Nova Scotia Environment Act and regulations, and their use of generally accepted environmental best management practices. Each review consisted of background data compilation, a site inspection, and interviews with key base personnel. Product life cycle information was also collected for the main types of hazardous materials used at each base. In general it was found that while most NSDTPW employees are concerned about environmental issues, they lack the specific knowledge needed to implement environmental best management practices for many of the base activities. This report highlights a number of areas for improvement that are common to all of the bases reviewed. It is recommended that NSDTPW continue with this program of base reviews to capture seasonal variations and provide the background information necessary to develop a staff environmental awareness program and a department-wide environmental management system. These initiatives would substantially reduce the overall environmental impact of the activities and operations at NSDTPW bases. (A)
Abstract