The Port of Houston is the sixth largest in the world, a few hours sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. More than 7,000 vessels call at the port every year, carrying some 200 million tons of cargo.

Environmental concern for transportation is on the international agenda, and ports are part of it, says Port of Houstons environmental affairs manager Laura W. Fiffick. We believe implementing an environmental system is a good opportunity to prove we are on the right track. In this, as in most businesses, it is a must to be proactive and prepared for the future.

The Port of Houston has been part of a pilot project in the U.S., in which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected 14 municipal entities to implement an environmental management system during 2002. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are now ISO 14001 certified by DNV.

The clue
Establishing an environmental management system has required the effort of the whole port -- from top management to everyone engaged in operations, says Fiffick. We have managed the difficult task of transforming a word-of-mouth process into a structured, paper-based system that works. Going through such a process has made us aware that we cannot continue doing things just because the law says so. We have to understand why we do it, and what implications it might have on the environment.

An example is changing oil near a storm drain. This might cause oil spilled to leak and pollute the fishing waters. Relating work operations to our private lives helps us realise how it might affect all of us. This is what environmental concern is all about. The new system is made transparent and open for continual improvement, which is the basis of our success. We have given the whole organisation a voice in a system based upon continual improvement and that will continue as long as we are in operation.

Reduced premiums
Fiffick believes there is a good chance that the ports insurance premiums might be reduced by as much as 20 per cent if it can prove that the environmental management system is working. So far the Port of Houston is experiencing declining reports and paperwork, reduction of waste disposal and lower atmospheric pollution. These changes have contributed to a more efficient and environmentally friendly workplace. It is not only the Port of Houston that profits from these improvements, but ship operators, traders and the citizens surrounding the port facilities.

Says Fiffick: By auditing the system every six months it becomes a living system. And the standard is one that all ports worldwide should implement in order to ensure environmentally friendly operations in public waterways.

Proactive Steps
The Port of Houston is ranked first in the U.S. in international waterborne commerce and second in total tonnage. It handles general cargo, containers, grain, other dry bulk materials and heavy lift cargo.

To meet the Environmental Management Systems goals the Port of Houston has developed and implemented a programme that concentrates on increasing recycling and reducing air emissions. It has tested PuriNOX, a Lubrizol diesel emulsion product, for more than a year on yard tractors and rubber-tyred gantry cranes. The results of the emission testing show a 25 per cent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels and a 30 per cent reduction in particulate matter. The port has also reduced the use of absorbents by half through using a cement mixer to distribute oil evenly throughout all used absorbent materials. These can then be reused to absorb six or seven additional spills.