Trinity Brings Calm Vigilance to Packaging Giant’s Multisite Environmental Reporting Requirements

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Environmental ConsultingEnvironmental Consulting

Industry

General Manufacturing

Location

United States

Seeking clarity and direction in their environmental monitoring and reporting compliance duties, a very large packaging company in Illinois partnered with Trinity Consultants to evaluate and improve their environmental program and air permitting management system.

 

Challenge

Prior to Trinity’s involvement, the client had only limited experience with environmental compliance and reporting. U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA regulations and requirements across air, waste, and stormwater are complex and ever-changing. Compiling and filing myriad air emissions, hazardous waste, toxic release inventory, and other necessary reports were siphoning time and talent away from core business initiatives, yet all the same, could not be ignored. The client needed expert help to sort through its responsibilities associated with the various governing agencies, as well as a better way to stay current with demands apart from maintaining multiple spreadsheets and labor-intensive procedures.

 

 

Solutions

Trinity condensed the client’s spreadsheet-based reporting system into a combined, streamlined tool utilizing the company’s operational and production data and generates a simplified dashboard for evaluating company performance against permitting and operational limits. Using this tool, the client can easily input monthly operational values and calculate monthly emissions to estimate impacts against permit limits. The early alerts provide reaction time for the company to adjust on the fly and proactively mitigate compliance breaches.

Also, most manual processes were phased out or streamlined to compile concise information into acceptable formats for reporting around predetermined reporting periods. Continuous improvement to the data has enabled the client to confidently track patterns and forecast outcomes, leading to effective future and contingency planning. Today, the Trinity team provides regular updates on changing legislation and current environmental performance against existing standards. Applying remote work techniques mastered during COVID, the partnership has expanded communication channels to further understanding on the changing and complicated landscape of air, water, waste, and chemical environmental regulations that govern future operations and expansions.

Services Performed

The team evaluated and improved air permitting and environmental programs, managed Title V and local permit requirements, and calculated emissions with accurate reporting. They also provided in-house staff training and direct EHS support to strengthen compliance and operational performance.

Results

The packaging manufacturer maintained full compliance at all sites while expanding operations and integrating new facilities into their network. The client has experienced no violations since Trinity began co-managing environmental matters for the company. Additionally:

  • Reporting deadlines are consistently met.
  • Filed reports are complete and accurate.
  • Regulatory audits have become non-events.
  • Zero legal fees associated with fines or penalties have been incurred.
  • Company personnel can refocus on core business initiatives.
  • New processes, procedures, and tools have effectively lowered the cost of compliance, along with associated risk.
  • The client has begun to use data to add value to its strategic planning.
  • Production delays due to compliance matters have become the exception.
  • The company is widely accepted as a responsible citizen within the community.

Multi-Site

Coverage

100%

Compliance