Be Earth-Friendly Through Environmental Plans

TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 Construction Environmental Management Plan: Its Part in Saving The Earth 5 Discussing How Important Concrete Waste Water Management Is 7 How To Write An Environmental Plan: 3 Options 9 Should You Just Rely On A Free Construction Environmental Plan Sample? 11 Top Considerations When Youre Planning To Buy Environmental Management Plan Templates

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Construction Environmental Management Plan: Its Part in Saving The Earth

When it comes to saving the earth, every little contribution matters. On a personal level, environmentally friendly habits such as proper trash segregation, recycling and gardening can make a difference, especially if multiplied in many households. Imagine the huge benefit if those responsible for activities that eat up a huge part of energy, water and non-renewable natural resourcessuch as the construction and building industrywould promote more earth-friendly practices. That is why the implementation of a 100% compliant and updated construction environmental management plan or CEMP is being pushed as an essential requirement by local and state authorities with a highly developed position on environmental protection. In most governments today, construction projects that fail to comply with the latest environmental legislation can be heavily fined, penalised or court-prosecuted. Even if a construction project without a fully realised environmental plan does manage to steer clear of being found out by authorities, the effects that irresponsible infrastructure practices bring can be devastating in the long run. The world has seen how poorly planned cities and buildings have caused massive flooding, building damage, toxic waste, health risks to residents and the

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community, among other negative consequences, which can even be made worse by the effects of climate change. When your construction project is properly guided by strict environmental standards, youll be able to select materials that are more sustainable, long-lasting and, in most cases, more cost-effective. These include procuring building materials from suppliers and contractors with proven performance in providing sustainable solutions and using renewable, recycled or reappropriated materials and industrial goods. With the concept of sustainable architecture emerging, most construction companies can surely find sources of sustainable materials that are as stable, or even sturdier, than traditional building materials. Another important consideration of construction environmental management is the way the project uses energy, water and other non-renewable resources. Ecooriented CEMPs usually establish a work process that minimises transportation costs and fuel consumption, and ensure the sourcing, delivery, use and reuse of water is as conservative as possible. When installing water facilities for a building, great care must be made to ensure the quality of water in the area is protected, and that building solutions such as water-efficient showers, toilets and faucets are implemented. Proper waste management is also of critical importance. Construction sites and commercial buildings produce highly toxic waste such as cement slurries that can cause severe danger to environment (bodies of water, soil and greenery) and human health. Implementing and monitoring CEMP guidelines ensures all the waste and by-products of construction will not cause harmful effects to the earth and its residents.

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Discussing How Important Concrete Waste Water Management Is

Water is vital to life; we live off of it and its used for a large chunk of our daily activities. The problem with water is that it can easily get contaminated and it can also become the breeding element of a lot of deadly diseases. Sanitation experts always advise disposing of unclean water right away before mosquitoes and other disease-carrying organisms find their way to it, but when it comes to concrete waste water, disposal is not that easy. Unlike other types of contaminated water, concrete waste water holds harmful chemical components the effects to health of which can actually be fatal. Its for this reason that concrete waste water management is required for all construction projects. While this is a common requirement, not all construction companies actually uphold it. Concrete waste water has a Ph level of 12 or even higher, which, according to studies is comparable to ammonia. Despite being completely harmless to humans and other mammals, its actually very toxic to fish, amphibians and even plants. This can lead to massive fish kill, which will naturally directly affect the fishing industry. Soil with this Ph level does not yield healthy crops as well; that is, if its even able to grow crops. It has yet to be determined though if crops grown in high Ph soil is safe to eat but many already advise against it. Therefore, basing on the Ph level alone, concrete waste water is very dangerous to the environment and should never be disposed of in land or bodies of water, such as rivers, streams and oceans.

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Aside from the Ph level, there are other contributory factors to the toxicity of concrete water. Certain types of metal can be found in this type of contaminated water as well. Several researches show that its rich with iron, zinc, copper, chromium, et cetera. High levels of iron can cause cancer and heart disease, while zinc can cause skin allergies and stomach cramps, copper when ingested can cause kidney and liver failure, while chromium is a known carcinogen. Considering all these dangerous effects, what are safe ways to manage concrete waste water? In countries like Singapore and Japan, they already have state of the art, water-decontaminating systems. Not only are they good enough to produce clean water from concrete waste water, even H2O from septic tanks are no longer a problem. Several construction companies make use of the concrete waste water storage facilities or they make use of treatment agents to neutralise it so itll be safe to dispose of. Another great strategy is by storing it and reusing it for future concrete mixing; not only does it make the concrete more stable, but it also lessens the need to make use of perfectly clean water. Bottom line is, concrete waste water is harmful to the health and the environment, but proper disposal prevents it from being a threat.

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How To Write An Environmental Plan: 3 Options

For some people, the mark of a highly progressive place is the existence and continuous building of impressive monuments such as skyscrapers, highrises, buildings, roads and motorways, bridges and super highways, etc. However, if these infrastructures were built without an orientation for good environmental practices, a citys very institutions of development can be the root of its ruin. If youre the project manager of a construction contract, its essential that you implement responsible construction and building processes that account for its effect on the community and natural resources. This includes standardising guidelines that promote the conservative use of energy, that actively cut down carbon emissions, and that make sure the natural environment, surrounding communities and site workers are not exposed to toxic substances. To make sure your building materials as well as construction and waste processes are environmentally sustainable, it is required that you come up with an environmental plan that your team can consult and implement. The problem is that not all construction experts know how to write an environmental plan; even the most experienced project manager can have a hard time creating a document thats comprehensive, 100% compliant and customised to the specific project at hand, as well as the general building principles of the company. In this case, hiring an environmental management plan is the practical solution.
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One way to go about the task is to call up an environmental management consultant to help you design, draft and finalise your environment plan. But
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specialists can charge a steep price for a document youll use for just one particular project. It may also take long due to the meticulous legal research and information gathering process required by the individual. This poses a problem for the project manager, who needs to stick to an urgent, strict timeline as well as a restricted budget. Meanwhile, a cheaper option may be to simply purchase a general environmental management document. The problem is that these plans usually take on a very generic and unspecific tone to serve its purpose for various clients, business and industries that may buy it. Thus, the contents may be off-tangent in regards to the project description, the company profile and the legislation specific to the industry or the local government. Given these scenarios, the most recommended course of action would be to download a fill-in-the-blank template that you could customise for your project and your company. Just make sure you choose a highly reliable source online with the expertise and updated knowledge about current environmental laws. See to it that the team you hire have the writing skills that do away with unnecessary jargon and get to the point with clear, concise language. Some of the best environmental plan templates can be completed in just two hours, and can even be reappropriated again and again for future projects with strategic tweaking. Implement, monitor and ensure the use of best environmental practices for your construction sites, and serve not only your clients that commission you for the project, but the safety and well-being of your workers and the community as well.

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Should You Just Rely On A Free Construction Environmental Plan Sample?

Construction officials looking over the Internet for references on making a construction environmental management plan may come across document samples that they can use freely. Should they just go ahead and use the samples as their own CEMPs and save the money for other needs of the project? Coming up with an environmental plan is admittedly time-consuming and expensive, especially if you use traditional methods such as hiring a specialist (who will ask for a high professional fee), or doing it yourself (which may require intensive efforts as you need to sharpen your writing skills and be familiarised with current legislation and policies). Writing a comprehensive management plan is a balancing act: you need to discuss highly technical and legal references, but you have to do it in a very clear and concise manner to make the document fully implementable in the construction site. Thus, utilising a construction environmental plan sample for your needs may initially seem like a practical idea. However, not just any document you can find over the Web can meet the legislative requirements as well as the environmental safety standards of your construction team. It may have been drafted when present environmental laws were not yet in effect, deeming the articles irrelevant and obsolete. The content

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may be generic but inflexible, making you unable to customise it according to the needs of your project and the guidelines of your company. If youre looking for a fast and easy way to get your environmental management plan drafted, why not try a downloadable template you can fill in with information tailored for your needs? These templates are available from trusted construction management experts who have thought of a solution to make 100% legislatively updated, easy-to-read and simple-to-understand environmental plans more accessible without the high fees. It may not be free, but the reasonable cost can already ensure compliance with current laws, ready-to-implement guidelines and peace of mind for the construction team. If youre still unsure of your decision, you can look for a CEMP team that offers risk-free, money-back purchases. You can pay for the plan, download it and assess its relevance to your needs. If you find that you cannot fully utilise the product, you can return it for a refund and seek other options. This ensures every investment you make will be beneficial to your construction team, your client, the community and the environment.

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Top Considerations When Youre Planning To Buy Environmental Management Plan Templates
Massive flashfloods. Extreme weather conditions. Successive calamities. Dwindling natural resources. Energy and water crises. Toxic waste and overflowing landfills. Many people are starting to realise that all these problems faced by modern cities today are caused by man, including the effects of climate change said to be triggered by irresponsible decisions of the individual and the collective. With the extent of these problems, the usual mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle may not be enough. The solution must be much more standardised and centralised, and the cooperation of sectors that consume much of the worlds resources, such as huge commercial corporations, is highly essential. With the environmental protection mission in mind, most progressive governments today are requiring construction officials to come up with an environmental management plan for their company as well as for every project they build. In most states, failure to comply with environmental construction laws can lead to fines, revoked licenses and court prosecution. This is because the payoff of pursuing construction projects without an earth-friendly orientation can be devastating. The surrounding communities, the construction workers, the future residents or users of the structure being built can be put to risk without a well-drafted and implemented construction environmental management plan.

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Land, water, air and other natural resources are also in danger under irresponsible construction practices. While the environmental plan takes time, effort and extensive information to draft, construction officials can easily buy environmental management plan templates from a trusted expert. Theres no excuse for failing to come up with a comprehensive and 100% compliant document as all they have to do is to download the template and fill in the blanks with information readily available from their records.The key is to look for a CEMP expert or team of experts who can provide reliable and practical solutions, and every construction company can have its own CEMP for every project without delay. If youre a construction manager looking for environmental plan resources, here are some of the top considerations to remember: - Time factor. Will the plan be delivered and ready to use in the shortest time possible? - Compliance. Are the articles updated with the latest and relevant state and territory legislation? - Customisation. Can it be tailored to fit the current project you have on hand and can be aligned with your companys over-arching construction safety principles? - Budget. Are the plans available for a rate that is reasonable and workable with your given project funds? - Customer support. Should you have after-sales questions or clarifications, will you be able to reach a customer service representative for help anytime? With the strict implementation of their construction environmental management plans, construction companies can do their huge share in supporting todays mission of building healthy, earth-friendly, and progressive societies.

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