The Western Australian Business and the Environment Manual

Glossary of terms

Please note: Much of this glossary's terminology that is specific to environmental management is explained in detail in the relevant section of the handbook. Reference has been made to these passages where appropriate.

Airshed - Body of air situated within an area surrounded by topographical features (e.g. a mountain range) and/or meteorological features (e.g. the lower atmosphere) in which an emission is contained.

Ambient - The background level of an indicator of environmental health (e.g. a background water quality measure like salinity).

Amenity - The value of an area including any quality or condition of the area that makes it enjoyable.

Aquifer - An underground layer of rock or sediment which holds water (known as groundwater) and allows water to seep through.

Aspect - Element of a business’ activities, products or services that can interact with the environment. A significant aspect is an environmental aspect that has or can have a significant environmental impact (see impact).

Audit - A process for checking conformance with specified criteria. This is a systematic and documented process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence. This evidence (obtained by auditors) determines whether a system conforms to the criteria set by the business or legislation. The results of this audit (e.g. energy usage) are then communicated to management for action.

Best practice- The process of discovering better ways of managing business performance, adopting improved procedures and measuring performance against the best standard available. Best practice goes beyond compliance and is where real benefits are found.

Biodiversity - The variety of all life forms - the different plants (flora), animals (fauna) and micro-organisms. It includes the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form. Biodiversity is often considered at three levels - genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.

Bunding - Infrastructure or equipment to contain substances in the event of a spill or leak. A bund might typically be a walled structure around a holding tank. Refer to the section on dangerous substances management in the Managing your impacts chapter for more information and illustrated guides.

Carbon credits - An international emissions trading system suggested in the Kyoto Protocol. This system, if introduced, would be based on a permit that authorised the holder to emit a specified amount of greenhouse gas based upon credit for the amount of carbon stored in trees (carbon sinks) planted by the permit holder.

Carbon sink - Any process, activity or mechanism that removes a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. Trees are carbon sinks.

Case study - A study of a particular situation or practice that illustrates a theory (e.g. better environmental management leading to business cost savings).

Catchment - The area of land determined by topographic features (e.g. hills, valleys and plains) within which rainfall will contribute to stormwater runoff at a particular point.

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) - A greenhouse gas which is also an ozone-depleting gas. See also greenhouse gases.

Cleaner production - Initiatives to reduce the environmental impacts of producing goods and delivering services.

Code of practice - Management standards developed by industry and government which promote techniques or methods of environmental management to achieve desired objectives.

Cogeneration - A power generation process that improves efficiency and reduces carbon dioxide emissions because cogeneration harnesses heat that would otherwise be wasted in the fuel combustion process. Cogeneration produces two useful outputs: heat and power. An example of cogeneration is the use of steam from one production process to provide heat for another operation.

Controlled Waste – specific categories of waste listed in schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2001. A controlled waste must be listed in Schedule 1 and possess one or more of the characteristics in schedule 2.

Decibel (dBA)- A measure of the pressure associated with noise. Refer to the section on noise management in the Managing your impacts chapter. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) – service department of the EPA and carry out a variety of functions under the EPA. Some examples of these functions include environmental impact assessments and preparation of draft reports, research and coordination functions in relation to the environment, pollution prevention and management, and the preparation of draft policies.

Diffuse source - A source of contaminants that is not from an identifiable single point of discharge.

Due diligence - A legal defence which is available during prosecution for an environmental offence.

Ecosystem - Any natural system in which there is interdependence and interaction of living organisms and their immediate physical, chemical and biological environment. See also biodiversity.

Effluent - Domestic and industrial wastewater.

Embodied energy - The energy consumed by all the processes associated with manufacturing products from the acquisition of natural resources to the delivery of the product. For example, the embodied energy in a house is the sum of all the energy consumed in producing and delivering all the materials that comprise the house as well as the construction process. Refer to the section on energy management in Managing your impacts.

Emission - A substance - usually a gas - which is created as a by-product of a physical process and released to the atmosphere (e.g. carbon monoxide is an emission from a car's engine).

Environment - Surroundings in which people operate (for business and pleasure). The environment includes air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans and their relationships with one another. Surroundings include a business workplace to the global systems (such as the earth’s atmosphere or oceans).

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) - Refer to the Identifying your impacts or the Approvals for major projects chapter for detailed information

Environmental impact statement (EIS) - A detailed written description of a proposed development and all the possible ways that it can affect the surrounding environment. An EIS may form part of environmental impact assessment (EIA). Refer to the Identifying your impacts chapter.

Environmental improvement program (EIP) - A prioritised schedule of actions (e.g. projects) with timeframes. EIPs are designed to achieve specific environmental improvement objectives.

Environmental management program (EMP) - Refer to the Environmental management systems (EMS) chapter for detailed information.

Environmental management system (EMS) - The most far-reaching of the management approaches available to business. EMS includes supporting documentation and procedures as well as requirements for auditing, communication, training, review, emergency planning and clear definition of responsibilities for actions. Refer to the Environmental management systems (EMS) chapter for detailed information.

Environment Protection Act 1986 – this is the principal pollution control legislation in WA and is administered by the EPA.

Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent advisory body and provides policy advice to the Minister for the Environment. The EPAs objectives are to protect the environment and to prevent, control and abate pollution.

Environmentally sustainable development (ESD) - Using, conserving and enhancing the community's resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased. Also known as sustainable development. See also Local Agenda 21.

Exposure pathway - Refer to the section on dangerous substances management in the Managing your impacts chapter for detailed and illustrated definitions.

Fugitive source - Source of contamination resulting from an unplanned leak or spill.

Global warming - A suspected consequence of greenhouse gas emissions. See greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse effect - Greenhouse gases are a natural part of the atmosphere. They trap the sun's warmth and maintain the earth’s surface temperature at a livable level. This process is known as the greenhouse effect. Human actions which increase the presence of greenhouse gases can increase global warming. These actions may be directly linked to an increase of emissions - like burning fossil fuels - or lead to a decrease in the environment’s ability to process greenhouse gases - like clearing land of trees which absorb carbon (trees are carbon sinks). Greenhouse gas emissions Gas that affects the temperature of the earth's surface. The main greenhouse gases include water vapour (H2O), tropospheric ozone (O3) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) are of particular concern because they take a long time to be removed from the atmosphere. CFCs are controlled separately by the Montreal Protocol due to their ability to damage the ozone layer in the stratosphere.

Hazardous waste - Any waste that is considered toxic, corrosive, flammable, or otherwise dangerous and declared by regulations to be a hazardous waste.

Impact - Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an aspect of a business’ activities, products or services.

Kyoto Protocol - Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Control. An international agreement made in 1992 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Licensed waste contractor - An organisation licensed by the regulating authority to collect, transport and/or receive wastes. Refer to waste management in the Managing your impacts chapter and the waste management chart in Assistance and tools for details and contractor information.

Liquid Wastes – are categories of waste listed in Schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection (Liquid Waste) Regulations 1996 and include animal waste, sewerage, grease waste and solvents.

Local Agenda 21 - An environment strategy or management plan prepared by local government and all sectors of the community to establish a vision and programs for change. Refer to the Regulatory authorities chapter for more information.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) - Information sheet(s) relevant to a particular hazardous substance which provide necessary safety and handling information. Refer to the waste management section of Managing your impacts for a sample MSDS and more detailed information.

Montreal Protocol - Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. An international agreement made in 1987 to reduce emissions of ozone-depleting gas.

National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) - Obligations that arise from Commonwealth legislation that are applicable throughout Australia (e.g. National Pollutant Inventory).

National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) - A publicly available database of business’ emissions of selected substances to air, water and land which is provided as part of the National Environment Protection (National Pollutant Inventory) Measure.

Ozone layer - A part of the earth’s atmosphere that helps protect the planet's surface from the sun's potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Point source - Source of contaminants that is from an identifiable single point of discharge.

Pollution - Any change in physical properties (e.g. composition) that renders air, water or land unfit for a given use.

Potable water - Water fit for human consumption.

Prescribed Premises – Premises which have the potential to cause significant pollution of sir, land or water and require either a works approvals, licences and/or registration in order to operate.

Remediation - Actions that improve the ecological condition of a body of land or water without necessarily returning the environment that which existed prior to European settlement. Remediation is often a necessary outcome of an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Renewable resource - A resource that can be replaced once it has been used and continue to be supplied in a sustainable way. Solar energy is an example of a renewable energy resource. Energy from fossil fuels is considered non-renewable because it is a finite resource.

Risk - The probability in a certain timeframe that an adverse outcome will occur for a person, group or ecological system that is exposed to a particular impact.

Self regulation - Standards of performance set by business to ensure a set level of performance without formal legislation (e.g. energy use reduction goals in the workplace or industry agreements).

Stakeholder - An individual or group concerned with or affected by the environmental performance of an organisation. Stakeholders may include members of the community within which a business operates, local councils and state regulatory agencies (e.g. the DEP).

Stormwater - Runoff water resulting from rain. Stormwater collection systems such as roadways and drains return this runoff to waterways and the ocean.

Stratosphere - The uppermost layer of the earth’s atmosphere.

Sustainable development - See environmentally sustainable development.

"Business and the Environment" is a joint venture between the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Western Australia and Environment Australia