Use the environmental knowledge and assessment tool to assist with environmental management

Abstract

Designed and built by the National Environmental Evaluation and Remediation Consortium, the Environmental Knowledge and Assessment Tool (EKAT™) at www.ekat-tool.com is a web-based project management and decision-support tool to identify, research, and evaluate environmental and pollution prevention options, and safety-related issues for materials used in products and systems. The original concept of EKAT was to help Marine Corps Systems Command integrate environmental requirements into systems acquisition programs. The tool can also benefit federal and state agencies, communities, and businesses. EKAT contains information on technical and regulatory requirements and serves as a resource center with links to references, tools, and databases to assist in research efforts and minimize unintentional safety and environmental effects associated with product development or use. Features include project management and organizational capability, collaboration within project teams or the EKAT community, and communication through threaded discussions. EKAT serves as a preliminary environmental screening tool for regulatory requirements and issues of concern. The user may enter or download lists of chemicals that she or he may have obtained from material safety data sheets for products typically used in activities and operations; these chemicals can then be screened against 14 lists of federally regulated chemicals. Some of the federal lists for which the user's entered chemicals are screened against include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, various lists of carcinogenic substances, and more. Users may also get help estimating emissions from equipment and manufacturing processes, or review information resource documents and research guides, which provide additional environmental information and resources in a user-friendly format. All regulatory information, for environmental, health, and safety issues found within EKAT, is based on United States federal laws and regulations, to which links can be found throughout. Links to sources of additional information, other than U.S. governmental web sites or resources, may also be found in EKAT. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.