NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 8553.1C Effective Date: July 20, 2020 Expiration Date: July 20, 2025

Subject: NASA Environmental Management System

Responsible Office: Office of Strategic Infrastructure

Appendix A. Definitions

Audit. Systematic and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulfilled.

Biological Opinion. A document that is the product of formal consultation, stating the opinion of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service on whether or not a Federal action is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat.

Center management. Person or group of people who directs and controls the organization and has the power to delegate authority and provide resources at the highest level.

Competence. Ability (training, education, and experience) to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results.

Compliance Evaluation. Audit of performance against all applicable compliance obligations.

Compliance Obligations. Legal requirements and other requirements with which the Center must or chooses to comply.

Component Facility. A secondary NASA installation reporting to, but possibly geographically separate from, the primary NASA Center.

Concessionaire. The owner or operator of a concession.

Conformity. Fulfilment of a requirement.

Continual Improvement. Recurring activity to enhance environmental performance.

Contractor. An individual or company that performs services for NASA under a contract that specifies the terms of the agreement, such as schedule, duties, environmental responsibilities, etc.

Cooperating Agency. Any Federal agency that has jurisdiction, by law or special expertise, with respect to any environmental impact created by a project.

Corrective Action. Action to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity or noncompliance and to prevent recurrence.

Cross Functional Team (CFT). Personnel, representing a cross-section of the organization’s operations, who assist the Environmental Management System (EMS) Representative with implementing and maintaining the EMS.

Declaration of Conformance. A formal statement by appropriate Center management confirming that, based on a formal audit conducted by qualified personnel outside the control or scope of the EMS every 3 years, the EMS is fully implemented in conformance with the applicable requirements of this NPR.

Documented Information. Information, including documents and records, required to be documented, controlled, and maintained.

EMS Representative. The individual assigned responsibility for implementation and maintenance of the EMS and reporting to Center management and NASA Headquarters (HQ) Environmental Management Division (EMD) on the status of the EMS.

Environment. Surroundings in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans, and their interrelationships.

Environmental and Energy Functional Review (EEFR). An audit conducted every 3 years by NASA HQ EMD in accordance with NPD 1210.2. The EEFR is considered a Survey, Audit, and/or Review (SAR) addressing the EMS, environmental compliance and related activities at a NASA Center.

Environmental Aspect. Element of a Center’s activities, products, or services that interacts or can interact with the environment.

Environmental Impact. Change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an environmental aspect.

Environmental Management Program (EMP). The Center’s documented approach to implementation of an objective and associated target(s).

Environmental Management System (EMS). The system used to manage environmental aspects, fulfil compliance obligations, and address risks and opportunities.

Environmental Policy. Intentions and directions of an organization related to its environmental performance, as formally expressed by its top management.

Interested Party. A person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity, for example customers, communities, suppliers, regulators, non-governmental organizations, and employees.

Internal Audit. Audit of the implementation and maintenance of the EMS performed by competent organization personnel.

ISO 14000. A series of environmental management standards developed by the Internal Organization for Standardization (ISO) to provide an internationally recognized framework for environmental management.

Lead Agency Component. The agency component responsible for EMS implementation and environmental compliance.

Management System. A set of interrelated or interacting elements of an organization to establish policies, objectives, and processes to achieve those objectives. The system comprises the organization’s structure, roles, responsibilities, planning, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement.

Monitoring. Determining the status of a system, a process, or an activity.

NASA Online Directives Information System (NODIS). An Internet application for creating and maintaining NASA directives electronically.

Nonconformity. Non-fulfillment of an EMS requirement.

Noncompliance. Non-fulfillment of a compliance obligation.

Objective. Result to be achieved.

Operational Controls. Measures, including process design, technology, plans, procedures, training, and other methods to ensure that processes are effective and environmental risk is minimized.

Opportunity. Potential beneficial effect.

Organization. Person or group of people with responsibilities, authorities, and relationships to achieve its objectives.

Partner. Any entity that establishes a cooperative agreement with NASA that involves non permanent transfer of NASA-owned real property such that there is a direct transfer of responsibility for maintaining the environmental compliance for that property. A partner is accountable to NASA, per the partnership agreement, for maintaining compliance with all applicable compliance obligations. NASA retains ultimate accountability for the environmental compliance of the organization/property.

Pollution Prevention. The use of practices, techniques, materials, products, services, or energy to avoid, reduce, or control (separately or in combination) the creation, emission, or discharge of any type of pollutant or waste in order to reduce adverse environmental impacts.

Risk. Potential adverse effect of uncertainty.

Scope. The scope of a management system can include the whole of the organization, specific identified functions within the organization, or one or more functions across a group of organizations.

Tenant. Any entity that establishes a temporary or permanent residence on NASA-owned real property. Responsibility for environmental compliance of the tenant activities may or may not be transferred from NASA to the tenant, dependent on the terms of the host/tenant agreement.

DISTRIBUTION:
NODIS

This document does not bind the public, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract. This document is uncontrolled when printed. Check the NASA Online Directives Information System (NODIS) Library to verify that this is the correct version before use: https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov.