Auditing for Environmental Compliance™

Auditing for Environmental Compliance™ prepares EHS professionals to lead internal compliance evaluation programs or serve as an effective member of an audit team.

Learn auditing methods and skills.

Auditing for Environmental Compliance™ offers experienced auditors and those new to the internal audit practice an opportunity to better understand the audit process and become better positioned to improve your organization’s compliance position, control risks, improve internal controls, support environmental management systems, and identify pollution prevention opportunities. Ensuring your audit program delivers real value requires an effective audit approach and an understanding of proven audit techniques and industry audit standards. While many Aarcher Institute courses focus on specific environmental laws and requirements, this course focuses on principles and realities of environmental compliance auditing process.

Auditing for Environmental Compliance™ is offered several times each year, most often in our own facilities in historic Annapolis, Maryland. Join your fellow environmental professionals for an in-depth look at all facets of multimedia environmental compliance auditing.

  • Learn to be an effective environmental compliance auditor
  • Understand audit program elements and components
  • Discuss auditing methods and skills
  • Explore reporting options
  • Analyze results, including internal controls, root causes, and other factors

Who should attend this course?

This course is valuable for anyone developing an internal audit process, functioning as a lead auditor, or serving as an audit team member. For those involved in evaluating audit results from a management or leadership level, this course will help you better understand audit results and range of potential benefits an audit program can provide. Environmental staff at audited facilities also fine this course valuable in terms of audit preparation. Common titles of those attending this course include the following:

  • Audit program managers
  • EHS compliance auditors
  • Environmental compliance managers
  • Corporate or facility leadership
  • EHS directors
  • Internal counsel
  • Quality control managers

What is the course format?

Auditing for Environmental Compliance™  focuses on the components of the audit process, rather than specific regulatory requirements. It is presented as a series of topical presentations and open discussion over a 2-day period, with frequent breaks throughout the day, and a 1-hour break for lunch.

The course is offered in pleasant and easily accessible locations, and training venues are selected to allow you to escape distractions and focus on the presented material in a professional setting. All locations offer wireless service and Internet access so you can stay connected. Discussions among instructors and participants is encouraged to explore various aspects of auditing.

What does this course deliver?

Auditing for Environmental Compliance™ provides participants with a foundation for leading or supporting internal environmental compliance audit programs.

You will return from this course with a course binder; useful references; example documents and other tools to assist you in the future; instructor contact information for followup questions; and your notes from the presentations and discussions.

At completion of the course, you will receive an embossed certificate for your records. If you maintain professional credentials requiring continuing education credits, Auditing for Environmental Compliance™  has been approved by all environmental, safety, legal, and engineering certifying bodies.

What’s covered in the course?

This course is presented over two days by experienced environmental compliance auditors able to relate course contents to real-life experiences conducting audits for a variety of organizations and industry sectors. Information is presented in a series of well-crafted modules, interspersed with real-life scenarios, exercises, and opportunities for structured class discussion. This course has been refined over many presentations and demonstrates ever-increasing value to attendees.

  • Audit perspectives (objectives, benefits, risks)
  • Audit program standards
  • Auditor ethics and standards of conduct
  • Regulatory foundation elements
  • Audit process overview
  • Common audit process elements
  • Reporting results (options, effectiveness)
  • Improving finding quality
  • Internal controls & root causes
  • Corrective actions
  • Building audit program value

Course Agenda

Day One: 8:15 am – 4:15 pm

  • Introduction
  • Background on Auditing
  • Environmental Audit Standards
  • Audit Ethics and Standards of Conduct
  • Environmental Audit Components and Process Overview
  • Pre-Audit Activities
  • On-Site Audit Activities
  • Evaluating Internal Controls

Day Two: 8:15 am – 3:00 pm

  • Reporting Results
  • Analyzing Results
  • Fundamentals of EH&S Regulatory Applicability
  • Adding Value to Audit Programs
  • Findings Review and Critique
  • Audit Exercise

Course agendas may be modified as necessary.

Craig J. Schwartz, CHMM, CPEA, CET, is an environmental regulatory compliance expert, with more than 25 years hands on experience assisting clients achieve and maintain compliance nationwide. He is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), a Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA), and a Certified Environmental, Health, and Safety Trainer (CET), and has completed RAB/QSA ISO 14001 Lead Auditor certification training. He formerly served as technical manager for a US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) contractor-operated regulatory hotline, program manager for a USEPA Enforcement Support Services (ESS) program, project manager for the development of comprehensive environmental compliance audit protocols, and technical lead for hundreds of facility environmental plans and permit applications. Craig is the author of the "Regulatory Compliance Audits" chapter of the Hazardous Materials Management Desk Reference by the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Managers (AHMP).

Craig has supported more than 250 private companies and Federal agencies, ranging from steel mills to the US Army, and has led environmental compliance assistance audits for more than 500 facilities throughout the United States, and has been approved by several USEPA regions and states as a third-party compliance evaluator in support of consent decree (CD) and compliance order (CO) auditing requirements.