Paper Recycling Feasibility
On behalf of a consortium of industry trade associations, Mr. Soyka recently performed literature and primary research to examine potential barriers to the recycling of magazines, catalogs, and direct mail. In response to questions raised within pertinent regulatory agencies (EPA and FTC), Mr. Soyka assembled data on the volume and characteristics of the materials of interest (including potential “contaminants”); evaluated and described recycling and recovery methods and quantified recovery rates; characterized markets for recovered paper both domestically and internationally; examined the handling and re-entry of recovered paper into the paper production process and resulting paper product types; and evaluated whether and to what extent non-paper components of magazines, catalogs, and direct mail might limit their suitability for recycling. Mr. Soyka provided his analysis in a comprehensive report that satisfied the EPA’s concerns and served as the basis for FTC approval for the associations to include a “Please Recycle” message on their products. This message is at the heart of recently launched campaigns by each association to promote greater recycling of member products following use by the consumer. Mr. Soyka’s work thus played a pivotal role in helping to remove a key legal barrier that had prevented these messages and campaigns, which had been considered for many years, from being launched.
Life Cycle Inventory Analysis of the Mail
For the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Mr. Soyka recently designed and constructed the first-ever comprehensive life cycle inventory model for analysis of the U.S. mail. The model considers the full life cycle of all eight major mail products handled by the Service from their creation from (largely) paper and paper board products; printing and preparation; delivery to USPS; sorting, handling, and transport by USPS; receipt and management by the mail recipient; and post-consumer disposal or recycling. The model addresses waste generation, pollutant emissions, and energy consumption, and allows comparative analysis across mail products, identification of the most environmentally intensive life-cycle stages, and quantification of the energy consumed, by type, for each product and stage, including the “environmental footprint” of producing the fuels consumed. This model, which Mr. Soyka designed and constructed, has undergone an extensive peer review process, and initial results have been made available to the public. Model results demonstrate conclusively that the mail stream produces waste and pollutant emissions that are non-negligible, yet are modest in comparison with many other commercial (and even household) activities. The Postal Service plans to employ this model to focus its ongoing efforts to improve the sustainability of its enterprise and the broader U.S. mail value chain.
Feasibility of On-Site Fueling
On behalf of the U.S. Postal Service, Mr. Soyka recently designed and built a user-friendly, spreadsheet-based simulation model that enables the client to evaluate the financial feasibility of moving vehicle fueling operations on site at its own facilities. Facing rising vehicle fuel prices (a major Postal Service expense), the Service wished to examine the feasibility and desirability of installing on-site fueling operations, at least at selected locations. Using engineering cost data provided by industry experts, Mr. Soyka developed a logic train that involves a series of sequential calculations that determine whether potential variable cost savings are sufficient to offset the substantial capital and regulatory costs associated with fueling system installation. This logic train is reflected in a spreadsheet model constructed by Mr. Soyka that takes user-defined facility characteristics (or extensive default values) and transparently provides a buildup of required capacities, equipment configurations, capital and operating costs, fuel cost savings, and overall financial feasibility. This model is being evaluated by managers at a number of major USPS installations across the country. The model shows, however, that in all but exceptional cases, the risks and costs of on-site fueling substantially outweigh the benefits (potential cost savings and greater operational control) of on-site fueling.
Sustainability Strategy Development
On behalf of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Mr. Soyka recently formulated a high-level organizational strategy for putting Postal Service operations on a path toward long-term sustainability. This strategy was outlined in a white paper prepared and delivered by Mr. Soyka on a quick-turnaround basis that presented an introduction to the sustainability concept (suitable for non-environmental business executives), a brief analysis of the sustainability posture of major USPS competitors, a series of principles that could underlie a Postal Service sustainability program, and a detailed sequence of action steps that could be employed to frame and launch the program. These recommendations are currently under consideration within USPS management, with initial actions likely to ensue in the coming months.
Environmental Program Redesign
For a $2 billion global wire and cable manufacturer, Mr. Soyka provided multi-faceted assistance in helping to bring a successful corporate EHS compliance and pollution prevention program to the next level, defining and executing a plan toward sustainability. Work involved preparing a strategic position analysis, and review of environmental cost and benefit data and company systems and processes that might be tapped to support a broader and more meaningful set of performance metrics. Future phases may include plant-level optimization audits, workshops to raise awareness and identify sustainability opportunities, and reinvigoration of existing environmental management systems.
National Environmental Policy Framework Development
For a $20 billion national energy and utility company, Mr. Soyka developed an integrated environmental policy-setting framework linking environmental issues to corporate strategies and business objectives, values, capabilities and assets, specific local conditions, and external trends. He also facilitated two meetings on the east and west coasts with senior business unit and corporate environmental and regulatory affairs executives and managers, thereby guiding individuals and groups with disparate perspectives and agendas to consensus on the key determinants of the company’s position on any given environmental policy issue. This framework was then presented to and approved for use company-wide by the firm’s Board of Directors.
Financial Market Incentives for Environmental Management Systems
For the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Soyka recently completed a project on behalf of an intra-Agency Steering Group examining current and potential incentives offered by investors and insurers to organizations that adopt formal environmental management systems (EMS). He developed and delivered trainings, research, analysis, and findings and arranged for expert guest speakers to help the Steering Group better understand how best to market its concept to “Wall Street.” Under his leadership, the project team also formulated recommendations to assist the Steering Group in attracting participation and support from influential members of the equity and bond investor community, insurance industry, third party rating organizations, and senior corporate environmental executives. Mr. Soyka and his team continue to support the Steering Group in a multi-year follow-on project.
GSA/PBS Environmental Management System
For the US General Services Administration, Mr. Soyka directed the second phase of a project to more fully develop and implement a national EMS for GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS), the nation’s largest commercial-style real estate ownership and management organization. In the initial stage of this project, Mr. Soyka performed an evaluation of existing environmental compliance and management policies, practices, and guidance, and fashioned a strategy whereby PBS could develop and implement a comprehensive EMS that complies with extensive federal government directives while making optimal use of existing PBS procedures and work practices. He also developed a comprehensive EMS training module and delivered this module in a pilot application at PBS’ Denver Federal Center. Mr. Soyka also reshaped an existing EMS auditing tool designed to evaluate conformance with the federal Code of Environmental Management Principles (CEMP), and formulated and delivered a training course on this more streamlined and refined tool. Additional efforts involved drafting procedures for full implementation of the national PBS EMS, and providing expert assistance to PBS regional EMS personnel as they implemented the EMS within their regions.
EMS Benefit: Cost Framework
For the U.S. Postal Service, Mr. Soyka performed an assessment of the current state of knowledge regarding the financial benefits and costs of implementing formal environmental management systems (EMS). He began by collecting, reviewing, and categorizing EMS implementation experience and results reported in the literature, and then summarized the information to form general conclusions about the resources required to fully implement an ISO 1400-style EMS within an organization (generally, about $100,000), the associated benefits received (variable, but often substantial), and an overall benefit: cost ratio (usually greater than unity). Mr. Soyka also devised a framework by which the benefits and costs of EMS implementation within and across the Postal Service could be estimated prospectively (to inform decision making), as well as in real time throughout the implementation process. This framework is presented in a journal article published in Environmental Quality Management (Winter 2006).
NASA Staffing Model
For the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Mr. Soyka directed a project yielding a comprehensive algorithm and computer model allowing NASA managers and executives to determine the optimal number of civil servant and contractor staff needed to carry out all significant environmental management activities at each NASA location. Mr. Soyka and his team defined the specific tasks required to comply with the law, minimize financial liabilities and project delays, accomplish the agency’s environmental performance goals, and further the NASA mission, and identified the key variables that influence optimal staffing levels. They then quantified the importance of each variable and compiled these relationships into a user-friendly computer model that allows for user input and scenario testing, displays results in tabular and graphical form, and compares optimal and current staffing levels. This model has been used by NASA senior management to evaluate and adjust its staffing of the environmental function at NASA Headquarters as well as to inform staffing decisions at NASA Field Centers.
Training on Corporate Finance and Governance
Mr. Soyka was one of a handful of consultants invited to participate in the 3rd State-EPA Environmental Innovations Conference held in Denver, CO. Under contract to the U.S. EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation (OPEI), he developed and delivered a three-hour training on corporate finance and governance, and also served on a plenary panel with other senior corporate environmental management experts. The training was tailored to the information needs and perspectives of federal and state environmental regulators, and focused on equipping participants to more readily think and speak in the language of business, so that they can more effectively design and operate environmental performance improvement and sustainability programs. To meet these needs, Mr. Soyka developed material presenting information on the principal players within a company’s senior management and their roles; important terms and definitions; and a description and simple examples of the basic financial statements required of publicly traded corporations. With this foundation, Mr. Soyka then reviewed typical financial measures; findings from the published literature on the relationships between environmental posture and financial performance; emerging trends and reporting requirements; and implications for environmental program design and operation. Feedback on the course from participants was highly favorable, and Mr. Soyka was subsequently retained to present the training to the staff of a major division at U.S. EPA Headquarters.
MPA Environmental Handbook
Mr. Soyka was recently retained to revise, expand, and update a pre-existing environmental handbook developed for use by companies in the magazine publishing industry. In response, Mr. Soyka performed a careful review and edit of the existing material, addressed a number of comments received from industry members, checked and updated a substantial number of references, and developed new Handbook sections dealing with emerging issues such as climate change, large-scale changes in U.S. forest ownership, forest and forest product standards and certification programs, and other topics. Mr. Soyka also developed a new appendix providing guidance for industry members seeking to develop or strengthen internal environmental management programs. This appendix provided a recommended sequence of specific activities and approaches reflecting current environmental management best practices tailored to the needs and circumstances of magazine publishers.
NASA Environmental Manual
For the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Mr. Soyka managed the preparation of a guidance manual that is written for the non-environmental manager and executive, and provides key information that enables these individuals to contribute meaningfully to the attainment of the Agency's environmental goals (e.g., through pollution prevention or green procurement). The manual includes sections describing NASA's environmental functions and their relationship to the Agency's overall mission, the genesis and form of existing environmental law, the specific aspects of environmental control regulations and executive orders that affect NASA operations, preparing for audits and inspections, environmental performance metrics, and planning and budgeting for environmental issues.
Facilitation of Integrated Management System
For a $2.3 billion global plastics and rubber compounding firm, Mr. Soyka developed an integrated safety, health, and environment (SH&E) management systems framework reflecting the provisions of ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, OSHA VPP, and the CMA (now ACC) Responsible Care® program. Mr. Soyka then facilitated a successful two day workshop involving corporate staff and SH&E managers from all major company locations, which yielded agreement on a company-wide SH&E policy, major components of the integrated management system framework, and the specific behaviors that define the maturity path for each management system element.
OMB PART Analysis/ Training
Mr. Soyka directed a multi-year project to develop and provide training and facilitation services to research teams at the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD), as they prepared for and responded to evaluation of their programs by the President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) using the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). This work involved identifying vulnerabilities in the individual research plans, devising appropriately designed training/facilitated discussion sessions, helping craft enhancements to the high-level strategies articulated in research plans, and researching and identifying the features of research programs across the federal government that resulted in successful PART evaluations, among other activities. With Mr. Soyka’s assistance, a number of ORD research programs greatly improved their ability to identify the outcomes (versus outputs) of their programs and to convey the nature and value of their work much more clearly and effectively.
Energy Auditing at Superfund Sites
For the U.S. EPA’s Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (OERR), Mr. Soyka designed and pilot-tested an energy auditing program to examine the potential for energy efficiency improvements and cost savings at “Fund-lead” (federally managed) Superfund sites at which long-term remedial approaches were being implemented. Using information collected from the Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and other public and private primary and published sources, he developed an extensive auditing protocol and applied it at two profoundly contaminated Superfund sites in the northeast. Mr. Soyka then summarized and delivered findings to EPA that included the following: generally low awareness of energy and cost savings opportunities; inconsistent/unclear incentives to save energy and operating costs; and numerous tangible opportunities to make use of building/facility insulation; energy efficient space conditioning, electric motors, pumps, and treatment equipment; and distributed power generation.
ISO Registration Auditing
On behalf of a major international quality and management system registrar, Mr. Soyka has performed third-party audits to assess conformance to the ISO 14001 EMS standard. In this capacity, he has audited large and small manufacturing sites in several industries, providing objective, actionable findings that, when fully addressed, can bring site operations into full conformance with the ISO standard. Mr. Soyka also is trained and qualified to audit conformance to the OSHAS 18001 health and safety standard.
Audit Program Enhancements
For the U.S. Postal Service, Mr. Soyka prepared an analysis and series of recommendations for how the Postal Service could improve and consolidate its existing environmental and health and safety auditing programs. He performed and provided a summary of research updating the current state of the art in auditing practice, developed and articulated a method for evaluating each current auditing program component and method against best practices, and outlined a strategy and general time line for conducting a thorough review, evaluation, and synthesis of a unified environmental, health, and safety auditing program. He also developed a scoring algorithm by which USPS locations could be ranked in terms of priority for receiving individual or unified audits based upon their operational attributes and compliance history. Subsequently, Mr. Soyka provided intensive, ongoing support to the Audit Program team leader in designing a pilot program to test different audit configurations at USPS facilities nationwide. Among other activities, this included developing a series of electronic forms to be completed by audit team and host facility participants. These forms enabled far more consistent and cost-effective collection, compilation, and analysis of data than would have been possible otherwise.
Mailing Industry Sustainability Reporting Practices
Recently, on behalf of a consortium of major firms involved in various ways with the mail value chain, Mr. Soyka and a business partner conducted an analysis of the environmental/sustainability reporting practices of companies in a number of diverse industries. Using his extensive knowledge of corporate environmental management and reporting practices, Mr. Soyka developed a checklist, or scoring system, for evaluating each company as to the apparent maturity of its environmental/ sustainability program. He then devised and applied a sampling approach for each industry sector of interest, whereby a small number of individual companies within each sector were selected randomly. Mr. Soyka conducted on-line research on the selected companies, and scored each using the checklist. He then tabulated and summarized the results, and drafted and delivered a memorandum presenting the strong and weak points of firms within the sectors evaluated, based upon their environmental/sustainability reporting practices. Findings suggest that from the point of view of the public, the maturity of environmental/sustainability programs varies widely across the firms and sectors participating in the mail value chain, though it appears to be strongest in sectors having both extensive environmental issues and long-standing programs (e.g., the forest products industry).
Improving Science Communications
Mr. Soyka directed extensive, multi-faceted support to the Communications Director of the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) and her immediate staff on two successive projects. In this capacity, Mr. Soyka performed a number of important roles while directing a sizeable team comprised of internal staff and external consultants having specialized expertise. In collaboration with the Communications Director, he conceptualized new internal and external communications products; sought, obtained, and deployed sophisticated, specialized expertise as required; prepared and edited written products explaining ORD science to lay audiences; and explored options for electronic (e.g., web-based) information delivery methods. Mr. Soyka also directed numerous efforts to prepare new communication products (e.g., posters, e-newsletters, presentation formats, report covers, podcasts); establish more effective internal communication methods; train executive-level ORD personnel; publicize ORD programs and accomplishments; and many other activities.
Stock Price Impacts of Environmental Improvements
Mr. Soyka directed a pioneering study defining and documenting a relationship between improved corporate environmental management practices and environmental performance, and market risk and stock prices, based in part on company environmental reporting. The peer-reviewed study, entitled, “Does Improving a Firm’s Environmental Management System and Environmental Performance Result in a Higher Stock Price,” Journal of Investing, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 87-97, received world-wide interest, and was profiled in the Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, and other prominent business publications. As part of this research, Mr. Soyka directed the development of a scoring/ranking system for the maturity of corporate environmental management programs, and an evaluation of corporate environmental reports for completeness, evidence of sound environmental management practices, and use of appropriate environmental, health, and safety performance metrics. Subsequently, Mr. Soyka served as a featured speaker at a number of national and international environmental management forums, at which he discussed this research and its implications for future environmental management initiatives, and their real and apparent value to the enterprise.