ANSI announces official early September publication of two ISO 14000 environmental management standards.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 1996--The American National Standards Institute announced today that the first two in a series of ISO 14000 Environmental Management Standards will be published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) the first week of September.

ANSI is the official U.S. representative to ISO.

The new ISO 14000 environmental management series of international standards published by ISO will help companies and organizations around the world to better manage their environmental affairs and demonstrate a commitment to environmental protection. The standards, which until now have been used by U.S. business in draft form, provide guidance on environmental concerns and focus on environmental management tools and systems that can be integrated into the existing and ongoing operations of an organization. Both standards will be jointly sponsored by the American Society for Quality Control, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and NSF International, for approval by ANSI as American National Standards shortly after the ISO publication date.

The first two standards offer guidelines for environmental management systems. ISO 14001 is the core management systems specification document of the entire ISO 14000 series. It contains the required elements and criteria to be satisfied by an organization seeking certification of its environmental management system to a standard. To be ISO 14001 registered, an organization will have to demonstrate that its environmental management system meets all the specified criteria.

ISO 14004 provides guidelines which can be used by either a large organization trying to improve an existing environmental management system, or small and medium-sized enterprises beginning to establish an environmental management system. It contains examples, descriptions, and options to aid in the implementation and integration of the system into the overall management of the organization.

Sergio Mazza, president and CEO of ANSI stated: "The ISO 14000 standards are tools to manage corporate and organizational environmental programs and provide an internationally recognized framework to measure, evaluate, and audit these programs. Implementation of the official ISO 14000 standards is likely to result in improved environmental protection and quality of life, and, subject to the endorsement by the appropriate regulatory authorities, to provide a reasonable alternative to traditional government command and control regulation of environmental management systems. By relying on international standards we can avoid international trade barriers that result from conflicting national and regional environmental management standards."

By December, three additional standards -- ISO 14010 (principles of environmental auditing), ISO 14011 (auditing procedures), and ISO 14012 (qualification criteria for environmental auditors) -- will be published.

It is anticipated that four additional ISO 14000 standards will be published in 1997. These standards will deal with environmental labels and declarations, product life cycle assessments, and environmental management terms and definitions.

Information on the ISO 14000 standards can be obtained from ANSI by accessing ANSI Online, ANSI's world wide web site at: http://www.ansi.org. and linking to IIS Online, an interactive world wide web site created and operated by ANSI and the Global Environment and Technology Foundation (GETF). IIS Online, a product of ANSI/GETF ISO 14000 Integrated Solutions, provides timely and comprehensive information on ISO 14000. Copies of the final published and draft ISO 14000 standards can be purchased through ANSI by contacting the Customer Service Department by telephone: [phone], or via fax: [phone].

ANSI is a private non-profit organization that coordinates the U.S. voluntary standards system, bringing together interests from private and public sectors to develop voluntary standards for a wide array of U.S. industries. ANSI is the official U.S. member body to the world's leading standards bodies, the International Organization for Standardization and via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ANSI's membership includes approximately 1,300 national and international companies and 285 government agencies, institutions and professional, technical, trade, educational, labor and consumer organizations.

CONTACT: American National Standards Institute

Marilyn Hernandez, 212/642-4915

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KCSA Public Relations 

Dan Stepanek/Henry Feintuch, 212/682-6565 ext. 202/212

212/697-0910 (fax)

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