Ithaca College is subject to the same environmental regulations for its facilities as any other business of its size. Environmental laws overseen by the following agencies and departments apply to Ithaca College:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
- New York State Department of Health (DOH)
- New York State Department of Labor (DOL)
- City of Ithaca Department of Public Works
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is responsible for ensuring that the College has and maintains the necessary permits, registrations, reports, programs, and procedures required by environmental regulations administered by federal, state, and local entities such as those listed above. In doing so, the College operates in a manner that minimizes potential impacts on the atmosphere, surface water, ground water, wildlife, and ecosystems.
Some of our environmental management responsibilities:
- Ensure all waste on campus considered to be hazardous by the DEC is properly stored, handled, transported, disposed of, and recycled
- Obtain and maintain necessary federal and state permits pursuant to applicable air, water, and waste regulations
- Perform required environmental monitoring, sampling, and testing
- Draft and facilitate implementation of environmental policies, procedures, programs, and plans
- Respond to and mitigate petroleum and chemical spills
- Provide applicable environmental safety training to students, staff, and faculty
- Prepare reports for submission to the EPA, DEC, DOT, and other appropriate agencies
- Conduct periodic inspections of hazardous waste and petroleum bulk storage areas
- Provide laboratory environmental safety surveys
- Assist campus programs and organizations such as the Resource and Environmental Management Program (REMP) and Ithaca College Environmental Society (ICES)