It is very unlikely, that a company addressing applicable environmental regulations as part of their EMS, or for other reasons would overlook primary legislation such as EPA 1990 and the Water Acts. This is because the regulation in these areas is so pertinent to most operations. The secondary and less obvious legislation is more difficult to identify and relate to company activities. It is necessary therefore for a company to appreciate the need for an understanding of the full scope of the current legislation concerning the environment.

All organisations and all industries have an environmental impact. The objective of environmental legislation is to regulate the activities of not only individuals, but also of industry and other organisations, in order to decrease their environmental impacts. The range of effects is, in short:

• Solid waste.
• Atmospheric emissions.
• Discharges to water/water use.
• Energy.
• Ecology and the natural environment.