2-7. How to Update Your Legal Register and Manage Practical Compliance with Environmental Laws

Environmental laws and regulations are frequently revised and new ones are enacted, so in order for a company to thoroughly comply with the law, it is essential to have a system in place to keep up with the latest information and to properly update and manage the list of laws and regulations.In particular, for ISO 14001 certified companies, legal compliance assessments are subject to audits, so updating the list of laws and regulations and managing the practical aspects play a central role in environmental management.

The first thing to do is to clarify the routes for gathering legal information. Regularly check the Official Gazette and the websites of various government ministries, including the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and also use industry associations and specialized information services to efficiently obtain the latest information. Furthermore, since local government ordinances also apply, be sure to check the notices and official gazettes of the local government where your business is located.

Next, a list of laws and regulations must be systematically organized. The list is generally organized by "law name," "revision date," "requirements," "applicability to the company," and "response status," and is centrally managed in Excel or a dedicated database. When determining applicability, it is important not to simply list the laws and regulations, but to carefully examine them in light of the characteristics of the company's business activities, emissions, and facilities.

Key points for practical management include:

- As soon as any revised information is released, the list will be promptly updated and notified to the relevant departments.

- Regularly (for example, at least once a year) review the list of laws and regulations to ensure that no updates have been missed.

- The requirements of each law will be broken down into specific checklists, and compliance will be inspected on-site.

- Clarify the responsible department and manager for each applicable law and document countermeasures.

- Discuss the status of legal compliance at internal audits and health and safety committees to lead to improvements.

Education and awareness systems are also essential. Compliance will be more effective if not only the person in charge but also on-site employees understand the relevant laws and regulations. For example, since the Waste Disposal Act and the PRTR Act are directly linked to the behavior of on-site workers, it is effective to create educational materials linked to the list of laws and regulations.

Finally, keeping records of compliance status is essential for audits and government responses. By systematically storing a list of laws and regulations, compliance inspection records, and corrective action history, you can demonstrate reliability during external reviews and audits.

Compliance with environmental laws and regulations is a corporate social responsibility, and updating the list of laws and regulations and thoroughly managing the process will directly lead to stronger compliance and reduced risk.