The upgrade – which allows the company to use the Certified Environmental Management “green ticks” logo – was recommended by the independent auditor SAI Global, following an external surveillance audit conducted in November 2005, and comes into effect immediately.

Illawarra Coal’s bid to meet the certification has had a major impact at minesite operations level.

“It is primarily at our operations level that processes have the potential for impacts [and/or] affects on the local environment and the communities we work in. Therefore the focus on sound environmental management is targeted at those areas,” company sustainable development general manager Wendy Tyrrell said.

“Mine plans and processes are adjusted as required to control, reduce, mitigate or eliminate any adverse affects that our operations may or potentially cause.”

The certification also gives a “positive signal” the organisation is credible and takes environmental management seriously.

Certification to ISO-14001 is an externally and independently verified demonstration that the organisation's environmental management systems are at an internationally recognised level and continually improving.

“Illawarra Coal is committed to maintaining certification to this internationally recognised standard, with an intranet site specifically aimed at ISO 14001: trained auditors and a team of 10 site representatives led by a coordinator, Ben O’Brien, who is responsible for the monitoring and continued improvement of the environmental systems monitored by ISO 14001,” Tyrrell said.

The company first achieved certification in May 2003, ahead of its parent company BHP Billiton’s requirement that all sites be compliant with the ISO 14001:1996 standard by June that year. The standard was subsequently upgraded in November 2004.