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Utilizing the EPA Compliance Incentive Initiative, HRP, with legal partner Halloran and Sage, LLP, negotiated an Audit Agreement with over 150 private colleges/universities and public universities in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Michigan, and Tennessee via the Associations for Independent Colleges and Universities within each respective state. The audit agreement is an effective mechanism for resolving a broad range and number of institution wide violations discovered during environmental audits pursued under EPA’s Audit Policy. 

Through the signed Audit Agreement, these colleges and universities are voluntarily cooperating with EPA to conduct audits over the next three (3) years. Furthermore, the audits will be accomplished through the use of peer audit teams, which should help in identification of new opportunities for conservation, as well as providing the potential for sharing of best practices among institutions.

Under the Peer Audit Program, a peer audit team consisting of a lead HRP auditor and attorney trains approximately four (4) college faculty and staff (i.e. peers) from each college on environmental compliance in a group setting. These “peer auditors” then audit colleges other than their own.

The peer audit approach has succeeded because peer auditors are able to elicit unusual cooperation from the faculty and staff of the audited college, reduce the vulnerability (avoidance of fines and “low inspection priority”), provides cost savings to the colleges, provides opportunities for positive press (institution being viewed as proactive not reactive), and is conducive to fostering a collaborative effort between colleges and universities. A further benefit is that trained, experienced peer auditors return to their campuses much better equipped to monitor environmental compliance at their own schools, ensuring a safe living and learning environment.

The Peer Audit Program utilizes software created by HRP which is tailored to college and university requirements, training manuals, and teaching modules, with developed templates for use at each stage of the process.

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