CEAR Questionnaire

The Campus Environmental Audit Response Questionnaire


Source: Campus Ecology by April A. Smith and The Student Environmental Action Coalition, 1993.

Attention UW Staff, Faculty, & Students!!!

The document below is the Campus Environmental Audit Response (CEAR) Questionnaire. The questionnaire provided the foundation for a premier environmental inventory of the UW campus. We, The Enviro-Base Team, undertook the project with the hope of changing the way environmental issues are perceived and dealt with on campus. The CEAR, if successful in its persuasion, will provide alterations to current policies, practices, and operations among UW staff, faculty, and students.

To contact Enviro-Base Team members, please send e-mail to the person listed next to each of the CEAR Sections.

General Campus Information (Contact: clussier@cousteau)

  1. Number of students on campus? Undergrad, Grad, P/T, F/T.
  2. Number of employees on campus? Faculty, Non-Student Staff (non-faculty), Student Employees.
  3. Total Acreage?
  4. Building space (total square feet)?
  5. Are there any environmental organizations on campus?
  6. Does UW have an environmental ombudsperson or vice-chancellor?
  7. What are the names and affiliations of the members of the Board of Trustees or Regents?
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Research Activities (Contact: rjamal@cousteau)

  1. What are the largest research projects at your school, in terms of funding?
  2. What are the titles of the projects, affiliated campus departments, and the levels of funding?
  3. Name the research projects that deal with the subject of toxics or hazardous waste, including research on the generation, use, and disposal of such materials, as well as occupational and environmental hazards involved.
  4. Are there any projects to research pollution prevention or hazardous-waste reduction? If so, please provide a short description of the projects.
  5. What are the funding levels for these projects?
  6. Who are the project sponsors?
  7. Who are the participating faculty and departments?
  8. Name the research projects that deal with the subject of solid waste.
  9. What are the funding levels for these projects?
  10. Who are the sponsors?
  11. Who are the participating faculty and departments?
  12. Please provide a short description of the projects?
  13. Are there any projects to research solid-waste-reduction and recycling?
  14. Descripe any environmentally-related research efforts (e.g. alternative energy, organic agriculture, xeriscaping, etc.) Please provide information on funding, sponsors, and participating faculty and departments.
  15. Does UW campus have Department of Defense contracts? What is the nature of this research?
  16. Does UW have Department of Energy contracts? What is the nature of this research?
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Food (Contact: rjamal@cousteau)

  1. Who operates UW's food service?
  2. Does UW administration manage the operation or do they contract for services?
  3. Does UW have a food-service committee? If so, who sits on the committee?
  4. To what extent does food services purchase from regional growers and food processors?
  5. Does UW food service operation offer vegetarian meals on a regular basis?
  6. Does UW purchase certified organically-grown produce or meat and dairy products?
  7. Have any surveys been conducted to estimate the demand for vegetarian food on campus? If yes, what were the results?
  8. Have food services discontinued the purchase of any food products for environmental reasons?
  9. Have any programs or events taken place on campus highlighting the connection between diet and the environment?
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Medical Wastes (Contact: sdmcurry@cousteau)

  1. What UW campus facilities generate medical waste?
  2. How much medical waste does UW generate annually?
  3. How has this figure changed over the past five years?
  4. How is medical waste disposed of and where does it go?
  5. How much is landfilled? Incinerated?
  6. What are the annual medical-waste disposal costs?
  7. How have these costs changed over the past five years?
  8. Approximately, what percentage of the medical waste is recyclable?
  9. Have any efforts been implemented to separate recyclable materials from non-recyclable medical waste? If so, please descripe.
  10. Has your campus initiated a medical-waste reduction program? If so, please descripe, including implementation date and cost-savings to date.
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Job Placement and Environmental Careers (Contact: rjamal@cousteau)

  1. Does UW Career Placement Centre (CPC) or other entity organize job fairs focused on environmental careers?
  2. Does UW CPC provide information on environmentally-oriented jobs
  3. Does your centre place access fees on a sliding scale so that small environmental firms and non profit organizations can afford to recruit university graduates?
  4. Have students organized any boycotts against particular companies recruiting on campus for environmental reasons? If so, which companies and why?
  5. Do you know of any efforts on campus to get students to sign a pledge encouraging them to work for socially responsible companies upon graduation?
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Solid Waste (Contact: sdmcurry@cousteau)

  1. How much total solid waste does your campus generate annually?
  2. Have any waste-composition studies been conducted? If so please provide information on the composition of campus solid waste.
  3. For the past academic year, how much solid waste was: Landfilled? incinerated? recycled? composted and mulched? Information should be given by volume, in cubic yards, or by weight in pounds or tons.
  4. What were the costs of solid-waste disposal for the last academic year?
  5. How have they changed over the past five years?
  6. Does UW have a recycling program? When was it started and who operates the program?
  7. What is the budget for the program? How is it funded? What are the revenues from recyclables sold.
  8. How many tons of each material were recycled during the last academic year? newsprint, glass, white ledger/computer paper/, mixed color paper, aluminum, other metals, cardboard, plastic
  9. Please describe any programs UW has implemented to promote source reduction (such as a reusable mug program, switching from disposable to washable dishes
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Hazardous substances (Contact: sdmcurry@cousteau)

  1. What kind of hazardous waste does UW generate and what are the sources?
  2. How much hazardous waste does UW generate annually?
  3. How has this figure changed over the past five years?
  4. How is this waste disposed of?
  5. How much is recycled, incinerated or landfilled?
  6. What were the total hazardous-waste disposal costs for the last academic year?
  7. How have these costs changed over the last five years?
  8. What is being done at UW to minimize the quantity of hazardous substances used and waste generated?
  9. Have any microscale chemistry techniques/surplus chemical exchange programs been initiated? If so please describe including date of implementation and cost-savings to date.
  10. If the Chemistry Department has implemented a microscale laboratory program, how many courses use microscale techniques and how many students does this include?
  11. Roughly, what portion of the chemistry program does this represent? ALL, MOST, MORE THAN HALF, LESS THAN HALF, ONLY A FRACTION
  12. Does UW have system for tracking and inventorying hazardous chemicals bought and used? If so please describe.
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Radioactive Waste (Contact: sdmcurry@cousteau)

  1. What departments and activities generate radioactive waste and use radioactive substances?
  2. What are the quantities of radioactive substances used and wastes generated on campus annually?
  3. How has this figure changed over the past five years?
  4. How and where is radioactive waste disposed of and where does it go?
  5. How much is landfilled versus incinerated?
  6. Does UW have an on-site radioactive-waste incinerator?
  7. What were the total radioactive-waste disposal costs for the last academic year?
  8. How have these costs changed over the past five years?
  9. Has UW initated a radioactive-waste reduction program? If so please describe, including implementation date and cost-savings to date. Click here for THE ANSWERS
    Wastewater and Storm Runoff (Contact: sdmcurry@cousteau)

    1. How much wastewater (sewage) does your campus generate annually?
    2. Where is campus wastewater treated?
    3. Where is this treated wastewater discharged?
    4. What percentage of the capacity of your community's wastewater treatment facility is used to process campus-generated wastewater?
    5. What kind of treatment does it recieve?
    6. What costs, if any, are associated with treating campus wastewater?
    7. Has UW initiated any programs to reduce wastewater volume and/or toxicity? If so please describe.
    8. Does UW use any reclaimed water in its facilities or on landscaping? If so, how much?
    9. What is the source of this water?
    10. Is campus storm water runoff treated, or does it flow directly to a body of water?
    Click here for THE ANSWERS
    Procurement Policies (Contact: sdmcurry@cousteau)

    1. How many reams or tons of high-grade writing paper and copy paper does UW purchase annually?
    2. What is the associated cost?
    3. Does UW have a policy of preferentially buying products - such as paper products, building materials, oil, and tires - made from recycled materials instead of virgin materials?
    4. Please specify the material and the quantity of the pruchase. What is the cost difference between these products and their virgin equivalents?
    5. Do campus food services use primarily disposable plastic and paper products, washable dishes, or a combination of both?
    6. Are any tropical hardwoods used in the construction of new buildings or other campus fixtures, such as landscape trellises?
    7. Does UW purchase any tropical hardwood furniture?
    8. What kind of wood is used and where does it come from?
    9. What programs and policies have been established at UW to promote the use of ecologically sound products (such as organic produce, compact fluorescent bulbs, non-toxic cleaning products?)
    Click here for THE ANSWERS

    Environmental Education and Literacy (Contact: clussier@cousteau)

    1. What are the types of environmental studies programs offered at UW? Include: Name of program, Department, School, Degrees offered, Annual budget, Year of program creation, Enrollment, Program Chair.
    2. Does UW offer specific courses in the following subjects? Toxic /hazardous waste, Solid Waste, Energy Efficiency and Management, Water Conservation, Air Quality, Water, Environmental Economics, Environmental Law, Environmental Business, Forest Management,
    3. Which, if any, environmental courses have included the study and research of campus environmental issues in the curriculum?
    4. Describe any student research projects (include dates) that have resulted from these courses and any campus environmental programs that were subsequently implemented.
    5. Do any environmental literacy programs exist on campus that train faculty to incorporate environmental themes into their curricula?
    Click here to view THE ANSWERS.

    Transportation (Contact: clussier@cousteau)

    1. How do people get to campus every day?
    2. What are the estimated percentages by each mode? (Single-occupancy vehicle, vanpool, bicycle, carpool, transit, walking.)
    3. How many vehicles travel to campus daily?
    4. How far do people commute on average?
    5. What percentage of UW's campus area is devoted to roads and parking lots?
    6. Does UW have a program to promote ride-sharing? (e.g. carpool, matching services, preferential parking, reduced parking rates, subsidized vanpools) Describe.
    7. Are transit passes subsidized for students, staff, or faculty? Describe.
    8. Does UW have enough parking to meet the demand?
    9. Is it campus policy to provide parking to meet demand?
    10. Are students, staff, and faculty charged for parking? How much?
    11. Are any campus fleet vehicles operated using alternative fuels? (e.g. propane, methanol, natural gas)
    12. Does UW own or lease any electric vehicles? Describe.
    The Workplace Environment (Contact: clussier@cousteau)

    1. What kinds of occupational environmental hazards exist on campus?
    2. Does UW have a history of worker/student health and safety complaints or problems?
    3. What kind of training is required for faculty and students exposed to environmental hazards in departments such as chemistry, medicine, or art?
    4. Are any courses or seminars conducted on art safety for students and faculty?
    5. Is there a non-smoking policy in effect on campus?
    6. Have workers or students complained of health problems that may be due to poor indoor air quality?
    7. What are the sources of poor indoor air quality on campus?
    8. Have campus officials investigated indoor air-pollution problems, including radon?
    9. What is the status of asbestos abatement in campus facilities?
    10. Is water quality a concern in the community?
    11. What is the quality of drinking water on campus? Has it been tested for contaminants, such as lead?
    12. Has UW developed policies and procedures regarding the use of Video Display Terminals?
    13. Is UW located near a power-generating station?
    14. Is there any cause for concern on campus regarding electromagnetic fields?
    Click here to view THE ANSWERS.
    Indoor Pest Control (Contact: clussier@cousteau)

    1. What pesticides are used on campus and in what quantities?
    2. How has this quantity changed over the past five years?
    3. What kinds of pests are they controlling and where? (indoor/outdoor)
    4. What are the total costs for contracts and purchases related to pest control?
    5. How have these costs changes over the past five years?
    6. Has UW initiated an Integrated Pest Management Program? Describe, and include implementation date and cost-savings to date.
    Click here to view THE ANSWERS.

    Air Quality (Contact: clussier@cousteau)

    1. Are federal air-quality standards exceeded in the area? If so, which ones? and how often?
    2. What stationary sources on campus emit toxic air pollutants?
    3. How much air pollution does UW generate annually?
    4. What are the most common pollutants?
    5. Has UW initiated programs to reduce air pollutants from stationary sources? Describe, and include implementation date.
    6. What kinds of ozone-depleting compounds are used on campus and what are the sources?
    7. Are any programs in place to recapture ozone-depleting compounds or find safer alternatives?
    Click here to view THE ANSWERS.

    Business Ties (Contact:sjpatey@cousteau)

    1. Does UW have a policy that makes the environmental practices of a company a criterion in selecting campus suppliers and vendors?
    2. Has UW chosen to stop doing business with a particular company because of environmental reasons?
    3. What companies have the top ten largest contracts with UW?
    4. What are their environmental records? Do these companies have environmental policy statements?
    5. Does UW have an Environmental or Social Responsibility Policy which enables the campus community to formally scrutinize the companies the university does business with?
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    Click here for THE ANSWERS
    Water (Contact:sjpatey@cousteau)

    1. Where does UW's water supply originate?
    2. Are water supply issues a concern in the region?
    3. How much water did the university consume last year?
    4. What was water consumption per square foot / per capita?
    5. How has this figure changed over the past five years?
    6. What percentage of water is used indoors as compared to outdoors?
    7. What were the water utility costs for the university for the past year?
    8. How have these costs changed over the past five years and why?
    9. Does the campus have a water conservation program?
    10. If so, what measures does it include?
    11. Are there any estimates of water savings from such programs?
    12. If so, how much?

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    Energy (Contact:sjpatey@cousteau)

    1. What are the sources of energy for the electric utility serving your school?
    2. How much energy did campus buildings and grounds consume in the last academic year and what were the costs associated with each type of fuel?
    3. How has campus energy use changed over the past five years?
    4. Does UW have an energy-efficiency program?
    5. If so, what kinds of programs does it include?

    Click here for THE ANSWERS


    Created By: The Enviro-Base Team (clussier@cousteau.uwaterloo.ca)
    Last Updated: August 10th, 1995