How to Know If Your Environmental Program Is Actually Working

A practical, real-world guide to figuring out if your program is more than just paperwork

You’ve got a dusty binder labeled “SPCC Plan” on a shelf somewhere. There’s a training log floating around. Maybe someone on your team vaugely remembers how to do a stormwater inspection. But if we’re being honest, when was the last time anyone actually checked to make sure your environmental program is working the way it’s supposed to?

At RMA, we work with a lot of folks who say the same thing, “We’ve got that covered… I think.” The reality? Sometimes they do. But sometimes, more often than you'd think, things have quietly fallen out of date or off the radar.

And we get it, compliance isn’t always the loudest thing on your to-do list. Until it suddenly is.

If you’re not 100 percent sure where your program stands today, now is the perfect time to take a closer look before a regulator or emergency forces you to. Talk to RMA for a fast, no-stress review of where things stand.

A Program on Paper Isn’t a Program in Practice

Here’s something we see all the time in the field: the right plans, permits, or approvals do exist, but no one knows where they are. Or the person who knew what to do with them is long gone. Or the permits and approvals are technically current but don’t reflect what’s actually happening on site.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of "compliance by assumption".

You assume the SPCC plan covers your new tank. You assume your stormwater permit inspections are being done. You assume environmental training happened. You assume someone in the main office took care of that confusing TRI reporting you used to do. You're "pretty sure" you're storing and disposing of your hazardous waste correctly.

But here's the thing, if there’s no documentation or no clear system behind it, then your compliance program isn’t really protecting you. It’s just paperwork. And if an incident happens, assumptions won’t do you any favors.

5 Signs Your Environmental Program Might Be Falling Short

Here’s how to tell if it’s time for a program checkup. If any of these sound familiar, we’d recommend having someone take a fresh look:

• You haven’t updated your plans in years. We’ve seen Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) written in 2013 still being used in 2025. Regulations, storage layouts, personnel, all of it may have changed.
• Responsibilities are unclear. If you ask three people who’s in charge of Tier II reporting and get three different answers, that’s a big red flag.
• Training is outdated or undocumented. Environmental compliance training isn’t optional, or a one-time thing. If someone can’t prove they’ve been trained within the last year, that could be a problem.
• Inspections are rushed or skipped. If SPCC inspections are being done just to meet a checkbox, with no notes, no explanations, and no follow-up, you’re not actually protecting your site.
• You’ve had a recent spill, violation, or bad sample. These are warning signs that your program isn’t doing what it needs to do, and regulators take them seriously.

None of these automatically mean you're in violation. But they do mean you're at risk. And the longer they go unaddressed, the harder and more expensive they become to fix.

Compliance Isn’t One and Done

A common misconception is that once you have your plans in place, you’re set. But real compliance is ongoing. Things change. Equipment moves. People leave. Permits expire. The rules evolve.

What worked five years ago might not work anymore. That’s why we emphasize treating your compliance program like a living thing, it needs to be reviewed, updated, and refreshed regularly.

We often recommend a quick annual review. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown environmental audit (though those are a great idea!). Even just a check-in can help make sure your plans are aligned with reality.

And if you’ve had staffing changes, added equipment, or changed vendors recently? It’s even more important. Reach out to RMA if you need help figuring out where your weak spots are. We do this every day.

A Quick Win, Do a Program Health Check

Not sure where to start? Here’s a simple five-minute checklist you can do today:

• Can you easily find your environmental documents?
• Have your environmental plans been reviewed and updated in the last twelve months?
• Do your staff know what to do in the event of an environmental emergency?
• Have you done any environmental training this year?
• Are you documenting inspections or just signing them off?

If you answered “no” or “not sure” to more than one of these, don’t stress, you’re not alone. But it does mean it’s probably time for a deeper look.

Let’s Make Sure You’re Covered

It’s easy to assume everything is fine with your environmental program until it’s not. Maybe you haven’t had a violation yet, but you’re unsure whether your plans are actually protecting your business. Maybe things have changed at your facility and you’re not sure if your documentation reflects those updates. Or maybe you’ve just inherited compliance responsibilities and don’t know where to start.

You’re not alone. At RMA, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses just like yours take control of their environmental programs, whether they needed a complete overhaul or just a quick refresh. We know how overwhelming compliance can feel, and our job is to make it simpler, faster, and more affordable than going it alone.

We’ll meet you where you are. No judgment, no pressure. Just honest feedback and practical solutions from people who’ve worked in the trenches. Whether you need help with a specific permit, want a second set of eyes on your stormwater plan, or are building a compliance program from scratch, we’ve got the tools and experience to help.

Contact RMA today to get started. We’ll help you turn confusion into clarity and make sure your environmental program is truly doing its job.