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Environment, Safety and Occupational Health Operations refers to distinct business areas within DoD that address environmental quality, restoration, range sustainability, occupational health, safety as well as fire and emergency services. While each program within these business areas operates in accordance with specific laws, regulations, DoD guidance, service level guidance and best practices, there are sets of common activities operating across these areas. Common activities include identifying and understanding the environment, safety, health or readiness issue, risk assessment, developing solutions, implementing solutions, developing agreements and the conduct of monitoring. Specific business areas addressed are:
Compliance: The compliance business area of environmental management ensures effective and efficient compliance with existing Federal, host nation, state and local environmental laws and regulations. This business area deals with regulators and the base operations community in the several areas (e.g. clean water, clean air, safe drinking water, and reporting community right to know chemical information) to ensure that all laws are abided. The compliance community works with regulators, foreign governments and base operators to inspect/investigate base operations such as waste water treatment, well water, solid waste disposal, pesticides management, etc to ensure compliance in all areas. It also seeks to work with the base operation group to ensure they are aware of all current regulations (Federal, host nation, state and local) so that during a regular installation inspection, the base operator is not found to be in non-compliance.
Pollution Prevention (P2): A successful pollution prevention program can avoid enforcement actions and reduce operation costs. A pollution prevention approach to environmental management seeks to eliminate or reduce pollution at its source and promote recycling. P2 programs are the preferred means of achieving environmental compliance, protecting human health and reducing the use of hazardous materials, and decreasing the volume of solid waste. Pollution prevention programs promote an environmental ethic that actively looks for opportunities to eliminate or reduce environmental impact of DoD activities through better product design, materials substitution, and environmental lifecycle costing considerations. These actions reduce costs by integrating cost-effective pollution prevention practices into all DoD operations and activities, while ensuring the performance of DoD's mission. Pollution Prevention programs include: Affirmative Procurement (buy green) Solid Waste Diversion and Recycling Recycling Prevention of Pollution from Ships Source Reduction - reducing or eliminating the use of hazardous materials Protecting the Ozone Layer Hazardous Waste Reduction - reducing hazardous waste generation Alternative Fuels, Alternative Fueled Vehicles, and Fuel Efficiency.
Conservation: The conservation business area balances the responsibility of protecting cultural and natural resources with the requirements of military mission support. DoD must maintain healthy resources that offer maximum opportunities to carry out mission activities. First, conservation protects access to the land, sea, and airspace to support DoD requirements for realistic testing and training exercises. Second, it protects the valuable natural and cultural resources of these areas for the benefit of current and future generations (e.g. habitats of threatened or endangered species; areas likely to contain archeological sites; and developed areas likely to contain historical buildings or structures). Also, the conservation area supports long-term sustainment of military training areas and ranges from degradation or encroachment.
Clean-up/Restoration: The Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) has three program categories that focus on DoD's primary goals: The identification, investigation, research and development, and cleanup of contamination from hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants Correction of other environmental damage such as detection and disposal of unexploded ordnance (UXO), which creates an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health or welfare or to the environment Demolition and removal of unsafe buildings and structures, including buildings and structures at sites formerly used by or under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Department Of Defense
DoD organized the DERP into three program categories: 1. Installation Restoration program (IRP) 2. Military Munitions Response program (MMRP) 3. Building demolition/debris removal (BD/DR)
Under the IRP DoD conducts response actions, similar to those required at old industrial sites and landfills, to address the toxicological risks associated with the release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. Munitions response activities, however, are unique to DoD and very complex, as munitions present both potential explosive safety risks and potential toxicological risks from munitions constituents. Although some of the hazards associated with munitions were previously addressed under the IRP, the MMRP will more completely address the cleanup required at sites containing UXO, discarded military munitions, and the chemical constituents of munitions. DoD also addresses a small number of sites that require the demolition and removal of unsafe buildings or structures within the BD/DR category of DERP.
Range Sustainment: The Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative (RRPI) focuses on maintaining and sustaining our military test and training ranges into the future. RRPI is a tripartite program that is managed by the Senior Readiness Oversight Committee (SROC) through an Integrated Product Team (IPT) chaired by the Deputy Under Secretary of Readiness, with the Deputy Under Secretary for Installations & Environment and the Director of Test and Evaluation as co-chairs. Day-to-day management of the program is by a Working IPT (WIPT). There are five focus areas for this initiative: ? Legislation & Regulation - Initiatives include an eight part legislative package to assist in better management of our ranges. Five of the eight have been passed, with the remaining three still under consideration by Congress ? Leadership & Organization - Initiatives include management of the IPT process and encouraging the Services to maintain range organizations ? Programs - Initiatives include Compatible Land Use Programs with Conservation Non-government Organizations (NGO), States and other interested parties to provide buffers for our ranges ? Policy - A new Range Sustainments Policy, DoD Directive (DoDD) 3200.15 was signed in January 2003 and there are five other policies and instructions being modified or written based on the new Directive. ? Outreach - The IPT has required a multiple level outreach program be put in place at the national, regional and local levels concentrated on sustaining military test and training ranges
Safety: The Safety business area ensures that the Warfighter and the supporting personnel work in an environment that is free from occupational hazards such as improper machine operation, faulty equipment, and other safety related issues. The safety program focuses on all operational aspects as they relate to the Warfighter such as aircraft safety, private vehicle operations, government-owned vehicle operations, and other critical areas. One such critical area is explosives safety. The Safety program has a keen focus on areas such as:
Safety Enforcement - Initiatives include auditing current operational policies to ensure compliance with all safety regulations (e.g., proper usage of equipment, proper storage of hazardous materials, etc) Risk Mitigation - These initiatives include methods by which activities work to provide a workplace that is free from occupational hazards Incident Investigation - These initiatives are used to determine the root causes of any occupational accidents Incident Prevention - These initiatives seek to create a workplace which is free from potential hazards that could create a safety or occupational health incident
Occupational/Environmental Health: Occupational/Environmental Health ensures that the Warfighter, supporting personnel, and other stakeholders are protected from various health issues that can arise during normal operations. The occupational health professionals work to ensure that activities such as paint shops, weapon ranges, and vehicle repair garages are managed so that the risk of exposure to certain containments or other dangerous substances is limited. Accordingly, they also work to examine current business practices to ensure that such activities do not have a detrimental effect to the Warfighter or other key stakeholders. These professionals leverage a wide skill set that includes the collection and laboratory analysis of samples, examination of work process, etc to assist them to improve workplace conditions and mitigate risk. Critically, this group focuses on the areas of enforcement, investigation, and prevention of certain incidents as they relate to a particular activity.
Fire and Emergency Services (FES): The Fire and Emergency Services program ensures a capable emergency response to fire, hazardous material incidents (including Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)) and emergency medical situations. Additionally, FES aggressively works to prevent emergencies, especially fire. |