Environmental Monitor - Spring 2000: Biodiesel Fuel ...infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/16/15261.pdfThe idea...
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(Continued on page 9) Spring 2000 U. S. Army Northern Regional Environmental Office MONITOR ENVIRONMENTAL Biodiesel Fuel Credits Can Help Installations Meet Alternative Fuel Vehicle Requirements By Mitch Bryman NREO Environmental Specialist A cleaner diesel fuel made from renewable oils can now help Department of Defense fleet managers who must buy alternative fuel vehicles to comply with federal energy regulations. A recent change to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) lets federal agencies use biodiesel fuel credits to meet up to 50 percent of their alternative fuel vehicle purchase requirements. These credits are available to those federal fleets required by EPACT to include a certain percent of alternative fuel vehicles when buying new vehicles. These requirements are set forth in Executive Order 13031 — Federal Alternative Fueled Vehicle Leadership, and apply to many nontactical vehicle fleets in urban areas. Affected DoD fleet managers can take advantage of biodiesel fuel credits rather than purchasing alternative fuel vehicles. WHAT IS BIODIESEL FUEL? Rudolf Diesel stunned scientists at the 1900 World’s Fair when he used peanut oil to fuel his newly disclosed engine. In 1911, Diesel asserted, “the diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the devel- opment of agriculture of the countries which use it.” After Diesel’s death in 1913, the idea of us- ing vegetable oil to fuel engines became ob- solete. Scientists and engineers focused on petroleum, which was cheaper and more abundant. It wasn’t until the oil crisis of the 1970s that vegetable oil engine fuel was again given serious attention. The idea of running diesel engines on vegetable oil has evolved since Rudolf Diesel’s day. Modern biodiesel fuel more closely resembles petroleum diesel than kitchen oil — though it can be made from waste from a res- taurant deep fryer. Biodiesel is easily produced through a process known as “transesterification.” The pro- cess combines fats or oils from plants, animals and/or microalgae with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to form fatty esters. In the first recov- ery phase the product is I I I N N N T T T T T HIS HIS HIS HIS HIS I I I I I SSUE SSUE SSUE SSUE SSUE From the Chief ................ 2 Around the States and EPA Regions ............ 6 Range XXI Project Update ................ 8 By Caroline Hall USAEC Historian Edited by Melanie Graham Contributing Writer/Editor The Department of the Army’s historic building management responsibility is immense; there are more than 12,000 buildings that are historically significant and over 40,000 that are over 50 years old. In addition, the Army facilities database indicates that approximately 73,000 Army buildings will become 50 years old within the next 30 years. The expense of keeping underused facilities in the inventory places tremendous strains on operations and maintenance budgets that have been steadily decreasing in recent years. Army building managers must make cost effective decisions about the use, maintenance or demolition of these buildings and comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). To address this challenge, the U.S. Army Environmental Center (USAEC), in conjunction with the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (USCERL), developed the Layaway Economic Analysis (LEA) software for use by historic property managers, environmental staff, public works staff and others involved in the management of the Army’s real property. This easy-to-use tool is an interactive software program that provides life-cycle cost estimates for three primary methods used to handle excess facilities — renovate/reuse, layaway/reactivate and deactivate/demolish. Layaway Economic Analysis (LEA) Software Tool Enhances Cultural Resource Programs (Continued on page 4)
Transcript of Environmental Monitor - Spring 2000: Biodiesel Fuel ...infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/16/15261.pdfThe idea...
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U.S. ARMY ENVIRONMENTAL CENTERNORTHERN REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICEBUILDING E-4460ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD 21010-5401
BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDAPG, MD
PERMIT NO. 1
(Continued on page 9)
Spring 2000 U. S. Army Northern Regional Environmental Office
MONITORENVIRONMENTALBIODIESEL FUEL
OFFICE CHIEF - Bill HerbPhone: 410-436-7096E-mail: [email protected]
REGIONAL ATTORNEY - Gary ZolyakPhone: 410-436-1275E-mail: [email protected]
REGION I/II COORDINATOR - Robert MuhlyPhone: 410-436-7101E-mail: [email protected]
REGION III COORDINATOR - Fred BoecherPhone: 410-436-7100E-mail: [email protected]
PROJECT MANAGER - Andy CarakerPhone: 410-436-7098E-mail: [email protected]
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST - Mitch BrymanPhone: 410-436-7099E-mail: [email protected]
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - Nina GallupPhone: 410-436-7097E-mail: [email protected]: 410-436-7110
CHICAGO SUBOFFICE
REGION V COORDINATOR - Hugh McAlearPhone: 630-910-3213 Ext. 224FAX: 630-910-0370DENIX: [email protected]
NREO KEY PERSONNEL
Biodiesel Fuel Credits Can Help InstallationsMeet Alternative Fuel Vehicle Requirements
(Continued from page 9)
By Mitch BrymanNREO Environmental Specialist
A cleaner diesel fuel made fromrenewable oils can now help Departmentof Defense fleet managers who must buyalternative fuel vehicles to comply withfederal energy regulations.
A recent change to the Energy PolicyAct of 1992 (EPACT) lets federal agenciesuse biodiesel fuel credits to meet up to50 percent of their alternative fuel vehiclepurchase requirements.
These credits are available to thosefederal fleets required by EPACT toinclude a certain percent of alternative fuelvehicles when buying new vehicles. Theserequirements are set forth in ExecutiveOrder 13031 — Federal Alternative FueledVehicle Leadership, and apply to manynontactical vehicle fleets in urban areas.
Affected DoD fleet managers can takeadvantage of biodiesel fuel credits ratherthan purchasing alternative fuel vehicles.
WHAT IS BIODIESEL FUEL?
Rudolf Diesel stunned scientists at the1900 World’s Fair when he used peanutoil to fuel his newly disclosed engine.
In 1911, Diesel asserted,“the diesel engine can be fedwith vegetable oils and wouldhelp considerably in the devel-opment of agriculture of thecountries which use it.”
After Diesel’s deathin 1913, the idea of us-ing vegetable oil to fuelengines became ob-solete. Scientists andengineers focused on
petroleum, which was cheaper and moreabundant. It wasn’t until the oil crisis ofthe 1970s that vegetable oil engine fuelwas again given serious attention.
The idea of running diesel engines onvegetable oil has evolved since RudolfDiesel’s day. Modern biodiesel fuel moreclosely resembles petroleum diesel than
kitchen oil — though it can bemade from waste from a res-taurant deep fryer.
Biodiesel is easily producedthrough a process known as“transesterification.” The pro-cess combines fats or oilsfrom plants, animals and/ormicroalgae with alcohol in thepresence of a catalyst to formfatty esters. In the first recov-ery phase the product is
2
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By Caroline HallUSAEC Historian
Edited by Melanie GrahamContributing Writer/Editor
maintenance budgets that have beensteadily decreasing in recent years. Armybuilding managers must make costeffective decisions about the use,maintenance or demolition of thesebuildings and com
athisentwit
nCE
a nose iro o the
This easy-to-use tool is an interactivesoftware program that provides life-cyclecost estimates for three primary methodsused to handle excess facilities —renovate/reuse, layaway/reactivate and
Layaway Economic Analysis (LEA) SoftwareTool Enhances Cultural Resource Programs
ag
approved for use in tactical vehicles, biodiesel fuel use credits can be used inmost administrative (commercial) vehicles to meet a portion of DoD’s alternativefuel vehicle acquisition requirements under EPACT.
The memorandum provides fleet managers with guidance and additionalsources of compliance and technical information such as web sites and pointsof contact (see below).
Regulations concerning biodiesel fuel use credits have been promulgatedunder the Department of Energy’s 19 May 1999 interim final rule (64 FR 27169)Alternative Fuel Transportation Program; Biodiesel Fuel Use Credit.
• DUSDES memo on biodiesel fuel credits: http://www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/ES-Programs/Pollution/Biodiesel/biodiesel.html
• Executive Order 13031 — Federal Alternative Fueled VehicleLeadership: http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtv/eo13031.htm
• Dave Fuchs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics(ODCSLOG), (703) 614-4060, e-mail: [email protected].
• Karl Weiss, Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary ofDefense for Environmental Security (ADUSD(ES)), (703) 604-1846,e-mail: [email protected].
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Northern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000
e 4)
IIIIINNNNN T T T T THISHISHISHISHIS I I I I ISSUESSUESSUESSUESSUE
From the Chief ................Around the Statesand EPA Regions ............Range XXIProject Update ................
ply with the Nationalion Act (NHPA). challenge, the U.S.al Center (USAEC), inh the U.S. Armygineering Research
RL), developed themic Analysis (LEA)by historic propertynmental staff, publicthers involved in the Army’s real property.
deactivate/demolish.(Continued on p
istoric PreservTo address trmy Environmnjunction
onstruction Eboratory (USyaway Ecoftware for uanagers, envorks staff andanagement of
The Department of the Army’s historicbuilding management responsibility isimmense; there are more than 12,000buildings that are historically significantand over 40,000 that are over 50 yearsold. In addition, the Army facilitiesdatabase indicates that approximately73,000 Army buildings will become 50years old within the next 30 years.
The expense of keeping underusedfacilities in the inventory placestremendous strains on operations and
H
AcoCLaLsomwm
Northern Regional Environme
NORTHERN REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITO
Page 2
The Northern Regional Environmental Monitor is an unofficial publicauthorized under the Provisions of AR 360-81. It is published on a quabasis by the U.S. Army Environmental Center Public Affairs Office, AberProving Ground, MD. 21010-5401; telephone: (410) 436-2556 and DSN2556. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those oDepartment of the Army. This publication has a circulation of 500. NREO Ctelephone: (410) 436-2427. All articles proposed should be submitted tRegional Environmental Office two months before issue dates. These submisare subject to editing and rewriting as deemed necessary for space considera
Commander, USAEC...................................................... COL Edward W. NDeputy/Technical Director (Acting) ...................................... David C. GuzChief of Staff ................................................................. LTC Thomas M. FrChief, Public Affairs ............................................................ Thomas M. HChief, NREO ...................................................................................... WilliamEditor ......................................................................................... Andrew Ca
OUR MISSION: The NREO was established in 1995 to support the Army andDoD mission through coordination, communication and facilitation of regiona
environmental activities. The Army REOs are part of a DoD network in which the ANavy and Air Force each has lead responsibility for mission implementation in t
federal regions. The NREO has DoD lead responsibility for Region V, and Army responsibility for Regions I, II, III and V.
FROM THE CHIEF
By Bill HerbNREO Chief
Here on the shore of the ChesapeakeBay, spring is in the air and winter is onlya memory. Unlike the black bears in theNREO area and the crabs in the Bay,environmental issues did not hibernate.There have been some interestingchanges and developments since wepublished the last issue of the NREOMonitor.
The Office of Director of Environmen-tal Programs for the Army has a newDirector. COL Stacey Hirata movedup from the Deputy position whenCOL Freeman departed. The TechnicalDirector at the Army EnvironmentalCenter (AEC), Dr. Ken Juris, is currentlyin the midst of a stint as a CongressionalFellow in the office of Senator BobGraham of Florida, and Dave Guzewich,Chief of the AEC Environmental QualityDivision, is acting as Technical Director.
Things have been happening in the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency as well.John DeVillars has stepped down as theRegional Administrator for EPA Region I,and Mindy Lubber, the Acting RA sinceJanuary, has been permanently ap-
pointed to the RA post.[See related article onpage 3 of this issue.]As reported in the pre-vious issue of theMonitor, Bradley M.Campbell has suc-ceeded W. MichaelMcCabe as the RegionIII Administrator. RegionV has a new adminis-trator in the person ofFrancis Lyons.
NREO staff have notbeen sleeping away thewinter in the depths ofthe Bay with the crabs. We haveup our efforts to monitor legislaregulations that are being devethe state level within our responsibility that might have sieffects on DoD or the Army. Asimagine, doing this for 20 statesterritories is quite a task. I can crabbing (just couldn’t pass thafrom the Army RECs (even fromin Chicago) every two weeks wreceive the latest information toBecause each Service gets a
Northern Regional Environmental Officental Office Spring 2000 Spring 2000
R
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ationrterlydeen 584-f thehief'so thesionstions.
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report, we spend a good bit of our timeand effort looking for Army-specific issues.We have also taken the time to developor write the accompanying articles in thisissue of the NREO Monitor.
The Army Regional EnvironmentalCoordinators have been tasked withassisting in the Army-wide effort to reduceenforcement actions and help ensure thatthe Army is reporting enforcement actionsin the same way as the other services.The RECs particularly have been taskedto monitor and offer assistance on actionsthat have been open for more than sixmonths.
Needless to say, regulators have notbeen dozing in the mud either. Eventhough the Army has been taking stepsto reduce new and open enforcementactions, it still gets new ones and retainsold ones on the books. The Army has anumber of tools to assess its compliancewith environmental requirements,including Environmental ComplianceAssessment System audits, theInstallation Status Report (Environment)and other annual internal assessments.
The Army continues to receiveenforcement actions, however, forpractices identified as deficient duringthese assessments. According to Armysources, many of these enforcementactions stem from failure to file requiredreports on time and other administrativeissues, rather than from practices thatpose notable health or safety hazards.
The Army was assessed about$329,000 in fines as of the first half offiscal 1999, compared to some $1.9
(Continued on page 7)
and the public for sound decisions onour unique resource heritage. Onaverage, each citizen uses about 78gallons of water at home each day.Through the National Water QualityAssessment Program, USGS scientiststrack the quality of our surface- andground-water resources in majorwatersheds across the country. USGSscientists monitor trends and statisticsfor more than 600 mineral commodities,and develop national, regional, and localassessments to determine amounts andquantity of mineral and energy resources.In cooperation with states, universities,and local groups, USGS scientists aremonitoring the health of America’sbiological resources from polar bears inAlaska to manatees in Florida.
Our safety and health depend on theenvironment in which we live. USGSgeologists, biologists, hydrologists, car-tographers, and others are working withfederal land managers to remediate con-tamination associated with the morethan 500,000 abandoned mines that dotthe landscape of the United States. TheUSGS is studying such invasive plantsand animals as brown tree snakes, leafyspurge, and zebra mussels to determinethe best ways of controlling their spread,and to mitigate the billions of dollars indamage and destruction of native spe-cies. USGS studies in coastal estuariessuch as San Francisco Bay and Chesa-peake Bay are helping to explain howthe Nation’s coastal ecosystems re-spond to natural sources of change,such as floods and hurricanes, as wellas to human influences.
An essential part of the USGS mis-sion is making sure that the results ofits scientific studies are available tothose who need the information. TheUSGS home page on the World WideWeb provides access to more than100,000 pages of information. More than150,000 people visit the USGS web siteeach month. At the USGS EROS DataCenter in South Dakota, more than 12million aerial photographs and satelliteimages are archived and available for
sale. USGS topographic maps have pro-vided an accurate foundation for planningand decisionmaking for the past 100years, and today geospatial informationis available in geographic informationsystems and a wide variety of mappingproducts [or check out the striking onlinesatellite imagery available on theTerraServer].
USGS Digital Raster Graphics(DRGs), colored topographicmaps that have beenscanned into the com-puter, help resourcemanagers, planners,and emergency person-nel make decisionsquickly and with con-fidence. You can evendevelop your ownmaps onlineusing informationcollected for theNational Atlas.
So what? Whyshould you carewhat the USGScan do? In additionto the publicly avail-able informationdescribed above,we’ve been providingtechnical support fromour nationwide network of offices to lo-cal, State and Federal agencies(including DoD) for a good part of our120 years.
As part of its Department of DefenseEnvironmental Conservation (DODEC)Program, USGS has two hydrologistson loan (including me) to the Army andAir Force, respectively. Additionally, theUSGS has designated specific Pointsof Contact for the Army EnvironmentalCenter, Air Force Aeronautical SystemsCommand, Air Force Reserve Command,Army Training and Doctrine Command,Army Reserve Command (stormwaterissues), Army Forces Command, ArmyMateriel Command, Army NationalGuard, Army Industrial Operations Com-mand, Navy Northern Division, NavySouthern Division, Navy EngineeringField Activity Northwest, and the NavyEngineering Field Activity Chesapeake.The USGS has Memorandums of Un-derstanding (MOUs) with these serviceentities as well as with the Deputy Un-der Secretary of Defense (EnvironmentalSecurity). Additionally, many individual
installations have MOUs with local USGSoffices. Such installations include, butare not limited to, Aberdeen ProvingGround, Hill Air Force Base, MissouriArmy National Guard, Fort Lewis andDugway Proving Grounds.
Each year, the DODEC program hostsan annual conference, open to allDoD participants, that utilizes both DoD
and USGS speakers to articu-late the needs of DoD and to
highlight the capabilitiesand accomplishments of
the USGS across abroad range of environ-mental issues inmilitary and relatedsettings. It’s a greatopportunity to con-tact individuals whobring a wide rangeof innovative sci-ence to the table,and the format ofthe conference isdesigned to fosterjust such one-on-one interactions.Previous meetingswere held in suchplaces as Las
Vegas, ColoradoSprings, Charleston,
Miami, and Tacoma; the 2000 meetingwill be held in San Diego, California, fromMay 1-5.
The USGS is a resource that isavailable to all DoD components. It canprovide high-quality, unbiased scientificanalyses that are generally accepted byother scientists, regulators, and thegeneral public. It can be a valuable arrowin your quiver of environmentalmanagement tools.
(Continued from page 12)
If the U.S. Geological Survey maybe able to assist to you in a
specific situation, please contactMr. Herb at the U.S. Army
Environmental Center(410) 436-7096, DSN 584,
[email protected],and he will connect you with an
appropriate point of contact.
Ed. Note: The Monitor is accessibleelectronically on the NREO web page ofthe USAEC web site at http://aec.army.mil.In that format, underscored texts arehyperlinks which can connect you directlywith the information source.
Northern Regional Environmental OfficeNorthern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000Spring 2000Page 12 Page 3
EPA NAMES NEW REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR REGION IBy Bob MuhlyArmy Region I/II REC
On March 15, 2000, Ms. Mindy Lubber wasappointed as the Regional Administrator for theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)Region I office in Boston. Ms. Lubber had beenthe acting Regional Administrator since Januaryof this year, following John DeVillars’ resignationfrom the region’s top job.
Ms. Lubber joined the USEPA Region I officein 1995 as Senior Policy Advisor to the RegionalAdministrator, and became the Deputy RegionalAdministrator in 1997. Prior to her Region Iservice, Ms. Lubber had been the president and ChiefExecutive Officer of Green Century Capital Management, aninvestment firm which invests in environmentally responsiblecompanies, and then donates its net revenues to the supportof environmental advocacy. Previously, Ms. Lubber was aSenior Advisor to the Governor in the Michael Dukakis
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administration. She alsoserved as the consumerand environmentalrepresentative of theMassachusetts EnergyFacilities Siting Council, andas the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors ofthe Massachusetts Public Interest ResearchGroup. Ms. Lubber holds both Bachelor’s andMaster’s Degrees in Business Administration,as well as a Law Degree. She is a member ofthe Massachusetts Bar.
In an open letter to the “people of NewEngland,” Ms. Lubber stated that the change in
leadership of the regional office would not mean a change incourse. She cited the “proven environmental results” achievedduring the past six years, and stated her intent to seek waysto innovate and build on those successes. “We know whathas worked well and what has worked less well, and will respondaccordingly,” she stated.
development, and enabling rural areas toprotect important habitat and open space
• Use of Market-Based Incentivesthrough employing pollutant and emissionstrading programs to achieve cost-effec-tive environmental benefits
Objectives described by Ms. Lubber forreaching the goal of “Improving Accountabilityto Themselves and to Their Customers” are:
• Stronger External Communicationsby engaging the public as much as pos-sible through effective communication,expanded use of the Internet, and en-hancement of the public’s right-to-knowabout pollution
• Diversity by striving toward a diverse,tolerant workforce that better serves thepublic
• Improved Customer Service througheasily accessible, friendly, and respon-sive service
• Partnerships through working relation-ships with other agencies, tribalgovernments, businesses, and environ-mental t facilitate
ctos
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THE LETTER SET OUT THREE GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR:
• Achieving Environmental Results• Building Innovation Into EPA’s Core Programs• Improving Accountability to Themselves and to Their Customers
To achieve the “Environmental Results” goal,Region I will focus its efforts toward:
• Protecting New England’s Landscapethrough efforts to prevent further loss ofprecious resources and recover thosethat have deteriorated
• Protecting Drinking Water Suppliesby increasing the number of systems inNew England that fully comply with theSafe Drinking Water Act
• Achieving the Ozone Standard byplacing a high priority on efforts to re-duce smog and by working with states instandards implementation and non-attain-ment designations
• Protecting Surface Waters and Re-ducing the NPDES Permit Backlog bycommitting to reduce the backlog of EPA-issued permits through the watershedapproach, reflecting sound science and
tal risks than adults, and employing that factin abatement programs
• Measuring Environmental Resultsthrough strong science and continued reli-ance on expert professional services (i.e.,new and efficient laboratory monitoring andanalysis)
Ms. Lubber’s stated objectives in reaching thegoal of “Building Innovation Into EPA’s CorePrograms” are:
• Smart, Targeted Enforcement throughaggressive use of civil and criminal enforce-ment authority to deter violations and ensureenvironmental results
• Assistance and Pollution Preventionthrough empowering regulated entities to re-duce the amount of pollution they generate,improving public access to chemical and en-vironmental information, and encou
gielizupmndse m
vabtiveco
by William J. HerbUSGS Liaison to the ArmyEnvironmental Center
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)recently changed its slogan from “EarthScience in the Public Service” to“Science for a Changing World.” So what?Why should someone in the front linesof environmental issues at an installationcare that a relatively obscure agency inthe Department of the Interior changedits slogan?
Well, I can think of at least tworeasons. The first, and most important,reason is that the USGS just might beable to help you to understand some ofyour environmental issues well enoughfor you to develop solutions, and thesecond reason is that the USGS isundergoing changes that will make it evenmore useful to you. Change is never easy,especially for a bureau that just celebratedits 120th birthday in a department thatrecently celebrated its 150th birthday. Iknow that makes USGS a toddler inrelation to the Army, but you “old-timers”can really appreciate how tough changecan be!
The USGS recently added a bouncing,new 170-ton (1,950 personnel) Biological
Resources Division to its family of long-established divisions: Geologic, Mappingand Water. The addition of this newDivision made the “earth science” part ofthe old slogan obsolete, and the ever-changing face of the traditional earthsciences dictated that the agency’sapproach change with the times. In thealmost 6 years that I have been in myliaison position here at the ArmyEnvironmental Center, the USGS hasundergone numerous changes to makeit more internally consistent and more“user friendly.”
You might think that an agencycombining geology, maps, hydrology andbiology under a single operatingphilosophy would resemble a horsedesigned by a committee (probably lookslike a camel). However, all four divisionsare united by a single goal: providingrelevant, impartial scientific informationabout the natural sciences and supportsystems for these sciences.
Instead of operating in the “stovepipes”of the three traditional divisions and thenew, fourth division, the re-engineeredUSGS integrates physical and biologi-cal research into four crosscuttingthemes—natural hazards, natural re-sources, environment, and information
management. This in-tegrated approachbuilds strongmultidisciplinaryteams of scien-tists focusedon applied re-search andresults thatpeople (and in-stallations) canuse.
To help reducethe toll exacted bynatural hazards, the USGS maintains anumber of research and monitoringprograms across the United States. Anetwork of more than 7,000 stream-gaging stations, more than 2,500 of whichare linked by satellite communicationsto the World Wide Web, provides data,including some near real-time data onfloods and droughts. Three volcanoobservatories assess dangers from activevolcanoes in Alaska, Hawaii and theCascades Range in Washington, Oregonand northern California. In cooperationwith the aviation industry, USGScontinually monitors volcanoes in theAleutian Island chain to reduce the riskto airplanes from volcanic ash clouds.
The National Earthquake InformationCenter works with partners at stateand regional levels and around theworld to monitor earthquake activity.Through cooperative efforts withengineers and urban planners, theUSGS is working to reduce thehuman and economic losses frompotential earthquakes in theconterminous United States andAlaska. USGS scientists arestudying emerging diseases such ascryptosporidium, the West Nile virusand Valley Fever to understand wildlifediseases and their effects on humanhealth.
USGS studies of water supplies,minerals and energy deposits, andour Nation’s wealth of plants andanimals provide essential informationto managers, regulators, industry,
U.S. Geological Survey – Science For AChanging World – Why Should You Care?
Brown TreeSnake
(Continued on page 13)
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• Reducing Air Toxics by placing a highpriority on working with states to improvetoxics monitoring and develop more so-phisticated inventories of toxicsemissions
• Furthering the Children’s Initiative bycontinuing to recognize that children aretypically more vulnerable to environmen-
innovative environmental technolo• Site Restoration and Revita
through working to reinvent the Sand RCRA Corrective Action prograpleting construction at more sites, athose sites back into productive u
• Livable Communities throughNew England urban areas more lisafer from a public health perspecbating sprawl without stifling e
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Northern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000 Spring 2000Page 4
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(Continued from
By Hugh McAlearArmy Region V REC
The winter meeting of the Great Lakes Regional PollutionPrevention Roundtable in Chicago, March 1-2, 2000, featureda presentation by U.S. EPA staff on the PBT Profiler. ThePBT Profiler is a screening tool to help stakeholders (particu-larly chemical companies) make choices among candidateoptions for new chemical products — before they marketthem — based on persistence, bioconcentration and toxicitycharacteristics.
There are approximately 80,000 different chemicals incommerce, with another 2000 new chemicals introduced eachyear. For chemicals falling within the two categories ofpesticides and drugs, the manufacturer or marketer mustconduct studies prior to introduction to satisfy regulatoryagencies that the product is efficacious for its intended purposeand that the environmental impacts are known. For the vastmajority of the remaining chemicals, however, no suchrequirement exists for pre-testing, and the onus falls on EPAto alert the public and try to weed out bad actors.
The PBT Profiler is a user-friendly, internet tool thatestimates the persistence, bioconcentration and fish chronictoxicity of discrete organic chemicals. When actual data islacking for a new chemical, the Profiler uses like chemicalstructures to predict the PBT characteristics. It then comparesthe results to EPA’s regulatory criteria for PBT-related actionunder the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and Toxic SubstancesControl Act (TSCA) New Chemical Programs.
Chemicals are considered potential PBTs if: persistencein water, sediment, or soil exceeds two months (TRI > 2days in air) AND 2) the bioconcentration factor (BCF) exceeds1000. Based on the regulatory rules governing new chemicals,
the results of the PBT Profiler can give an indication if theproposed chemical will fall within the EPA “ban pendingactual testing” category and the reporting threshold for TRIpurposes. Such screening information allows a chemicalmanufacturer, for example, to determine if it wants tocontinue pursuing a certain chemical when there may bean option with more favorable PBT characteristics.
The PBT Profiler is not applicable for all chemicals. EPAestimates that slightly more than 60 percent of the 80,000chemicals on the TSCA inventory can be profiled using thePBT Profiler. Those that can be profiled tend to be discreteorganics and simple organic salts. Chemicals for whichthe PBT Profiler is not applicable include inorganics,chemicals that hydrolyze rapidly, complex organic salts,organo metallic compounds, highly reactive compounds,chemicals with unknown or variable composition, andchemical mixtures.
The PBT Profiler has been Beta Tested in a number oflocations across the country in an attempt to gauge industryreaction and obtain comments for improvement. Accordingto U.S. EPA staff, the reaction to date has been very positive.The PBT Profiler undoubtedly will expand its applicabilityto additional chemical types, and has the potential to notonly save industry money in the premarketing evaluation ofnew products but also to reduce the unintended introductionof PBT chemicals into the environment.
U.S. EPA UNVEILS THE PBT PROFILER
Although many factors must beconsidered, the user initially reviews thefinancial implications of each alternativeto identify the best approach for a site.LEA is designed to provide historicproperty managers faster, moreconsistent cost estimates. Caroline Hall,USAEC historian, explained thesignificance of user/manager input: “Themanager’s knowledge of the site’sphysical parameters is imperative —managers supply specific data for thefacility and its environment.”
The LEA then combines user-supplieddata with a resource database ofinformation that adjusts for geographicallocation, climate, inflation and industry-
standard cost over a 20-year period. LEAsummarizes the results in reports thatcan be printed or imported into othersoftware programs. LEA provides not onlycost estimates, but also informationnecessary to comply with NHPAregulations.
LEA was beta tested at three Armyinstallations in real-time and direct-useapplications. The National Park Serviceat Vancouver Barracks, Wash. used LEAto determine the level of government andprivate funding needed to renovatehistoric buildings and develop a plan totransfer land ownership to the NationalHistoric Reserve — a partnership betweenthe Army, the National Park Service andthe city of Vancouver.
New housing proposals for the WilliamBeaumont Historic District promptedArmy managers at Fort Bliss, Texas, touse LEA cost estimates to analyze
demolition and construction proposals.At Fort Lincoln, N.D., most of the
original buildings were transferred to theUnited Tribes of North Dakota. The tworemaining buildings, under Army control,were analyzed for demolition using theLEA software.
In its short existence, the new LEAsoftware tool has helped the Army’sCultural Resource program by assistinghistoric building decision makersdetermine the best course of action forhandling excess historic facilities.
For additional information on the PBT Profiler,contact Dr. Ihab Farag, Chemical Engineering
Department, University of New Hampshire,(603) 862-2313, e-mail: [email protected].
(Continued from Page 1)
LEA SOFTWARE
The Layaway Economic Analysisprogram, Version 2.04, is availablefor DENIX account holders at http://aec.army.mil. CD-ROM versions are
available through the USAEC’sTechnical Information Center (TIC)
Management Ptories. FWS prwith respect to gered specimammals, fresfish, national wservation, enviand training opsource manag
For further informbiologist, (410)
john.bardwe
THE U.S. FO
An agency oculture, USFSforests and grastewardship ofagencies, staters manage. provide key mThrough an intUSFS helps th
(Continued from p
Northern Regional Environmental Office Page11
TRAINING
over 40 active and BRAChave been conducted.he initiatives that hasthe ITR is the development workshop. Four keynvironmental restorationrnerstone of the PER) build an effective projectnt team; (2) clearly,d accurately identify thedentify possible response; and (4) recognize that are inherent and always managed. The workshop
he applicability of thesecross the spectrum of efforts - from site planning through sited how they can be used the decision-makingost sites.se of the PER workshopools and approaches that
will help decision-makers collectappropriate investigative information andproceed more quickly to acceptable siteclose-out. The workshop is based on acourse prepared jointly between DOE andEPA, and stresses the need for earlyplanning and development of data qualityobjectives and early development of exitcriteria to ensure that investigations andcleanups stay on track.
The course is intended to (1) providesufficient understanding of ER principlesto ensure that proposed investigative andcleanup requirements are needed tosupport risk-based decisions and actions;and (2) improve the process within whichthe installation project teams operate tobetter focus on the end objectives of therestoration program.
The PER workshop allows for thereview and open discussion of specificprojects or sites at an installation byincorporating those reviews into theexercises that are used at the conclusionof various modules of the workshop. By
including these site reviews as anintegral part of the workshop, no reportis prepared by the instructors, as isdone by the review team at theconclusion of an ITR. However, ITRsare still being performed at installations,especially in cases where there arecomplex and difficult technical issuesto address at specific restoration sites.
Principles of EnvironmentalRestoration training and IndependentTechnical Reviews are conducted atthe request of an installation, or someother organization in their chain ofcommand, such as their MACOM orthe ACSIM. The Army EnvironmentalCenter manages the PER and ITRprograms to include the scheduling ofthe installations and the organizationof an appropriate review team.
If you think one of these programscould be of assistance to yourinstallation restoration program,contact your MACOM restorationprogram POC.
page 1)
lans and wetland inven-ovides assistance alsomigratory birds, endan-es, certain marinehwater and anadromous
ildlife refuges, habitat con-ronmental contaminants,portunities for natural re-ers.
ation contact: John Bardwell,436-1598, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected].
REST SERVICE (USFS)
f the Department of Agri- conserves the nationalsslands and assists with forests that other federales, and private landown-Some national forestsission lands to the Army.eragency agreement, thee Army to comply with the
National Environmental Policy Act andwith preparing Integrated Natural Re-sources Management Plans. USFS alsohelps to design and carry out programsand projects for wildlife and fish, threat-ened and endangered species, outdoorrecreation, noxious weeds, timber man-agement, urban forestry, forest health andstewardship, fire ecology and fuels man-agement, and tropical forestry.
For further information contact:Mark Cleveland, liaison,
(410) 436-1589, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected]; or
Helene Cleveland, forester,(410) 436-1558, DSN 584, e-mail:
age 10)
Mark Cleveland (far left), Forest ServiceLiaison, providing assistance for wetlandsdelineation at Curtis Bay, MD DefenseLogistics Agency site.
[From U.S. EPA Region II Announcement]
The U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) has opened the Internet-based Federal Facilities ComplianceAssistance Center to provide federal gov-ernment agencies with information onenvironmental regulations, guidance oncompliance assistance, and links tostate and other federal agency environ-mental home pages. The center issponsored by the Federal Facilities En-forcement Office, which is responsible forensuring that federal facilities take ac-tions necessary to prevent, control andabate environmental pollution. The officealso develops policies and guidance forfederal agencies, helps negotiate inter-agency agreements, provides technicalassistance and provides program, en-forcement and information support toEPA’s regional offices. The new centeraddress is: http://www.epa.gov/oeca/fedfac/cfa. All of EPA’s compliance as-sistance centers can be reached at: http://www.assistancecenters.net.
U
.
PENSFEDERAL AGENCYCOMPLIANCE ASSISTCENTER ON THE WEB
Northern Regional Environmental OfficeNorthern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000Spring 2000 Page 5Page 10
By Hugh McAlearArmy Region V REC
In a flag-casing ceremony on March9, 2000, MG Joseph W. Arbuckle,Commanding General of OperationsSupport Command, and Major Joseph A.Tirone, the last Commander of SavannaArmy Depot Activity (SVADA), presidedover the final official act to inactivate theinstallation. Officially, the installationbecame inactive on March 18, the end ofthe pay period for the remainingemployees.
SVADA began operation in 1917 asthe Savanna Proving Grounds. The initialmission was to test fire various artillerypieces. During the 1920s, the missionchanged to include storage, receipt,issue, demilitarization, and renovation ofammunition.
The fate of the 13,062 acre installa-tion was determined in 1995, when theBase Realignment and Closure Commis-sion recommended closure and therelocation of its major tenant, The U.S.Army Defense Ammunition Center andSchool, to McAlester Army Ammunition
Plant in Oklahoma. Since thattime, the ammunition stocks havebeen slowly transferred to otherstorage sites, with the last ammu-nition leaving SVADA earlier thisyear.
Eventually the land will be trans-ferred to the Local Reuse Authority(LRA) for follow-on civilian uses.Currently, parts of the installationthat have been declared clean ofcontamination are leased by the LRA topotential transferees. Most of the formerrange area is slated to go to the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service for a wildliferefuge. Prior to actual transfer, those ar-eas contaminated by past use are beingevaluated and cleaned up to risk free lev-els for the follow-on uses.
A small caretaker force will continueto maintain buildings and utility systems
for up to a year, and will monitor securityfor the installation. The Base Environmen-tal Coordinator Office will remain openindefinitely to oversee cleanup activities.
Savanna Army Depot ActivityOfficially Inactivated
COL Lawrence J. Sowa, Director, U.S. Army OperationsSupport Command, Munitions and Armaments Center, RockIsland, IL, places the colors in the case held by CSM LynnellSullivan, Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army OperationsSupport Command, Rock Island, IL. MAJ Joseph A. Tirone,the last Commander of Savanna Army Depot Activity, is behindCSM Sullivan.
For more information on thecleanup activities at Savanna Army
Depot Activity, contact: John Clarke,Base Environmental Coordinator,
(815) 273-8827.
By Hugh McAlearArmy Region V REC
Fort Sheridan has achieved a majormilestone in that all of its surplus prop-erty has been cleared for transfer to theneighboring Illinois cities of Highwood andHighland Park and the Lake County For-est Preserve District. The final parcel isa 1/2 acre lot located in the Historic Dis-trict, where a cleanup was recentlyconducted to remove soil contaminatedwith PAHs from a former coal storage
mately 100 acres were earmarked for theU.S. Army Reserve. The remaining 406acres were declared surplus, and havenow been completely remediated andtransferred to the successor civilian en-tities.
In coordination with the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency andthe Illinois Environmental ProtectionAgency, the Army conducted thenecessary environmental investiga-tions and cleanup of contaminatedsites. According to EPA Region V,
i C
cr
s
areas initially were identified forevaluation. The Army has prepared a NoAction Decision Document for 26 of the44 sites, based on a determination thatthe 26 do not pose an unacceptable riskto current and potential future users andtherefore do not require any cleanup. The
remaining 18 sites are still beingevaluated.
Fort Sheridan Clears Surplus Property For Transfer
For further information on FortSheridan cleanup activities,
[From USAEC ConservationBranch Materials]
Through memorandumsof understanding andinteragency agreements, theConservation Branch of the U.S.Army Environmental Center (USAEC)has established formal partnershipswith five federal agencies. Liaisonsfrom the Bureau of Land Management(BLM), the Forest Service (FS), theNatural Resources ConservationService (NRCS), the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service (FWS), and theAdvisory Council on HistoricPreservation (ACHP) providetechnical expertise and support inimplementing the Army’s natural andcultural resources managementprogram. At the HQDA level, liaisonsassist with policy development andguidance. At the installation level,liaisons provide technical expertisein integrated management plandevelopment, survey work, technicalmaterials, training, education, andother mission-related activities.
Partnering liaisons benefit theArmy’s environmental program in avariety of ways. Liaisons help fosterbetter relationships among agenciesand provide the Army access to re-sources and subject matter expertsin a cost-effective manner. TheArmy’s liaison program supports theArmy Strategic Action Plan “Instal-lation Vision 2010” by working toimplement best business practices,maintain stewardship of assets,eliminate excess and maximize useof facilities.
Assistance to installations fromthe partnering agency liaisonscomprises a range of activities inseven categories.
- INTEGRATED TRAINING AREAMANAGEMENT
- NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALPOLICY ACT
- ENDANGERED SPECIES
- LAND MANAGEMENT
- PEST MANAGEMENT
- CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
- TRAINING, EDUCATION & OUTREACH
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
An independent federal agency, thecouncil is the major policy advisor to theU.S. government on historic preservation.It provides a forum for influencing federalpolicy, programs, and decisions as theyaffect historic resources in communitiesand on public lands nationwide. TheCouncil administers Section 106 ofNational Historic Preservation Act andreviews Army programs and policies tohelp balance needs for historicpreservation with Army requirements. TheCouncil also can provide Army personnelwith essential training, guidance, andinformation to make the Section 106review process more efficient.
For further information contact:Dave Berwick, Army Affairs Coordinator,
(202) 606-8531, email: [email protected];or Karen Theimer, Council Liaison to theArmy, (410) 436-1575, DSN 584, email:
THE BUREAU OF
LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM)
An agency of the U.S. Department ofthe Interior, BLM manages 264 millionacres of public land — 12 percent of thenation’s land area. BLM manages land,primarily in the West and Alaska, forrecreation, mining, grazing, timberharvesting, and scenic and culturalvalues. BLM works in partnership withneighboring land managers. Its servicesinclude temporarily sharing personnel inmany disciplines, training opportunitieswith satellite broadcast capability, andecosystem management and planning.It also offers assistance from the BLMNational Applied Resources SciencesCenter, including photogrammetry (usingaerial photographs for measurements),library services, and GeographicInformation System support.
For further information (as of May 1)contact: Kate Winthrop, archeologist,
(410) 436-1573, DSN 584, email:[email protected].
THE NATURAL RESOURCES
CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS)
An agency of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, NRCS has providedconservation planning assistance toprivate agricultural lands since 1933. Theagency’s specialists work in soils,reclamation, biology, engineering, rangemanagement, agronomy, water quality,and plant materials. Assistance to theArmy includes ecosystem planning, soilsurveys, erosion inventories, restoringdamaged lands with plant materials, andreducing sediment.
For further information contact:David Lorenz, plant materials specialist,
(410) 436-6844, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected];George Teachman, soil scientist,(410) 436-1566, DSN 584, e-mail:
[email protected];and Angel Figueroa, conservation planner,
(410) 436-1559, DSN 584, email:[email protected].
THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE
SERVICE (FWS)
A bureau within the Department ofthe Interior, FWS conserves, protects,and enhances fish and wildlife and theirhabitats. It provides technical assistanceto the military under authority of theSikes Act. Its major form of technical as-sistance is helping to develop andimplement Integrated Natural Resources
ARMY OF PARTNERSHIPS AIDSUSAEC AND INSTALLATIONS
Dave Lorenz, NRCS Liaison and plant ma-terials specialist, in Okinawa researchingevidence of soil erosion associated withtraining areas.
(Continued on page 11)
in- contact: Colleen Reilly, FortSheridan BRAC Coordinator,(847) 266-3900.
rst BRA toetyr. in
anderveuiredstudy
yard.Fort Sheridan served as an active Army
installation from 1887 through 1993,when the base was closed under theBase Realignment and Closure (BRAC)program. Fort Sheridan occupied 712acres along the western shore of LakeMichigan, approximately 25 miles northof Chicago. Under BRAC, 206 acres wererealigned to the U.S. Navy, and approxi-
Fort Sheridan is the fstallation in Region Vachieve concurrenthat all surplus propeis suitable for transfe
Work continueevaluating the NavyU.S. Army Resproperties for reqcleanup. Forty-four
Northern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000 SprPage 6
[From Staff Reports]
NEW JERSEY/DOD VOLUNTARY CLEANUP AGREEMENT
The agreement, which now encompasses FUDS and BRACsites, is nearing adoption. The joint New Jersey/DoD workgroup,comprising representatives from the New Jersey Departmentof Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the DoD Services,met on March 28 at Aberdeen Proving Ground to continueworking out details. Additional meetings are planned for Apriland May, with the agreement moving forward for signature inJune.
NEW JERSEY/EPA/DOD ENVIRONMENTAL WORK GROUP
AND P2 PARTNERSHIP GROUP
The Environmental Work Group and P2 Partnership Groupmet February 29, 2000, at NJDEP headquarters in Trenton.Topics covered in the Environmental Work Group morningsession included upcoming EPCRA training, the NJDEP PhaseII Storm Water Final Rule, electronic submittal of permits, theNJDEP International Environmental Technology Expo 2000, andupdates on CERCLA restoration activities (New Jersey/DoDVoluntary Cleanup Agreement, summary of activities at NPLsites in New Jersey, and project scheduling requirements).
While the Environmental Work Group meeting was wellattended, the afternoon P2 Partnership Group meeting wasnot. Due to the recent drop-off in DoD participation, and NJDEP’sconcern over the apparently low level of DoD installation interestin P2 assistance from the state, much of the P2 meeting wasspent discussing future goals and objectives of the Partnership.The Service RECs were asked to work with their installationsto identify successes and issues that could be shared with thegroup and exploited for the Partnership’s benefit.
NEW YORK /DOD QUARTERLY WORK GROUP
The Quarterly Work Group met in the morning of January19, 2000, at New York State Department of EnvironmentalConservation (NYSDEC) headquarters in Albany. Principaltopics included the latest EPCRA requirements and relatedEPA training, initiation of an Emergency Response MOUbetween New York and DoD for munitions disposal, a Phase IIstormwater update, and Phase II TMDL guidance. NYSDECair media managers responded to installation questions andoffered guidance on air emissions issues, including vehicleinspection and maintenance, purchase of NOx credits, andpermits for dry cleaning operations.
NEW YORK P2 PARTNERSHIP AND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The P2 Partnership met in the afternoon of January 19,following the morning Quarterly Work Group meeting. Sincethe signing of the Charter in August 1999, the Partnership has
made little progress in defining its direction. Members agreedthat the Service RECs will contact their installations in thestate to determine the status of installation P2 programs,develop information on installation needs, and solicitsuggestions as to the direction the Partnership should take.The next NYSDEC Annual P2 Conference is scheduled forSeptember 19-21, 2000, and for the second consecutiveyear will include a DoD panel session. A call for nominationsfor the Governor’s P2 awards will be issued soon.
REGION III EPA/DOD/STATE ENVIRONMENTAL
COLLOQUIUM
Planning between the Region III Service RECs and EPARegion III representatives continues for the next colloquium,which is scheduled for August 22-24, 2000, at the OmniHotel in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. Announcements ofthe colloquium and an agenda are scheduled to be issuedin mid- to late-May. The theme of this year’s colloquium is“Partnerships to a Better Environment.” Social functions beingplanned include a luncheon, private reception at the NationalAquarium, and dinner cruise in the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
DOD/ILLINOIS POLLUTION PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP
The Partnership is moving ahead on a Strategic Plan andYear 2000 goals. Adoption is expected at the April meeting.The training subcommittee has developed a training module,which potentially can be tailored for separate presentationsto senior leadership, upper management and shoppersonnel. At the Partnership’s meeting held at the AirNational Guard Base in Peoria on January 26, membersdiscussed options for jet turbine cleaning to reducehazardous waste generation, and were briefed on therecently completed P2 opportunity assessment at the ArmyReserve Maintenance Support Activity 48 in Bartonville.
DOD/INDIANA POLLUTION PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP
Work continues on development of the Partnership’s webpage on the Indiana Department of EnvironmentalManagement (IDEM) web site. When completed, the webpage will be linked through DENIX to other DoD/state P2partnerships. IDEM will be hosting the Great Lakes RegionalPollution Prevention Roundtable meeting in August, and hasrequested that DoD/Indiana P2 Partnership members playa prominent role as presenters. In other developments: · Apress release has been drafted to announce the formalestablishment of the Partnership once the charter has beensigned. · A draft strategic plan has been developed, and isundergoing member review. · An awards program for thePartnership has been approved.
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Northern Regional Environmental Officeing 2000 Page 9
n (DTP) for the next 12 munitions tofired was sent to the U.S. EPA inruary 2000, and testing began inrch. Results of these tests areected in August 2000, with finalrting in October 2000.
NEXPLODED ORDNANCE (UXO)DEGRADATION
he UXO degradation project iseted at identifying if and/or what typeXO degrades, obtaining data on theors influencing the degradation ofO, and assessing the impactraded UXO has on the environment.rmation gathered will serve as theis for a preliminary corrosion modelUXO. The ATC is the executingncy. Phase II efforts will involve further-world data collection to assist in thenement of the Phase I model.vities include viewing UXO clearances, assessing the UXO’s conditionr removal, and soil sampling.rently, the Phase I model is at a confidence level for a 30 – 50 year
luation. The final report is expectede available in early summer, 2000. completed final draft of the computerel is now available for review andonstration for determining the time
erforation of UXO. Additionally, underUXO Degradation study, the Defensemunition Center has begun worka Dud/Low Order Rate Study toermine the actual percentage of
fired. The Dud/Low Order Ratedy is scheduled to be completed byust 2000.
separa ted,making theremoval ofglycerol —a valuablei n d u s t r i a lbyproduct —possible. Inthe next recov-ery phase, thea lcoho l /es termixture is sepa-rated. The excessalcohol is recycled and theesters are purified through water wash-ing, vacuum drying and filtration.
PERFORMANCE
Biodiesel fuels used in conventionaldiesel engines can result in considerableemission reductions of unburnedhydrocarbons, carbon dioxide andparticulate matter. Depending on theduty cycle of the engine, nitrogen oxidesemissions are either slightly reduced orslightly increased.
Since biodiesel contains more oxygenthan its petroleum diesel counterpart, itburns more efficiently. Biodiesel alsoeliminates sulfate emissions, since thereis no sulfur in the fuel. The fuel workswell with catalysts, particulate traps andexhaust gas recirculation systems.
Engine, ignition system or fuel injectormodifications are not necessary.However, the solvent characteristics ofbiodiesel fuel may require thereplacement of some hoses and fuellines. Operators may want to have theengine fine-tuned for optimalperformance. Use of biodiesel does notnoticeably change the horsepower of theengine.
Pure biodiesel fuel is safer thanpetroleum, methanol or natural gas. Thefuel has a high flash point, has very lowtoxicity if ingested and is biodegradable.
HOW BIODIESEL CREDITS WORK
According to Karl Weiss, Office of theAssistant Deputy Under Secretary ofDefense (Environmental Security),allocation of one biodiesel fuel use creditrequires the purchase and use of 450
gallons [or ‘qualifying volume’] ofbiodiesel fuel in vehicles having a grossvehicle weight rating of more than 8,500pounds. Therefore, “one biodiesel fuel usecredit is equivalent to acquiring onealternative fueled vehicle,” explainedWeiss.
Weiss said the credits don’t applywhen the biodiesel is used in AFVs orwhen biodiesel is required by federal orstate law.
Credits can be used to satisfy up to50 percent of a fleet’s alternative fueledvehicle requirements. “Since the cost foreach alternative fuel vehicle credit rangesfrom $1,000 to $1,500, the savings canbe significant when compared to thecosts associated with purchasing somealternative fueled vehicles,” said Weiss.
A Dec. 14 memorandum issued bySherri W. Goodman, Deputy UnderSecretary of Defense (EnvironmentalSecurity), explains that “qualifyingvolume” is measured in gallons of B-100,which is comprised of 100 percentbiodiesel.
Fleets can also take advantage ofbiodiesel fuel use credits by using B-20,a fuel containing 20 percent biodiesel and80 percent petroleum diesel. If a fleetwished to qualify for the credit using B-100, it must purchase and use 450gallons to receive one biodiesel fuel usecredit. If a fleet wanted to qualify usingB-20, it must purchase and use 2,250gallons, since each gallon of B-20contains one-fifth of a gallon of biodiesel.
Although biodiesel has not been
For further information onthe SACON and bullet trap
emonstration projects, contact:
Gene Fabian, USAEC,410) 436-6847, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected].
For further information on theRange XXI emissions and
environmental studies, contact:
mera Clark-Rush, USAEC (WPI),410) 436-6849, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected].
(Continued from Page 9)
BIODIESEL FUEL
(Continued on page 14)
tinued from page 8)
Northern Regional Environmental OfficeNorthern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000Spring 2000 Page 7Page 8
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON
THESE ACTIVITIES, CONTACT:NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK
Bob Muhly, Army Region I/II REC,(410) 436-7101 • DSN 584
e-mail: [email protected]
REGION III ENVIRONMENTAL COLLOQUIUM
Fred Boecher, Army Region III REC,(410) 436-7100 • DSN 584
e-mail: [email protected]
ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, OHIO, WISCONSIN
Hugh McAlear, Army Region V REC,(630) 910-3213 • Ext. 224
e-mail: [email protected]
DOD/MICHIGAN POLLUTION PREVENTION ALLIANCE
The Charter format is complete, and copies of the Charterhave been distributed to Alliance members. A public affairs release has been drafted to announce the “formalization of the Alliance.” Good progress has been made by the MichiganDEQ in developing an Alliance web site. A strategic planhas been drafted, and is being reviewed by Alliance members. Once adopted, it will serve as the basis for annual Alliance workplans.
DOD/OHIO POLLUTION PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP
Partnership members have approved a tri-fold brochure tomarket the P2 opportunity assessments performed by thePartnership. Members also have approved a general tri-foldbrochure to communicate Partnership activities with localcommunities. The strategic plan has been adopted, and willserve as the tool to focus future efforts. The Partnership hasapproved a Certificate of Recognition for the Defense SupplyCenter, Columbus, Hazardous Materials Minimization Teamfor its efforts to evaluate alternatives to cadmium plating andto develop procedures to return gas cylinders to themanufacturer in lieu of disposal, thereby saving thegovernment in excess of $1.2 million.
WISCONSIN/DOD POLLUTION PREVENTION ALLIANCE
At the Alliance meeting at Fort McCoy on February 8,2000, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources made
a presentation on waste paint disposal options, and the DefenseReutilization and Marketing Service Zone Manager briefedmembers on Defense Reutilization and Marketing Officeservices. In other news: • The Alliance Charter is now completewith member logos and signatures. • A strawman press releasewas distributed for optional use by the members to “officiallyannounce” formation of the Wisconsin/DoD P2 Alliance. • Website options are still being discussed. • Development of aStrategic Plan for the Alliance is now on the horizon.
FROM THE CHIEF
million in regulatory fines in fiscal 1998.Of the fines assessed against theDepartment of Defense, some 79percent were assessed against theArmy, and the Army has paid about 89percent of the fines paid by DoD since
first Earth Day was a milestone in ournation’s commitment to environmentalstewardship. The annual observance hasprovided an opportunity for Army instal-lations to work in partnership with localcommunities and to hold suitable eventsand publicly demonstrate the Army’scontinued commitment to the environ-ment.
’s
scu
a olln
projection platforms. Army lands mustsupport tough, demanding training toserve as a solid foundation for the highdegree of readiness that our missiondemands. Beyond their value to themilitary mission, these lands enhancethe quality of life for the soldiers andcivilians who work, train and live there.
(Continued from page 2)
[From Staff Reports]
The Range XXI program has undertaken anumber of technology demonstrations andstudies aimed at assuring that essential firingrange activities can be continued within theframework of reduced risk to the environmentand compliance with environmental regulatoryrequirements. This article summarizes someof the current Range XXI projects.
traps in a 25 meter zero rangeapplication. Data collected in-cluded durability data, leadcontainment efficiency, mainte-nance and material handlingdata, personnel exposure data,and cost data. Commerciallyavailable bullet traps are beingconsidered for use as an ad-vanced range maintenancemethod to control the migrationof lead from outdoor small arms
ranges. Little to no data exists to vali-date the performance claims made bymanufacturers of their bullet trap’s per-formance in outdoor range use scenarios.Testing of three bullet traps was com-pleted by ATC in November 1998.Environmental and/or operational perfor-mance concerns unique to each traptested were identified. Use of the trapson Army outdoor ranges is expected tobe minimal due to performance limita-tions and cost. The use of a bullet trapis recommended only where control oflead migration cannot be maintained byless expensive means. A draft final re-port is expected in April 2000.
CHARACTERIZATION OF SMOKE AND
PYROTECHNIC EMISSIONS
This project is aimed at identifying andquantifying emissions from smoke andpyrotechnic items. Data generated as partof this effort will support the Army andArmy Installations in assessing the envi-ronmental impact of smoke/pyrotechnicsused as part of training and testing op-erations. Emissions data will serve asthe basis for air dispersion models andfate and transport models, and ultimatelyto support generation of health and riskassessments. The report on Phase I test-ing for smoke and pyrotechnic emissions,involving 8 items tested in early 1998 atDugway Proving Ground [DPG], has beenreviewed without comment by the U.S.EPA Emissions Measurement Center, AirInventory Group. To date, a total of 21items have been tested at DPG. All datareports on the items tested to date are
DEMONSTRATION OF
SHOCK-ABSORBING CONCRETE
(SACON) BULLET TRAPS
The SACON project, funded by theEnvironmental Security Technology Cer-tification Program (ESTCP), wasinstituted to demonstrate and validate theperformance of shock-absorbing concreteas a recyclable bullet trapping materialin various range applications. Data col-lected at Fort Knox, the U.S. MilitaryAcademy, the Engineering Research andDevelopment Center (ERDC), and Aber-deen Test Center (ATC) included ricochetand durability data, lead containment ef-ficiency, maintenance and materialhandling data, personnel exposure data,and cost data. The tests showed thatSACON can be used as an advancedrange maintenance method to control themigration of lead from outdoor smallarms ranges. However, due to SACON’sexpense and maintenance requirements,use of the material is recommended onlyfor bullet trapping applications where leadmigration cannot be controlled by otherless expensive means. The final reportis available on the Range XXI web site.Go to http://aec.army.mil and look un-der “Technology.” The report also isavailable by contacting the USAECHotline at (800) USA-EVHL.
DEMONSTRATION OF COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE BULLET TRAPS
The purpose of this project was to dem-onstrate and validate the performance ofselected commercially available bullet
expected to be published in the summerof 2000. The Phase III draft report also isexpected this summer. Phase IV testingis scheduled to begin in May 2000, in-volving an additional five smoke andpyrotechnic items.
EXPLODING ORDNANCE
EMISSIONS STUDY
The purpose of the exploding ordnanceemissions study is to obtain data andidentify models which will quantify emis-sions generated from the down rangefunctioning of munitions containing ex-plosives or other energetic fills. The focusof this Phase I effort is to document andassess existing data, identify applicablemodels, and develop test matrices andmethodologies relative to characterizingemissions generated by representativeArmy munitions classes as they explo-sively function. ATC and DPG are theexecuting agencies for this effort. As withthe smoke and pyrotechnics emissionsstudy, data will be used in air dispersionand fate and transport models, and insupport of health and risk assessments.The Phase I report is expected in latespring 2000, with testing of explosive ord-nance at ATC and DPG scheduled tobegin during the summer.
FIRING POINT EMISSIONS STUDY
The firing point emissions study isbeing carried out to identify and quantifyemissions generated by munitions attheir firing position. As in the otherstudies, data generated from the studywill be used in models and in support ofenvironmental impact and health and riskassessments. The ATC is the executingagency. The initial program effort (todocument and assess existing data,identify applicable models, and developtest matrices and methodologies relativeto characterizing firing point emissions)culminated in the generation of the FinalReport for the Firing Point EmissionsStudy in October 1998. Personnel fromthe U.S. EPA Emissions MeasurementCenter, Air Inventory Group, and Ms.Sherri W. Goodman, Deputy UnderSecretary of Defense (EnvironmentalSecurity), witnessed the testing of the155mm in May 1999. Final reports onthe 155mm and 40mm firings areexpected in June 2000. The Detailed Test
PROJECT UPDATE
(Continued on page 9)
fiscal 1994.With the coming of spring, the Army
has the opportunity to once again affirmits commitment to the environment. TheAssistant Chief of Staff for InstallationManagement has issued the followingEarth Day message for the year 2000:
“This April 22nd marks the 30th anni-versary of Earth Day. Declaration of the
“This yearis ‘PreservingFuture.’ Thibecause it foArmy has menvironment safeguarding
“Our instahealthy enviro
Army Earth Day themethe Past, Protecting the theme is appropriateses on the progress the
ade in managing thet our installations and inur heritage.ations must maintain ament to be effective power
Sound, professional stewardship of thenatural and cultural resources on thoselands is crucial to the success of ourmission as we meet the challenges ofthe new millennium.”
Spring is a time of renewal, andwe all need to renew our dedicationto supporting our DoD missionsas well as maintaining a healthyenvironment.
Northern Regional Environmental Office SpSpring 2000Page 8
haretheDEhaOnwo
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[From Staff Reports]
The Range XXI program has undertaken anumber of technology demonstrations andstudies aimed at assuring that essential firingrange activities can be continued within theframework of reduced risk to the environmentand compliance with environmental regulatoryrequirements. This article summarizes someof the current Range XXI projects.
traps in a 25 meter zero rangeapplication. Data collected in-cluded durability data, leadcontainment efficiency, mainte-nance and material handlingdata, personnel exposure data,and cost data. Commerciallyavailable bullet traps are beingconsidered for use as an ad-vanced range maintenancemethod to control the migrationof lead from outdoor small arms
ranges. Little to no data exists to vali-date the performance claims made bymanufacturers of their bullet trap’s per-formance in outdoor range use scenarios.Testing of three bullet traps was com-pleted by ATC in November 1998.Environmental and/or operational perfor-mance concerns unique to each traptested were identified. Use of the trapson Army outdoor ranges is expected tobe minimal due to performance limita-tions and cost. The use of a bullet trapis recommended only where control oflead migration cannot be maintained byless expensive means. A draft final re-port is expected in April 2000.
CHARACTERIZATION OF SMOKE AND
PYROTECHNIC EMISSIONS
This project is aimed at identifying andquantifying emissions from smoke andpyrotechnic items. Data generated as partof this effort will support the Army andArmy Installations in assessing the envi-ronmental impact of smoke/pyrotechnicsused as part of training and testing op-erations. Emissions data will serve asthe basis for air dispersion models andfate and transport models, and ultimatelyto support generation of health and riskassessments. The report on Phase I test-ing for smoke and pyrotechnic emissions,involving 8 items tested in early 1998 atDugway Proving Ground [DPG], has beenreviewed without comment by the U.S.EPA Emissions Measurement Center, AirInventory Group. To date, a total of 21items have been tested at DPG. All datareports on the items tested to date are
DEMONSTRATION OF
SHOCK-ABSORBING CONCRETE
(SACON) BULLET TRAPS
The SACON project, funded by theEnvironmental Security Technology Cer-tification Program (ESTCP), wasinstituted to demonstrate and validate theperformance of shock-absorbing concreteas a recyclable bullet trapping materialin various range applications. Data col-lected at Fort Knox, the U.S. MilitaryAcademy, the Engineering Research andDevelopment Center (ERDC), and Aber-deen Test Center (ATC) included ricochetand durability data, lead containment ef-ficiency, maintenance and materialhandling data, personnel exposure data,and cost data. The tests showed thatSACON can be used as an advancedrange maintenance method to control themigration of lead from outdoor smallarms ranges. However, due to SACON’sexpense and maintenance requirements,use of the material is recommended onlyfor bullet trapping applications where leadmigration cannot be controlled by otherless expensive means. The final reportis available on the Range XXI web site.Go to http://aec.army.mil and look un-der “Technology.” The report also isavailable by contacting the USAECHotline at (800) USA-EVHL.
DEMONSTRATION OF COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE BULLET TRAPS
The purpose of this project was to dem-onstrate and validate the performance ofselected commercially available bullet
expected to be published in the summerof 2000. The Phase III draft report also isexpected this summer. Phase IV testingis scheduled to begin in May 2000, in-volving an additional five smoke andpyrotechnic items.
EXPLODING ORDNANCE
EMISSIONS STUDY
The purpose of the exploding ordnanceemissions study is to obtain data andidentify models which will quantify emis-sions generated from the down rangefunctioning of munitions containing ex-plosives or other energetic fills. The focusof this Phase I effort is to document andassess existing data, identify applicablemodels, and develop test matrices andmethodologies relative to characterizingemissions generated by representativeArmy munitions classes as they explo-sively function. ATC and DPG are theexecuting agencies for this effort. As withthe smoke and pyrotechnics emissionsstudy, data will be used in air dispersionand fate and transport models, and insupport of health and risk assessments.The Phase I report is expected in latespring 2000, with testing of explosive ord-nance at ATC and DPG scheduled tobegin during the summer.
FIRING POINT EMISSIONS STUDY
The firing point emissions study isbeing carried out to identify and quantifyemissions generated by munitions attheir firing position. As in the otherstudies, data generated from the studywill be used in models and in support ofenvironmental impact and health and riskassessments. The ATC is the executingagency. The initial program effort (todocument and assess existing data,identify applicable models, and developtest matrices and methodologies relativeto characterizing firing point emissions)culminated in the generation of the FinalReport for the Firing Point EmissionsStudy in October 1998. Personnel fromthe U.S. EPA Emissions MeasurementCenter, Air Inventory Group, and Ms.Sherri W. Goodman, Deputy UnderSecretary of Defense (EnvironmentalSecurity), witnessed the testing of the155mm in May 1999. Final reports onthe 155mm and 40mm firings areexpected in June 2000. The Detailed Test
PROJECT UPDATE
(Continued on page 9)
Northern Regional Environmental Officering 2000 Page 7
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON
THESE ACTIVITIES, CONTACT:NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK
Bob Muhly, Army Region I/II REC,(410) 436-7101 • DSN 584
e-mail: [email protected]
REGION III ENVIRONMENTAL COLLOQUIUM
Fred Boecher, Army Region III REC,(410) 436-7100 • DSN 584
e-mail: [email protected]
ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MICHIGAN, OHIO, WISCONSIN
Hugh McAlear, Army Region V REC,(630) 910-3213 • Ext. 224
e-mail: [email protected]
DOD/MICHIGAN POLLUTION PREVENTION ALLIANCE
The Charter format is complete, and copies of the Charterve been distributed to Alliance members. A public affairslease has been drafted to announce the “formalization of Alliance.” Good progress has been made by the MichiganQ in developing an Alliance web site. A strategic plan
s been drafted, and is being reviewed by Alliance members.ce adopted, it will serve as the basis for annual Alliancerkplans.
DOD/OHIO POLLUTION PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP
Partnership members have approved a tri-fold brochure toarket the P2 opportunity assessments performed by thertnership. Members also have approved a general tri-fold
ochure to communicate Partnership activities with localmmunities. The strategic plan has been adopted, and willrve as the tool to focus future efforts. The Partnership hasproved a Certificate of Recognition for the Defense Supplynter, Columbus, Hazardous Materials Minimization Team its efforts to evaluate alternatives to cadmium plating and develop procedures to return gas cylinders to theanufacturer in lieu of disposal, thereby saving thevernment in excess of $1.2 million.
WISCONSIN/DOD POLLUTION PREVENTION ALLIANCE
At the Alliance meeting at Fort McCoy on February 8,00, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources made
a presentation on waste paint disposal options, and the DefenseReutilization and Marketing Service Zone Manager briefedmembers on Defense Reutilization and Marketing Officeservices. In other news: · The Alliance Charter is now completewith member logos and signatures. · A strawman press releasewas distributed for optional use by the members to “officiallyannounce” formation of the Wisconsin/DoD P2 Alliance. · Website options are still being discussed. · Development of aStrategic Plan for the Alliance is now on the horizon.
FROM THE CHIEF
million in regulatory fines in fiscal 1998.Of the fines assessed against theDepartment of Defense, some 79percent were assessed against theArmy, and the Army has paid about 89percent of the fines paid by DoD sincefiscal 1994.
With the coming of spring, the Armyhas the opportunity to once again affirmits commitment to the environment. TheAssistant Chief of Staff for InstallationManagement has issued the followingEarth Day message for the year 2000:
“This April 22nd marks the 30th anni-versary of Earth Day. Declaration of the
first Earth Day was a milestone in ournation’s commitment to environmentalstewardship. The annual observance hasprovided an opportunity for Army instal-lations to work in partnership with localcommunities and to hold suitable eventsand publicly demonstrate the Army’scontinued commitment to the environ-ment.
“This year’s Army Earth Day themeis ‘Preserving the Past, Protecting theFuture.’ This theme is appropriatebecause it focuses on the progress theArmy has made in managing theenvironment at our installations and insafeguarding our heritage.
“Our installations must maintain ahealthy environment to be effective power
projection platforms. Army lands mustsupport tough, demanding training toserve as a solid foundation for the highdegree of readiness that our missiondemands. Beyond their value to themilitary mission, these lands enhancethe quality of life for the soldiers andcivilians who work, train and live there.Sound, professional stewardship of thenatural and cultural resources on thoselands is crucial to the success of ourmission as we meet the challenges ofthe new millennium.”
Spring is a time of renewal, andwe all need to renew our dedicationto supporting our DoD missionsas well as maintaining a healthyenvironment.
(Continued from page 2)
Northern Regional Environmental OfficeNorthern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000 Spring 2000 Page 9Page 6
[From Staff Reports]
NEW JERSEY/DOD VOLUNTARY CLEANUP AGREEMENT
The agreement, which now encompasses FUDS and BRACsites, is nearing adoption. The joint New Jersey/DoD workgroup,comprising representatives from the New Jersey Departmentof Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the DoD Services,met on March 28 at Aberdeen Proving Ground to continueworking out details. Additional meetings are planned for Apriland May, with the agreement moving forward for signature inJune.
NEW JERSEY/EPA/DOD ENVIRONMENTAL WORK GROUP
AND P2 PARTNERSHIP GROUP
The Environmental Work Group and P2 Partnership Groupmet February 29, 2000, at NJDEP headquarters in Trenton.Topics covered in the Environmental Work Group morningsession included upcoming EPCRA training, the NJDEP PhaseII Storm Water Final Rule, electronic submittal of permits, theNJDEP International Environmental Technology Expo 2000, andupdates on CERCLA restoration activities (New Jersey/DoDVoluntary Cleanup Agreement, summary of activities at NPLsites in New Jersey, and project scheduling requirements).
While the Environmental Work Group meeting was wellattended, the afternoon P2 Partnership Group meeting wasnot. Due to the recent drop-off in DoD participation, and NJDEP’sconcern over the apparently low level of DoD installation interestin P2 assistance from the state, much of the P2 meeting wasspent discussing future goals and objectives of the Partnership.The Service RECs were asked to work with their installationsto identify successes and issues that could be shared with thegroup and exploited for the Partnership’s benefit.
NEW YORK /DOD QUARTERLY WORK GROUP
The Quarterly Work Group met in the morning of January19, 2000, at New York State Department of EnvironmentalConservation (NYSDEC) headquarters in Albany. Principaltopics included the latest EPCRA requirements and relatedEPA training, initiation of an Emergency Response MOUbetween New York and DoD for munitions disposal, a Phase IIstormwater update, and Phase II TMDL guidance. NYSDECair media managers responded to installation questions andoffered guidance on air emissions issues, including vehicleinspection and maintenance, purchase of NOx credits, andpermits for dry cleaning operations.
NEW YORK P2 PARTNERSHIP AND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The P2 Partnership met in the afternoon of January 19,following the morning Quarterly Work Group meeting. Sincethe signing of the Charter in August 1999, the Partnership has
made little progress in defining its direction. Members agreedthat the Service RECs will contact their installations in thestate to determine the status of installation P2 programs,develop information on installation needs, and solicitsuggestions as to the direction the Partnership should take.The next NYSDEC Annual P2 Conference is scheduled forSeptember 19-21, 2000, and for the second consecutiveyear will include a DoD panel session. A call for nominationsfor the Governor’s P2 awards will be issued soon.
REGION III EPA/DOD/STATE ENVIRONMENTAL
COLLOQUIUM
Planning between the Region III Service RECs and EPARegion III representatives continues for the next colloquium,which is scheduled for August 22-24, 2000, at the OmniHotel in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. Announcements ofthe colloquium and an agenda are scheduled to be issuedin mid- to late-May. The theme of this year’s colloquium is“Partnerships to a Better Environment.” Social functions beingplanned include a luncheon, private reception at the NationalAquarium, and dinner cruise in the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
DOD/ILLINOIS POLLUTION PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP
The Partnership is moving ahead on a Strategic Plan andYear 2000 goals. Adoption is expected at the April meeting.The training subcommittee has developed a training module,which potentially can be tailored for separate presentationsto senior leadership, upper management and shoppersonnel. At the Partnership’s meeting held at the AirNational Guard Base in Peoria on January 26, membersdiscussed options for jet turbine cleaning to reducehazardous waste generation, and were briefed on therecently completed P2 opportunity assessment at the ArmyReserve Maintenance Support Activity 48 in Bartonville.
DOD/INDIANA POLLUTION PREVENTION PARTNERSHIP
Work continues on development of the Partnership’s webpage on the Indiana Department of EnvironmentalManagement (IDEM) web site. When completed, the webpage will be linked through DENIX to other DoD/state P2partnerships. IDEM will be hosting the Great Lakes RegionalPollution Prevention Roundtable meeting in August, and hasrequested that DoD/Indiana P2 Partnership members playa prominent role as presenters. In other developments: · Apress release has been drafted to announce the formalestablishment of the Partnership once the charter has beensigned. · A draft strategic plan has been developed, and isundergoing member review. · An awards program for thePartnership has been approved.
Plan (DTP) for the next 12 munitions tobe fired was sent to the U.S. EPA inFebruary 2000, and testing began inMarch. Results of these tests areexpected in August 2000, with finalreporting in October 2000.
UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE (UXO)DEGRADATION
The UXO degradation project istargeted at identifying if and/or what typeof UXO degrades, obtaining data on thefactors influencing the degradation ofUXO, and assessing the impactdegraded UXO has on the environment.Information gathered will serve as thebasis for a preliminary corrosion modelfor UXO. The ATC is the executingagency. Phase II efforts will involve furtherreal-world data collection to assist in therefinement of the Phase I model.Activities include viewing UXO clearancesites, assessing the UXO’s conditionafter removal, and soil sampling.Currently, the Phase I model is at a90% confidence level for a 30 – 50 yearevaluation. The final report is expectedto be available in early summer, 2000.The completed final draft of the computermodel is now available for review anddemonstration for determining the timeto perforation of UXO. Additionally, underthe UXO Degradation study, the DefenseAmmunition Center has begun workon a Dud/Low Order Rate Study todetermine the actual percentage ofUXO fired. The Dud/Low Order RateStudy is scheduled to be completed byAugust 2000.
separa ted,making theremoval ofglycerol —a valuablei n d u s t r i a lbyproduct —possible. Inthe next recov-ery phase, thea lcoho l /es termixture is sepa-rated. The excessalcohol is recycled and theesters are purified through water wash-ing, vacuum drying and filtration.
PERFORMANCE
Biodiesel fuels used in conventionaldiesel engines can result in considerableemission reductions of unburnedhydrocarbons, carbon dioxide andparticulate matter. Depending on theduty cycle of the engine, nitrogen oxidesemissions are either slightly reduced orslightly increased.
Since biodiesel contains more oxygenthan its petroleum diesel counterpart, itburns more efficiently. Biodiesel alsoeliminates sulfate emissions, since thereis no sulfur in the fuel. The fuel workswell with catalysts, particulate traps andexhaust gas recirculation systems.
Engine, ignition system or fuel injectormodifications are not necessary.However, the solvent characteristics ofbiodiesel fuel may require thereplacement of some hoses and fuellines. Operators may want to have theengine fine-tuned for optimalperformance. Use of biodiesel does notnoticeably change the horsepower of theengine.
Pure biodiesel fuel is safer thanpetroleum, methanol or natural gas. The
gallons [or ‘qualifying volume’] ofbiodiesel fuel in vehicles having a grossvehicle weight rating of more than 8,500pounds. Therefore, “one biodiesel fuel usecredit is equivalent to acquiring onealternative fueled vehicle,” explainedWeiss.
Weiss said the credits don’t applywhen the biodiesel is used in AFVs orwhen biodiesel is required by federal orstate law.
Credits can be used to satisfy up to50 percent of a fleet’s alternative fueledvehicle requirements. “Since the cost foreach alternative fuel vehicle credit rangesfrom $1,000 to $1,500, the savings canbe significant when compared to thecosts associated with purchasing somealternative fueled vehicles,” said Weiss.
A Dec. 14 memorandum issued bySherri W. Goodman, Deputy UnderSecretary of Defense (EnvironmentalSecurity), explains that “qualifyingvolume” is measured in gallons of B-100,which is comprised of 100 percentbiodiesel.
Fleets can also take advantage ofbiodiesel fuel use credits by using B-20,a fuel containing 20 percent biodiesel and
For further information onthe SACON and bullet trap
demonstration projects, contact:
Gene Fabian, USAEC,(410) 436-6847, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected].
(Continued from Page 9)
BIODIESEL FUEL(Continued from page 8)
fuel has a high flash point, has very lowtoxicity if ingested and is biodegradable.
HOW BIODIESEL CREDITS WORK
According to Karl Weiss, Office of theAssistant Deputy Under Secretary ofDefense (Environmental Security),allocation of one biodiesel fuel use creditrequires the purchase and use of 450
80 percent petroleum diesel. If a fleetwished to qualify for the credit using B-100, it must purchase and use 450gallons to receive one biodiesel fuel usecredit. If a fleet wanted to qualify usingB-20, it must purchase and use 2,250gallons, since each gallon of B-20contains one-fifth of a gallon of biodiesel.
Although biodiesel has not been
For further information on theRange XXI emissions and
environmental studies, contact:
Tamera Clark-Rush, USAEC (WPI),(410) 436-6849, DSN 584, e-mail:
[email protected].(Continued on page 14)
Northern Regional Environmental Office SprinSpring 2000Page 10
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[From USAEC ConservationBranch Materials]
Through memorandumsof understanding andinteragency agreements, theConservation Branch of the U.S.Army Environmental Center (USAEC)has established formal partnershipswith five federal agencies. Liaisonsfrom the Bureau of Land Management(BLM), the Forest Service (FS), theNatural Resources ConservationService (NRCS), the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service (FWS), and theAdvisory Council on HistoricPreservation (ACHP) providetechnical expertise and support inimplementing the Army’s natural andcultural resources managementprogram. At the HQDA level, liaisonsassist with policy development andguidance. At the installation level,liaisons provide technical expertisein integrated management plandevelopment, survey work, technicalmaterials, training, education, andother mission-related activities.
Partnering liaisons benefit theArmy’s environmental program in avariety of ways. Liaisons help fosterbetter relationships among agenciesand provide the Army access to re-sources and subject matter expertsin a cost-effective manner. TheArmy’s liaison program supports theArmy Strategic Action Plan “Instal-lation Vision 2010” by working toimplement best business practices,maintain stewardship of assets,eliminate excess and maximize useof facilities.
Assistance to installations fromthe partnering agency liaisonscomprises a range of activities inseven categories.
- INTEGRATED TRAINING AREAMANAGEMENT
- NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALPOLICY ACT
- ENDANGERED SPECIES
- LAND MANAGEMENT
- PEST MANAGEMENT
- CULTURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
- TRAINING, EDUCATION & OUTREACH
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
An independent federal agency, thecouncil is the major policy advisor to theU.S. government on historic preservation.It provides a forum for influencing federalpolicy, programs, and decisions as theyaffect historic resources in communitiesand on public lands nationwide. TheCouncil administers Section 106 ofNational Historic Preservation Act andreviews Army programs and policies tohelp balance needs for historicpreservation with Army requirements. TheCouncil also can provide Army personnelwith essential training, guidance, andinformation to make the Section 106review process more efficient.
For further information contact:Dave Berwick, Army Affairs Coordinator,
(202) 606-8531, email: [email protected];or Karen Theimer, Council Liaison to theArmy, (410) 436-1575, DSN 584, email:
THE BUREAU OF
LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM)
An agency of the U.S. Department ofthe Interior, BLM manages 264 millionacres of public land — 12 percent of thenation’s land area. BLM manages land,primarily in the West and Alaska, forrecreation, mining, grazing, timberharvesting, and scenic and culturalvalues. BLM works in partnership withneighboring land managers. Its servicesinclude temporarily sharing personnel inmany disciplines, training opportunitieswith satellite broadcast capability, andecosystem management and planning.It also offers assistance from the BLMNational Applied Resources SciencesCenter, including photogrammetry (usingaerial photographs for measurements),library services, and GeographicInformation System support.
For further information (as of May 1)contact: Kate Winthrop, archeologist,
(410) 436-1573, DSN 584, email:[email protected].
THE NATURAL RESOURCES
CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS)
An agency of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, NRCS has providedconservation planning assistance toprivate agricultural lands since 1933. Theagency’s specialists work in soils,reclamation, biology, engineering, rangemanagement, agronomy, water quality,and plant materials. Assistance to theArmy includes ecosystem planning, soilsurveys, erosion inventories, restoringdamaged lands with plant materials, andreducing sediment.
For further information contact:David Lorenz, plant materials specialist,
(410) 436-6844, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected];George Teachman, soil scientist,(410) 436-1566, DSN 584, e-mail:
[email protected];and Angel Figueroa, conservation planner,
(410) 436-1559, DSN 584, email:[email protected].
THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE
SERVICE (FWS)
A bureau within the Department ofthe Interior, FWS conserves, protects,and enhances fish and wildlife and theirhabitats. It provides technical assistanceto the military under authority of theSikes Act. Its major form of technical as-sistance is helping to develop andimplement Integrated Natural Resources
ARMY OF PARTNERSHIPS AIDS
Dave Lorenz, NRCS Liaison and plant ma-terials specialist, in Okinawa researchingevidence of soil erosion associated withtraining areas.
(Continued on page 11)
Northern Regional Environmental Officeg 2000 Page 5
gh McAlearRegion V REC
a flag-casing ceremony on March00, MG Joseph W. Arbuckle,anding General of Operations
ort Command, and Major Joseph A.e, the last Commander of Savanna Depot Activity (SVADA), presidedhe final official act to inactivate thellation. Officially, the installation
e inactive on March 18, the end ofay period for the remainingyees.
ADA began operation in 1917 asvanna Proving Grounds. The initial
on was to test fire various artillerys. During the 1920s, the missionged to include storage, receipt,, demilitarization, and renovation ofunition.e fate of the 13,062 acre installa-as determined in 1995, when the
Realignment and Closure Commis-recommended closure and thetion of its major tenant, The U.S.
Defense Ammunition Center andol, to McAlester Army Ammunition
Plant in Oklahoma. Since thattime, the ammunition stocks havebeen slowly transferred to otherstorage sites, with the last ammu-nition leaving SVADA earlier thisyear.
Eventually the land will be trans-ferred to the Local Reuse Authority(LRA) for follow-on civilian uses.Currently, parts of the installationthat have been declared clean ofcontamination are leased by the LRA topotential transferees. Most of the formerrange area is slated to go to the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service for a wildliferefuge. Prior to actual transfer, those ar-eas contaminated by past use are beingevaluated and cleaned up to risk free lev-els for the follow-on uses.
A small caretaker force will continueto maintain buildings and utility systems
for up to a year, and will monitor securityfor the installation. The Base Environmen-tal Coordinator Office will remain openindefinitely to oversee cleanup activities.
vanna Army Depot Activityficially Inactivated
COL Lawrence J. Sowa, Director, U.S. Army OperationsSupport Command, Munitions and Armaments Center, RockIsland, IL, places the colors in the case held by CSM LynnellSullivan, Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army OperationsSupport Command, Rock Island, IL. MAJ Joseph A. Tirone,the last Commander of Savanna Army Depot Activity, is behindCSM Sullivan.
For more information on thecleanup activities at Savanna Army
Depot Activity, contact: John Clarke,Base Environmental Coordinator,
(815) 273-8827.
gh McAlearRegion V REC
rt Sheridan has achieved a majortone in that all of its surplus prop-as been cleared for transfer to theboring Illinois cities of Highwood andand Park and the Lake County For-reserve District. The final parcel isacre lot located in the Historic Dis-where a cleanup was recentlycted to remove soil contaminatedAHs from a former coal storage
rt Sheridan served as an active Armyllation from 1887 through 1993, the base was closed under the Realignment and Closure (BRAC)am. Fort Sheridan occupied 712 along the western shore of Lakegan, approximately 25 miles northicago. Under BRAC, 206 acres werened to the U.S. Navy, and approxi-
mately 100 acres were earmarked for theU.S. Army Reserve. The remaining 406acres were declared surplus, and havenow been completely remediated andtransferred to the successor civilian en-tities.
In coordination with the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency andthe Illinois Environmental ProtectionAgency, the Army conducted thenecessary environmental investiga-tions and cleanup of contaminatedsites. According to EPA Region V,Fort Sheridan is the first BRAC in-stallation in Region V toachieve concurrencethat all surplus propertyis suitable for transfer.
Work continues inevaluating the Navy andU.S. Army Reserveproperties for requiredcleanup. Forty-four study
areas initially were identified forevaluation. The Army has prepared a NoAction Decision Document for 26 of the44 sites, based on a determination thatthe 26 do not pose an unacceptable riskto current and potential future users andtherefore do not require any cleanup. The
remaining 18 sites are still beingevaluated.
rt Sheridan Clears Surplus Property For Transfer
For further information on FortSheridan cleanup activities,contact: Colleen Reilly, FortSheridan BRAC Coordinator,(847) 266-3900.
Northern Regional Environmental OfficeNorthern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000 Spring 2000Page 4 Page11
By Hugh McAlearArmy Region V REC
The winter meeting of the Great Lakes Regional PollutionPrevention Roundtable in Chicago, March 1-2, 2000, featureda presentation by U.S. EPA staff on the PBT Profiler. ThePBT Profiler is a screening tool to help stakeholders (particu-larly chemical companies) make choices among candidateoptions for new chemical products — before they marketthem — based on persistence, bioconcentration and toxicitycharacteristics.
There are approximately 80,000 different chemicals incommerce, with another 2000 new chemicals introduced eachyear. For chemicals falling within the two categories ofpesticides and drugs, the manufacturer or marketer mustconduct studies prior to introduction to satisfy regulatoryagencies that the product is efficacious for its intended purposeand that the environmental impacts are known. For the vastmajority of the remaining chemicals, however, no suchrequirement exists for pre-testing, and the onus falls on EPAto alert the public and try to weed out bad actors.
The PBT Profiler is a user-friendly, internet tool thatestimates the persistence, bioconcentration and fish chronictoxicity of discrete organic chemicals. When actual data islacking for a new chemical, the Profiler uses like chemicalstructures to predict the PBT characteristics. It then comparesthe results to EPA’s regulatory criteria for PBT-related actionunder the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and Toxic SubstancesControl Act (TSCA) New Chemical Programs.
Chemicals are considered potential PBTs if: persistencein water, sediment, or soil exceeds two months (TRI > 2days in air) AND 2) the bioconcentration factor (BCF) exceeds1000. Based on the regulatory rules governing new chemicals,
the results of the PBT Profiler can give an indication if theproposed chemical will fall within the EPA “ban pendingactual testing” category and the reporting threshold for TRIpurposes. Such screening information allows a chemicalmanufacturer, for example, to determine if it wants tocontinue pursuing a certain chemical when there may bean option with more favorable PBT characteristics.
The PBT Profiler is not applicable for all chemicals. EPAestimates that slightly more than 60 percent of the 80,000chemicals on the TSCA inventory can be profiled using thePBT Profiler. Those that can be profiled tend to be discreteorganics and simple organic salts. Chemicals for whichthe PBT Profiler is not applicable include inorganics,chemicals that hydrolyze rapidly, complex organic salts,organo metallic compounds, highly reactive compounds,chemicals with unknown or variable composition, andchemical mixtures.
The PBT Profiler has been Beta Tested in a number oflocations across the country in an attempt to gauge industryreaction and obtain comments for improvement. Accordingto U.S. EPA staff, the reaction to date has been very positive.The PBT Profiler undoubtedly will expand its applicabilityto additional chemical types, and has the potential to notonly save industry money in the premarketing evaluation ofnew products but also to reduce the unintended introductionof PBT chemicals into the environment.
U.S. EPA UNVEILS THE PBT PROFILER
Although many factors must beconsidered, the user initially reviews thefinancial implications of each alternativeto identify the best approach for a site.LEA is designed to provide historicproperty managers faster, moreconsistent cost estimates. Caroline Hall,USAEC historian, explained thesignificance of user/manager input: “Themanager’s knowledge of the site’sphysical parameters is imperative —managers supply specific data for thefacility and its environment.”
The LEA then combines user-supplieddata with a resource database ofinformation that adjusts for geographicallocation, climate, inflation and industry-
standard cost over a 20-year period. LEAsummarizes the results in reports thatcan be printed or imported into othersoftware programs. LEA provides not onlycost estimates, but also informationnecessary to comply with NHPAregulations.
LEA was beta tested at three Armyinstallations in real-time and direct-useapplications. The National Park Serviceat Vancouver Barracks, Wash. used LEAto determine the level of government andprivate funding needed to renovatehistoric buildings and develop a plan totransfer land ownership to the NationalHistoric Reserve — a partnership betweenthe Army, the National Park Service andthe city of Vancouver.
New housing proposals for the WilliamBeaumont Historic District promptedArmy managers at Fort Bliss, Texas, touse LEA cost estimates to analyze
demolition and construction proposals.At Fort Lincoln, N.D., most of the
original buildings were transferred to theUnited Tribes of North Dakota. The tworemaining buildings, under Army control,were analyzed for demolition using theLEA software.
In its short existence, the new LEAsoftware tool has helped the Army’sCultural Resource program by assistinghistoric building decision makersdetermine the best course of action forhandling excess historic facilities.
For additional information on the PBT Profiler,contact Dr. Ihab Farag, Chemical Engineering
Department, University of New Hampshire,(603) 862-2313, e-mail: [email protected].
(Continued from page 1)
LEA SOFTWARE
The Layaway Economic Analysisprogram, Version 2.04, is availablefor DENIX account holders at http://aec.army.mil. CD-ROM versions are
available through the USAEC’sTechnical Information Center (TIC)
Management Plans and wetland inven-tories. FWS provides assistance alsowith respect to migratory birds, endan-gered species, certain marine mammals,freshwater and anadromous fish, nationalwildlife refuges, habitat conservation,environmental contaminants, and train-ing opportunities for natural resourcemanagers.
For further information contact:John Bardwell, biologist, (410) 436-1598,
DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected].
THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE (USFS)
An agency of the Department of Agri-culture, USFS conserves the nationalforests and grasslands and assists withstewardship of forests that other federalagencies, states, and private landown-ers manage. Some national forests
provide key missionlands to the Army.Through an inter-agency agreement,the USFS helps theArmy to comply withthe National Environ-mental Policy Actand with preparingIntegrated NaturalResources Manage-ment Plans. USFSalso helps to designand carry out pro-grams and projectsfor wildlife and fish,threatened and endangered species,outdoor recreation, noxious weeds,timber management, urban forestry,forest health and stewardship, fireecology and fuels management, andtropical forestry.
(Continued from page 10)
Mark Cleveland (far left), Forest Service Liaison, providingassistance for wetlands delineation at Curtis Bay, MD DefenseLogistics Agency site.
For further information contact:Mark Cleveland, liaison,
(410) 436-1589, DSN 584, e-mail:[email protected]; or
Helene Cleveland, forester,(410) 436-1558, DSN 584, e-mail:
[From U.S. EPA Region II Announcement]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) has opened the Internet-based FederalFacilities Compliance Assistance Center to pro-vide federal government agencies withinformation on environmental regulations, guid-ance on compliance assistance, and links tostate and other federal agency environmentalhome pages. The center is sponsored by the
USAEC AND INSTALLATIONS
U.S. EPA OPENS FEDERAL AGENCYCOMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE CENTER ON THE WEB
Federal Facilities Enforcement Office, whichis responsible for ensuring that federal facili-ties take actions necessary to prevent, controland abate environmental pollution. The office also develops policies andguidance for federal agencies, helps negotiate interagency agreements,provides technical assistance and provides program, enforcement andinformation support to EPA’s regional offices. The new center addressis http://www.epa.gov/oeca/fedfac/cfa/. All of EPA’s compliance assis-tance centers can be reached at http://www.assistancecenters.net/.
Northern Regional Environmental Office SpringSpring 2000Page 12
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by William J. HerbUSGS Liaison to the ArmyEnvironmental Center
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)recently changed its slogan from “EarthScience in the Public Service” to“Science for a Changing World.” So what?Why should someone in the front linesof environmental issues at an installationcare that a relatively obscure agency inthe Department of the Interior changedits slogan?
Well, I can think of at least tworeasons. The first, and most important,reason is that the USGS just might beable to help you to understand some ofyour environmental issues well enoughfor you to develop solutions, and thesecond reason is that the USGS isundergoing changes that will make it evenmore useful to you. Change is never easy,especially for a bureau that just celebratedits 120th birthday in a department thatrecently celebrated its 150th birthday. Iknow that makes USGS a toddler inrelation to the Army, but you “old-timers”can really appreciate how tough changecan be!
The USGS recently added a bouncing,new 170-ton (1,950 personnel) Biological
Resources Division to its family of long-established divisions: Geologic, Mappingand Water. The addition of this newDivision made the “earth science” part ofthe old slogan obsolete, and the ever-changing face of the traditional earthsciences dictated that the agency’sapproach change with the times. In thealmost 6 years that I have been in myliaison position here at the ArmyEnvironmental Center, the USGS hasundergone numerous changes to makeit more internally consistent and more“user friendly.”
You might think that an agencycombining geology, maps, hydrology andbiology under a single operatingphilosophy would resemble a horsedesigned by a committee (probably lookslike a camel). However, all four divisionsare united by a single goal: providingrelevant, impartial scientific informationabout the natural sciences and supportsystems for these sciences.
Instead of operating in the “stovepipes”of the three traditional divisions and thenew, fourth division, the re-engineeredUSGS integrates physical and biologi-cal research into four crosscuttingthemes—natural hazards, natural re-sources, environment, and information
management. This in-tegrated approachbuilds strongmultidisciplinaryteams of scien-tists focusedon applied re-search andresults thatpeople (and in-stallations) canuse.
To help reducethe toll exacted bynatural hazards, the USGS maintains anumber of research and monitoringprograms across the United States. Anetwork of more than 7,000 stream-gaging stations, more than 2,500 of whichare linked by satellite communicationsto the World Wide Web, provides data,including some near real-time data onfloods and droughts. Three volcanoobservatories assess dangers from activevolcanoes in Alaska, Hawaii and theCascades Range in Washington, Oregonand northern California. In cooperationwith the aviation industry, USGScontinually monitors volcanoes in theAleutian Island chain to reduce the riskto airplanes from volcanic ash clouds.
The National Earthquake InformationCenter works with partners at stateand regional levels and around theworld to monitor earthquake activity.Through cooperative efforts withengineers and urban planners, theUSGS is working to reduce thehuman and economic losses frompotential earthquakes in theconterminous United States andAlaska. USGS scientists arestudying emerging diseases such ascryptosporidium, the West Nile virusand Valley Fever to understand wildlifediseases and their effects on humanhealth.
USGS studies of water supplies,minerals and energy deposits, andour Nation’s wealth of plants andanimals provide essential informationto managers, regulators, industry,
U.S. Geological Survey – Science For AChanging World – Why Should You Care?
Brown TreeSnake
(Continued on page 13)
Northern Regional Environmental Office 2000 Page 3
A NAMES NEW REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR REGION I Muhlyegion I/II REC
arch 15, 2000, Ms. Mindy Lubber wasted as the Regional Administrator for thevironmental Protection Agency (USEPA) I office in Boston. Ms. Lubber had beenng Regional Administrator since Januaryear, following John DeVillars’ resignatione region’s top job.ubber joined the USEPA Region I office
as Senior Policy Advisor to the Regionaltrator, and became the Deputy Regional
strator in 1997. Prior to her Region I, Ms. Lubber had been the president and Chiefive Officer of Green Century Capital Management, anent firm which invests in environmentally responsible
nies, and then donates its net revenues to the supportironmental advocacy. Previously, Ms. Lubber was a Advisor to the Governor in the Michael Dukakis
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administration. She alsoserved as the consumerand environmentalrepresentative of theMassachusetts EnergyFacilities Siting Council, andas the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors ofthe Massachusetts Public Interest ResearchGroup. Ms. Lubber holds both Bachelor’s andMaster’s Degrees in Business Administration,as well as a Law Degree. She is a member ofthe Massachusetts Bar.
In an open letter to the “people of NewEngland,” Ms. Lubber stated that the change in
leadership of the regional office would not mean a change incourse. She cited the “proven environmental results” achievedduring the past six years, and stated her intent to seek waysto innovate and build on those successes. “We know whathas worked well and what has worked less well, and will respondaccordingly,” she stated.
development, and enabling rural areas toprotect important habitat and open space
• Use of Market-Based Incentivesthrough employing pollutant and emissionstrading programs to achieve cost-effec-tive environmental benefits
Objectives described by Ms. Lubber forreaching the goal of “Improving Accountabilityto Themselves and to Their Customers” are:
• Stronger External Communicationsby engaging the public as much as pos-sible through effective communication,expanded use of the Internet, and en-hancement of the public’s right-to-knowabout pollution
• Diversity by striving toward a diverse,tolerant workforce that better serves thepublic
• Improved Customer Service througheasily accessible, friendly, and respon-sive service
• Partnerships through working relation-ships with other agencies, tribalgovernments, businesses, and environ-mental communities that facilitateidentification and implementation ofinnovative solutions and encouragemore cooperative and less adversarialrelationships.
Ms. Lubber concluded her letter by statingher belief that the goals and objectives, whileambitious, are achievable if the Region I staff“maintain the high energy, hard work, andsense of urgency” that have characterizedthe region’s efforts for the past several years.
LETTER SET OUT THREE GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR:
• Achieving Environmental Results• Building Innovation Into EPA’s Core Programs• Improving Accountability to Themselves and to Their Customers
achieve the “Environmental Results” goal,n I will focus its efforts toward:
rotecting New England’s Landscaperough efforts to prevent further loss of
recious resources and recover thoseat have deterioratedrotecting Drinking Water Suppliesy increasing the number of systems inew England that fully comply with theafe Drinking Water Actchieving the Ozone Standard bylacing a high priority on efforts to re-uce smog and by working with states inandards implementation and non-attain-ent designationsrotecting Surface Waters and Re-ucing the NPDES Permit Backlog bymmitting to reduce the backlog of EPA-
sued permits through the watershedpproach, reflecting sound science andcorporating new water quality stan-ardseducing Air Toxics by placing a highriority on working with states to improvexics monitoring and develop more so-histicated inventories of toxicsmissionsurthering the Children’s Initiative byntinuing to recognize that children are
pically more vulnerable to environmen-
tal risks than adults, and employing that factin abatement programs
• Measuring Environmental Resultsthrough strong science and continued reli-ance on expert professional services (i.e.,new and efficient laboratory monitoring andanalysis)
Ms. Lubber’s stated objectives in reaching thegoal of “Building Innovation Into EPA’s CorePrograms” are:
• Smart, Targeted Enforcement throughaggressive use of civil and criminal enforce-ment authority to deter violations and ensureenvironmental results
• Assistance and Pollution Preventionthrough empowering regulated entities to re-duce the amount of pollution they generate,improving public access to chemical and en-vironmental information, and encouraginginnovative environmental technologies
• Site Restoration and Revitalizationthrough working to reinvent the Superfundand RCRA Corrective Action programs, com-pleting construction at more sites, and puttingthose sites back into productive use
• Livable Communities through makingNew England urban areas more livable andsafer from a public health perspective, com-bating sprawl without stifling economic
Northern Regional Environmental OfficeNorthern Regional Environmental Office Spring 2000 Spring 2000
NORTHERN REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITOR
Page 2 Page 13
The Northern Regional Environmental Monitor is an unofficial publicationauthorized under the Provisions of AR 360-81. It is published on a quarterlybasis by the U.S. Army Environmental Center Public Affairs Office, AberdeenProving Ground, MD. 21010-5401; telephone: (410) 436-2556 and DSN 584-2556. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of theDepartment of the Army. This publication has a circulation of 500. NREO Chief'stelephone: (410) 436-2427. All articles proposed should be submitted to theRegional Environmental Office two months before issue dates. These submissionsare subject to editing and rewriting as deemed necessary for space considerations.
Commander, USAEC...................................................... COL Edward W. NewingDeputy/Technical Director (Acting) ...................................... David C. GuzewichChief of Staff ................................................................. LTC Thomas M. FrendakChief, Public Affairs ............................................................ Thomas M. HankusChief, NREO ...................................................................................... William HerbEditor ......................................................................................... Andrew Caraker
OUR MISSION: The NREO was established in 1995 to support the Army andDoD mission through coordination, communication and facilitation of regional
environmental activities. The Army REOs are part of a DoD network in which the Army,Navy and Air Force each has lead responsibility for mission implementation in the
federal regions. The NREO has DoD lead responsibility for Region V, and Army leadresponsibility for Regions I, II, III and V.
FROM THE CHIEFBarn Swallows
By Bill HerbNREO Chief
Here on the shore of the ChesapeakeBay, spring is in the air and winter is onlya memory. Unlike the black bears in theNREO area and the crabs in the Bay,environmental issues did not hibernate.There have been some interestingchanges and developments since wepublished the last issue of the NREOMonitor.
The Office of Director of Environmen-tal Programs for the Army has a newDirector. COL Stacey Hirata movedup from the Deputy position whenCOL Freeman departed. The TechnicalDirector at the Army EnvironmentalCenter (AEC), Dr. Ken Juris, is currentlyin the midst of a stint as a CongressionalFellow in the office of Senator BobGraham of Florida, and Dave Guzewich,Chief of the AEC Environmental QualityDivision, is acting as Technical Director.
Things have been happening in the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency as well.John DeVillars has stepped down as theRegional Administrator for EPA Region I,and Mindy Lubber, the Acting RA sinceJanuary, has been permanently ap-
pointed to the RA post.[See related article onpage 3 of this issue.]As reported in the pre-vious issue of theMonitor, Bradley M.Campbell has suc-ceeded W. MichaelMcCabe as the RegionIII Administrator. RegionV has a new adminis-trator in the person ofFrancis Lyons.
NREO staff have notbeen sleeping away thewinter in the depths ofthe Bay with the crabs. We have steppedup our efforts to monitor legislation andregulations that are being developed atthe state level within our area ofresponsibility that might have significanteffects on DoD or the Army. As you canimagine, doing this for 20 states and twoterritories is quite a task. I can hear thecrabbing (just couldn’t pass that one up)from the Army RECs (even from the onein Chicago) every two weeks when theyreceive the latest information to review.Because each Service gets a similar
report, we spend a good bit of our timeand effort looking for Army-specific issues.We have also taken the time to developor write the accompanying articles in thisissue of the NREO Monitor.
The Army Regional EnvironmentalCoordinators have been tasked withassisting in the Army-wide effort to reduceenforcement actions and help ensure thatthe Army is reporting enforcement actionsin the same way as the other services.The RECs particularly have been taskedto monitor and offer assistance on actionsthat have been open for more than sixmonths.
Needless to say, regulators have notbeen dozing in the mud either. Eventhough the Army has been taking stepsto reduce new and open enforcementactions, it still gets new ones and retainsold ones on the books. The Army has anumber of tools to assess its compliancewith environmental requirements,including Environmental ComplianceAssessment System audits, theInstallation Status Report (Environment)and other annual internal assessments.
The Army continues to receiveenforcement actions, however, forpractices identified as deficient duringthese assessments. According to Armysources, many of these enforcementactions stem from failure to file requiredreports on time and other administrativeissues, rather than from practices thatpose notable health or safety hazards.
The Army was assessed about$329,000 in fines as of the first half offiscal 1999, compared to some $1.9
(Continued on page 7)
and the public for sound decisions onour unique resource heritage. Onaverage, each citizen uses about 78gallons of water at home each day.Through the National Water QualityAssessment Program, USGS scientiststrack the quality of our surface- andground-water resources in majorwatersheds across the country. USGSscientists monitor trends and statisticsfor more than 600 mineral commodities,and develop national, regional, and localassessments to determine amounts andquantity of mineral and energy resources.In cooperation with states, universities,and local groups, USGS scientists aremonitoring the health of America’sbiological resources from polar bears inAlaska to manatees in Florida.
Our safety and health depend on theenvironment in which we live. USGSgeologists, biologists, hydrologists, car-tographers, and others are working withfederal land managers to remediate con-tamination associated with the morethan 500,000 abandoned mines that dotthe landscape of the United States. TheUSGS is studying such invasive plantsand animals as brown tree snakes, leafyspurge, and zebra mussels to determinethe best ways of controlling their spread,and to mitigate the billions of dollars indamage and destruction of native spe-cies. USGS studies in coastal estuariessuch as San Francisco Bay and Chesa-peake Bay are helping to explain howthe Nation’s coastal ecosystems re-spond to natural sources of change,such as floods and hurricanes, as wellas to human influences.
An essential part of the USGS mis-sion is making sure that the results of
sale. USGS topographic maps have pro-vided an accurate foundation for planningand decisionmaking for the past 100years, and today geospatial informationis available in geographic informationsystems and a wide variety of mappingproducts [or check out the striking onlinesatellite imagery available on theTerraServer].
USGS Digital Raster Graphics(DRGs), colored topographicmaps that have beenscanned into the com-puter, help resourcemanagers, planners,and emergency person-nel make decisionsquickly and with con-fidence. You can evendevelop your ownmaps onlineusing informationcollected for theNational Atlas.
So what? Whyshould you carewhat the USGScan do? In additionto the publicly avail-able informationdescribed above,we’ve been providingtechnical support fromour nationwide network of offices to lo-cal, State and Federal agencies(including DoD) for a good part of our120 years.
As part of its Department of DefenseEnvironmental Conservation (DODEC)Program, USGS has two hydrologistson loan (including me) to the Army andAir Force, respectively. Additionally, theUSGS has designated specific Pointsof Contact for the Army EnvironmentalCenter, Air Force Aeronautical SystemsCommand, Air Force Reserve Command,Army Training and Doctrine Command,Army Reserve Command (stormwaterissues), Army Forces Command, ArmyMateriel Command, Army National
installations have MOUs with local USGSoffices. Such installations include, butare not limited to, Aberdeen ProvingGround, Hill Air Force Base, MissouriArmy National Guard, Fort Lewis andDugway Proving Grounds.
Each year, the DODEC program hostsan annual conference, open to allDoD participants, that utilizes both DoD
and USGS speakers to articu-late the needs of DoD and to
highlight the capabilitiesand accomplishments of
the USGS across abroad range of environ-mental issues inmilitary and relatedsettings. It’s a greatopportunity to con-tact individuals whobring a wide rangeof innovative sci-ence to the table,and the format ofthe conference isdesigned to fosterjust such one-on-one interactions.Previous meetingswere held in suchplaces as Las
Vegas, ColoradoSprings, Charleston,
Miami, and Tacoma; the 2000 meetingwill be held in San Diego, California, fromMay 1-5.
The USGS is a resource that isavailable to all DoD components. It canprovide high-quality, unbiased scientificanalyses that are generally accepted byother scientists, regulators, and thegeneral public. It can be a valuable arrowin your quiver of environmentalmanagement tools.
(Continued from page 12)
If the U.S. Geological Survey maybe able to assist to you in a
specific situation, please contactMr. Herb at the U.S. Army
Environmental Center
its scientific studies are available tothose who need the information. TheUSGS home page on the World WideWeb provides access to more than100,000 pages of information. More than150,000 people visit the USGS web siteeach month. At the USGS EROS DataCenter in South Dakota, more than 12million aerial photographs and satelliteimages are archived and available forGuard, Army Industrial Operations Com-mand, Navy Northern Division, NavySouthern Division, Navy EngineeringField Activity Northwest, and the NavyEngineering Field Activity Chesapeake.The USGS has Memorandums of Un-derstanding (MOUs) with these serviceentities as well as with the Deputy Un-der Secretary of Defense (EnvironmentalSecurity). Additionally, many individual
(410) 436-7096, DSN 584,[email protected],
and he will connect you with anappropriate point of contact.
Ed. Note: The Monitor is accessibleelectronically on the NREO web page ofthe USAEC web site at http://aec.army.mil.In that format, underscored texts arehyperlinks which can connect you directlywith the information source.
Page 14
U.S. ARMY ENVIRONMENTAL CENTERNORTHERN REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICEBUILDING E-4460ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD 21010-5401
BIODIESEL FUEL (Continued from page 9)
approved for use in tactical vehicles, biodiesel fuel use credits can be usmost administrative (commercial) vehicles to meet a portion of DoD’s alternfuel vehicle acquisition requirements under EPACT.
The memorandum provides fleet managers with guidance and addisources of compliance and technical information such as web sites and pof contact (see below).
Regulations concerning biodiesel fuel use credits have been promulgunder the Department of Energy’s 19 May 1999 interim final rule (64 FR 27Alternative Fuel Transportation Program; Biodiesel Fuel Use Credit.
• DUSDES memo on biodiesel fuel credits: http://www.denix.osd.mdenix/Public/ES-Programs/Pollution/Biodiesel/biodiesel.html
• Executive Order 13031 — Federal Alternative Fueled VehicleLeadership: http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtv/eo13031.htm
• Dave Fuchs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics(ODCSLOG), (703) 614-4060, e-mail: [email protected].
• Karl Weiss, Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary ofDefense for Environmental Security (ADUSD(ES)), (703) 604-1846e-mail: [email protected].
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Northern Regional Environmen
BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDAPG, MD
PERMIT NO. 1
(Continued on page 9)
Spring 2000 U. S. Army Northern Regional Environmental Office
MONITORENVIRONMENTALOFFICE CHIEF - Bill Herb
Phone: 410-436-7096E-mail: [email protected]
REGIONAL ATTORNEY - Gary ZolyakPhone: 410-436-1275E-mail: [email protected]
REGION I/II COORDINATOR - Robert MuhlyPhone: 410-436-7101E-mail: [email protected]
REGION III COORDINATOR - Fred BoecherPhone: 410-436-7100E-mail: [email protected]
PROJECT MANAGER - Andy CarakerPhone: 410-436-7098E-mail: [email protected]
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST - Mitch BrymanPhone: 410-436-7099E-mail: [email protected]
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - Nina GallupPhone: 410-436-7097E-mail: [email protected]: 410-436-7110
CHICAGO SUBOFFICE
REGION V COORDINATOR - Hugh McAlearPhone: 630-910-3213 Ext. 224FAX: 630-910-0370DENIX: [email protected]
NREO KEY PERSONNEL
Biodiesel Fuel Credits Can Help InstallationsMeet Alternative Fuel Vehicle RequirementsBy Mitch BrymanNREO Environmental Specialist
A cleaner diesel fuel made fromrenewable oils can now help Departmentof Defense fleet managers who must buyalternative fuel vehicles to comply withfederal energy regulations.
A recent change to the Energy PolicyAct of 1992 (EPACT) lets federal agenciesuse biodiesel fuel credits to meet up to50 percent of their alternative fuel vehiclepurchase requirements.
These credits are available to thosefederal fleets required by EPACT toinclude a certain percent of alternative fuelvehicles when buying new vehicles. Theserequirements are set forth in ExecutiveOrder 13031 — Federal Alternative FueledVehicle Leadership, and apply to manynontactical vehicle fleets in urban areas.
Affected DoD fleet managers can takeadvantage of biodiesel fuel credits ratherthan purchasing alternative fuel vehicles.
WHAT IS BIODIESEL FUEL?
Rudolf Diesel stunned scientists at the1900 World’s Fair when he used peanutoil to fuel his newly disclosed engine.
In 1911, Diesel asserted,“the diesel engine can be fedwith vegetable oils and wouldhelp considerably in the devel-opment of agriculture of thecountries which use it.”
After Diesel’s deathin 1913, the idea of us-ing vegetable oil to fuelengines became ob-solete. Scientists andengineers focused on
petroleum, which was cheaper and moreabundant. It wasn’t until the oil crisis ofthe 1970s that vegetable oil engine fuelwas again given serious attention.
The idea of running diesel engines onvegetable oil has evolved since RudolfDiesel’s day. Modern biodiesel fuel moreclosely resembles petroleum diesel than
kitchen oil — though it can bemade from waste from a res-taurant deep fryer.
Biodiesel is easily producedthrough a process known as“transesterification.” The pro-cess combines fats or oilsfrom plants, animals and/ormicroalgae with alcohol in thepresence of a catalyst to formfatty esters. In the first recov-ery phase the product is
IIIIINNNNN T T T T THISHISHISHISHIS I I I I ISSUESSUESSUESSUESSUE
From the Chief ................ 2Around the Statesand EPA Regions ............ 6Range XXIProject Update ................ 8
By Caroline HallUSAEC Historian
Edited by Melanie GrahamContributing Writer/Editor
The Department of the Army’s historicbuilding management responsibility isimmense; there are more than 12,000buildings that are historically significantand over 40,000 that are over 50 yearsold. In addition, the Army facilitiesdatabase indicates that approximately73,000 Army buildings will become 50years old within the next 30 years.
The expense of keeping underusedfacilities in the inventory placestremendous strains on operations and
maintenance budgets that have beensteadily decreasing in recent years. Armybuilding managers must make costeffective decisions about the use,maintenance or demolition of thesebuildings and comply with the NationalHistoric Preservation Act (NHPA).
To address this challenge, the U.S.Army Environmental Center (USAEC), inconjunction with the U.S. ArmyConstruction Engineering ResearchLaboratory (USCERL), developed theLayaway Economic Analysis (LEA)software for use by historic propertymanagers, environmental staff, publicworks staff and others involved in themanagement of the Army’s real property.
This easy-to-use tool is an interactivesoftware program that provides life-cyclecost estimates for three primary methodsused to handle excess facilities —renovate/reuse, layaway/reactivate anddeactivate/demolish.
Layaway Economic Analysis (LEA) SoftwareTool Enhances Cultural Resource Programs
(Continued on page 4)
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