Although the Defense Department spends a minuscule share
of its budget on environmental programs, such projects receive high-level attention
at the Pentagon. The reason largely has to do with the long-term contamination
that weapon systems cause.
The fiscal year 2000 defense budget allocates $3.9 billion or 1.5 percent of
its $267.2 billion pot to environmental security. That includes $1.67 billion
for environmental compliance, $1.26 billion for cleanup, $360 million for base
realignment and closure, $257 million for pollution prevention, $199 million
for technology, and $121 million for conservation. Figures show a steady decline
in environmental funding. Just last year, the budget allotted $4.4 billion for
environmental security. The pollution prevention account, in particular, has
gone up by $23 million more than the previous year.
A decline in the overall environmental budget, however, is seen as good news
by the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Environmental Security Sherri Goodman.
As pollution prevention methods are instituted, less money is needed for actual
cleanup, she noted in an interview early last year (National Defense, March
1999, p.28). "There will come a time still several decades away when we
will be able to invest much less in this area," she said, "because
we will have accomplished all this work."
In September 1998, President Clinton signed an executive order, which became
part of a proposed amendment to federal acquisition regulations in September
1999. The executive order was designed to increase the government's use of recycled
goods and environmentally preferable goods. Officials stressed that pollution
prevention revolves around protecting the nation's natural resources such as
drinking water and trees.
"As the nation's largest paper purchaser, the federal government has a
special responsibility to lead the way in building markets for recycled goods,"
said Clinton, upon signing the bill. "... Through this single action, we
will save up to half a million trees a year, reduce air and water pollution
and curb emissions that contribute to global warming. We also will harness our
tremendous purchasing power to spur the growing market for recycled products."
Officials also believe the government needs assistance from the contractor community
in order to achieve its environmental goals.
Pentagon Strategy
The Defense Department's current pollution prevention strategy has been successful
in eliminating liabilities, said Bruce C. de Grazia, assistant deputy undersecretary
of defense for environmental quality. By contracting cleanup efforts outside
military installations, the Pentagon puts the responsibility and liability into
the hands of the contractor.
De Grazia addressed the 4th Annual Joint Services Pollution Prevention/ Hazardous
Waste Management Conference and Exhibition, in San Antonio, last December. The
event was hosted by the U.S. Air Force Headquarters Air Force Center for Environmental
Excellence.
Since 1992, the department has reduced its hazardous waste by 44 percent, said
de Grazia. It had a goal of reaching the 50 percent mark by the end of 1999.
The department also has reduced its solid waste by 33 percent, but had a goal
of 50 percent. The Pentagon must overcome its inefficient use of resources,
deal with expiring metrics and meet the demands of new executive orders and
policies, de Grazia told the conference.
To thwart these challenges and achieve the goals of its pollution prevention
vision statement, the Defense Department has set up six initiatives:
- Expand pollution prevention in all Defense Department activities and operations-including
installations, logistics and acquisition/procurement. "We really should
be assisting each other at the installation level," said de Grazia. To
accomplish this initiative, he said, the Pentagon must consider environmental
life-cycle costing in how it acquires systems and incorporate its pollution
prevention policy into all aspects of logistics activities, especially in operating
and supporting fielded weapon systems. The department must take pollution prevention
ideas outside just the toxic chemical management arena and focus on conserving
energy, water and natural resources and reducing pollutants as well, he said.
The military services, all in all, need to increase their demand for environmentally
safe products, he added.
- Ensure funding policies actively promote pollution prevention. When the Pentagon
sets up its budget, it must consider pollution prevention as its number one
source in maintaining environmental compliance, said de Grazia. The department
should ensure that its funding policies emphasize solutions that account for
life-cycle costs and environmental risks and demonstrate best long-term return
on investment.
- Instill the pollution prevention ethic through comprehensive education, training
and awareness in all mission areas. Program managers and acquisition personnel
need access to pollution prevention training and awareness programs, said de
Grazia. Shop- and mid-level personnel also need expanded training. The department
should link pollution prevention successes to employee performance and promote
them through environmental awards and recognition programs, he said.
- Promote pollution prevention through outreach and partnerships with host country,
government, tribal and other public and private citizens. The services should
inform the public and workers of possible sources of pollution resulting from
defense operations, establish local outreach programs at each installation,
and foster cooperative ventures with state and local governments to promote
pollution prevention and recycling, said de Grazia. The department currently
has 10 partnerships with states. "We should set a goal of adding 10 more,"
he said.
- Develop, demonstrate and implement innovative pollution prevention technologies
and business practices. All military installations and components must adopt
and fully implement pollution prevention technologies and practices that are
deemed innovative.
- Coordinate Defense Department position/policy with respect to U.S. global climate
change negotiations. The Defense Department should participate in international
and national forums on global climate change, including United Nations meetings,
said de Grazia.
Taking these steps can help achieve progress, officials agree.
"The Defense Department is in the process of distinguishing itself as
an environmental leader," said Fran McPoland, federal environmental executive
chair, White House Task Force on Waste Prevention and Recycling. McPoland's
position was set up by the president's "green the government" executive
order.
The administration, however, is trying to secure all-around support for its
environmental work. There are still at least 12 congressional leaders who lack
support for defense environmental programs, she said. McPoland calls this group
"The Dirty Dozen."
Despite the occasional naysayer, the military services are required to work
toward the department's goals, and private sector executives claim they are
eager to partner. But even when the need for such technologies and agreements
is celebrated, as it was at the conference, some argue there are significant
roadblocks to achieving this goal.
"There is a brick wall between the customers and the corporate structure,"
said Thomas W.L. McCall Jr., deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for
environment, safety and occupational health. "We are dedicated to smashing
that wall down ... Pollution is simply a measure of inefficiency. Success is
just around the corner. If we just turn the corner, we're there."
Among those trying to "turn the corner," are the Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA), Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
The DLA is working to provide innovative products and services, said Jan Reitman,
staff director of the DLA environmental and safety policy office. To accomplish
this mission, the DLA must focus on the military customer, apply commercial
business practices and get the most out of private sector capabilities, he said.
DLA's role in the "environmental hierarchy," said Reitman, involves
incorporating "green" products, reuse, sale of recyclables, treatment
and disposal. The agency's Defense Supply Center, in Richmond, Va., has had
success in gaining a share of the re-refined oil market share. The share has
gone from about 9 percent in fiscal year 1997 to approximately 28 percent in
fiscal year 1999, according to briefing slides presented by Reitman.
The DLA also is involved in the demanufacturing of surplus electronics. Under
two contracts in fiscal year 1999, the agency removed 60,000 pounds of hazardous
material and 116,000 polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated material. It also
recycled 340,000 pounds of glass. These measures saved $600,000 in disposal
costs, said Reitman.
The agency, in addition, is taking on several new initiatives such as water
conservation, web sites that assist customers with efficient management, prime
vendor support for hazardous commodities and the Joint Environmental Material
Management System, which is a pilot project to provide regional pharmacy services
using existing supply and disposal systems.
The Army also is seeking to introduce environmental work practices.
Service Breakdown
"In order to be more relevant," said Maj. Gen. Robert L. Antwerp Jr.,
assistant Army chief of staff for installation management, "we have to
get there quicker ... The Army has to move from compliance after the fact. [It
has] to get in front of it with prevention."
The Army authorized $75 million for pollution prevention in fiscal 1999.
By investing in pollution prevention, the Army will be able to reduce the overall
cost of environmental compliance, he added. The Army program also focuses on
incorporating environmental consideration into decision-making process, policies
and operating principles.
The average age of an Army installation is 48 years, said Antwerp. That requires
much environmental restoration, he said. The service is counting on the private
sector to step in and provide cleanup technology.
"We want to partner with the private sector," said Antwerp, "because
[the Army] really can't afford to do it [by itself]."
The Army also plans to privatize utilities, including wastewater and natural
gas, at its installations. The service has set aside a pollution prevention
investment fund, said Antwerp. This will give the Army "the flexibility
[to do] things that need to be done," he said.
The Army pollution prevention acquisition initiative integrates pollution prevention
into weapon system designs. That means the Army will design and develop weapons
in ways that reduce the use of pollutants throughout their life cycles.
The service also has received its share of recognition in environmental endeavors,
said Antwerp. For example, Fort Hood, Texas, was among the recipients of a 1999
White House "Closing the Circle" award for eliminating battery acid
through recycling.
The Air Force's pollution prevention goals reflect those of the Army's: reducing
compliance costs and risk through pollution prevention.
"Everything we do has to be justified," said Brig. Gen. Earnest O.
Robbins II, Air Force civil engineer. "If it is justified, the Air Force
will fund it."
The goal is to focus on pollution prevention through the entire life cycle
of weapons systems development and forge partnerships with local and state governments
and the private sector, said Robbins. The Air Force allocated $58 million of
its fiscal 1999 environmental dollars to pollution prevention.
The Air Force's pollution prevention program investment strategy is on track,
he said. "Quite frankly, we will have to see how it turns out."
The U.S. Navy also is on pace to achieve some of its pollution prevention initiatives,
said Rear Adm. Andrew A. Granuzzo, director of the environmental protection,
safety and occupational health division at the Office of Chief Naval Operations.
"We are right on track with TRI [toxics release inventory] releases, he
said.
When it comes to solid waste reduction, "we are right at the goal,"
he said. "We think we are going south with this, however, before we go
north." The reason for this, he cited, is that the Navy is losing "free
labor" and is having to pay for it now though privatization.
Granuzzo, nevertheless, expects pollution prevention funding to continue. "Pollution
prevention is better than to fix it later," he said.
The Navy/Marine Corps team was given $113 million for pollution prevention
in fiscal year 1999.
The Marine Corps is in the process of reducing the need for use of hazardous
materials, said Paul Hubbell, Marine Corps deputy assistant deputy chief of
staff for installation and logistics (facilities). The Marine Corps refers to
its pollution prevention slogan as ORDER, or "operational readiness depends
on environmental responsibility."
However, all services agree that weapon system performance should not be sacrificed
in order to make equipment more environmentally friendly. But, if the Defense
Department can save dollars on pollution cleanup and compliance, officials believes
those savings can be applied to weapons modernization.
Recycling Technologies Capture Military Services' Attention
The Defense Department is in the market for technologies that cut down or eliminate
pollution when used during military operations and provide a safer working environment
for troops. Although the Pentagon's environmental security budget takes up a
relatively small portion-3.9 percent-of the overall defense authorization, the
private sector is trying to secure as many of those dollars as it can.
Many of these companies put their technologies on display at the 4th Annual
Joint Services Pollution Prevention Hazardous Waste Management Conference and
Exhibition, in San Antonio. The event was hosted by the Air Force Center for
Environmental Excellence.
Rows of hazardous chemical storage units, partswashers and recycling units-to
name a few-filled the exhibition hall. The following are some of the technologies
that were on display.
- Kleer-Flo Company, of Eden Prairie, Minn., showed off the Model A-35-a parts
cleaning station that holds 300 pounds of parts and heated, recirculation solution.
The unit, which looks like a portable sink, is used with Greasoff 2, an environmentally
safe, biodegradable water-based cleaning solution with high tolerance, officials
said. The washer's cartridge filter is used to capture dirt and grease particles
internally.
The company also offers the Model AF-250 Anti-Freeze Recycler. The military
constantly is looking for new ways to save money by recycling anti-freeze, said
a Kleer-Flo official at the conference.
This unit recycles 25 gallons of used coolant at a time. The user pours the
anti-freeze into the unit's tank and run an output hose to a clean 30 gallon
drum. Then, the user pushes the start button to begin the recycling process.
The machine automatically will shut itself off when finished.
After the coolant is recycled, the user adds Preparal to the anti-freeze. Preparal
is an additive that maintains the anti-corrosion properties of the antifreeze.
The crusher has a crushing time of 25 seconds and a crushing force of 31,416
pounds, according to a company brochure. It also saves space on a shop floor,
said officials. It allows space for a 55 gallon drum to be placed directly under
the machine to catch crushed filters.
The company also offers a smaller and larger version of the automotive filter
crusher and a railroad-size filter crusher.