Program background
To support the Department of War commitment to environmental stewardship, the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville's Environmental Program under the Ordinance and Explosives Directorate, has a wide range of capabilities. Dedicated managers, safety professionals and responsive contracting teams support the technically driven processes used by Huntsville Center to minimize stakeholder burdens. Huntsville Center has managed environmental investigations at hundreds of DOW sites, at large active facilities, formerly owned or used properties, government owned contractor-operated locations, training areas, maintenance areas, storage areas and spill sites. Huntsville Center has produced Remedial Design, Time-Critical and Non-Time- Critical Design and Interim Action Design Documentation for many DOW Superfund and Corrective Action sites.
The Environmental Program has expanded to meet today’s environmental needs such as Environmental Management Systems Aqueous Film Forming Foam drain and replacement, demolition of explosive facilities, storm water management plans, spill prevention plans, industrial hygiene assessments and baseline risk assessments. Huntsville Center provides project design and environmental services focusing on investigations and remediation at DOW Superfund level Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Base Realignment and Closure sites as well as National Environmental Policy Act.
The program has supported USACE Districts, Defense Logistics Agency, Department of War, Army Materiel Command and Installation Management Command at large facilities around the country. Huntsville Center acts as central manager, executing CERCLA/RCRA phases; performing Environmental Baseline Studies, Environmental Compliance Assessments Surveys; managing programmatic integration of site data; schedules and budgets; environmental documentation; environmental permits; and small removal/remedial actions.
Regulatory Compliance
When a DOW component has a need for environmental engineering services, Huntsville Center uses accepted Environmental Protection Agency protocols, guidance documents and implementation directives to ensure regulatory compliance and acceptance is achieved for all actions. CERCLA actions conform to applicable OSWER directives and employ a phased progression through Preliminary Assessment, Site Inspection, Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study, Record of Decision, Remedial Design, Remedial Action, Long Term Monitoring, Long Term Management, Periodic Review and site closeout. RCRA efforts conform to 40 CFR 260 and authorized state implementation requirements, including incinerator, landfill and underground storage tank requirements of the Hazardous and Solid Wastes Amendments of 1984.
Environmental Monitoring
In response to Executive Order 13148 and 13423, Huntsville Center also provides EMS and Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health, and Management System services to DOW agencies for development and implementation of the required training, documentation, auditing, data management and other technical support.
Pre-demolition Assessments
Huntsville Center support to other federal agencies includes services for building repair, renovation or demolition of explosive laden facilities. Environmental engineering support for these efforts includes provision of field resources. for NEPA documentation. Expertise is available in-house and by contract for development of EA and EISproper documentation prior to the assessments and demolition in some cases, asbestos and hazardous materials sampling, pre-demolition remediation, recycling and landfill diversion support.
Munitions and Explosive Compounds
Huntsville Center efforts to address MEC at Formerly Used Defense Sites as well as active installations in support of environmental remediation or construction efforts use expertise provided by the authorized Huntsville Center Military Munitions Design Center, per Engineering Regulation 1110-1-8153, when MEC projects require integration with existing Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste site efforts. Regulatory interpretation, chemistry and risk assessment services are available and used as required to facilitate Huntsville Center MEC program managers in completion of mission requirements.
Implementing Developing Programs
Huntsville Center Environmental Engineering expertise supports active Army missions in overseas locations to facilitate environmental stewardship for Army and DOW components at military areas of responsibility. Huntsville Center has provided contract support for development of environmental master plans for ongoing military actions as well as post-use evaluation and clean-up criteria for impacted areas.
Download the Environmental Program fact sheet (PDF) here.