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The Georgia Department of Defense Environmental Stewardship Branch
exists to support Commanders and their Mission by reducing environmental
liabilities and promoting the US Army Environmental Stewardship Program.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP BRANCH STAFF
Our Mission
Georgia Army National Guard
Environmental Stewardship
Branch Newsletter
Volume 5, Issue 2
Dania Aponte Environmental Programs Director (678) 569-6707 [email protected]
Eric Andresen Environmental Assessor - Central GA/
Deputy HW Program Coordinator
(678) 569-6745
Richard Batten Air & Water Program Coordinator (678) 569-3970 [email protected]
Randy Drummond Restoration and Clean-up Manager/HW
Manager
(678) 569-6750
Frances Grieme eMS Program Coordinator (678) 569-6749 [email protected]
Michael Holloway Environmental Assessor - Cumming (678) 569-9266 [email protected]
Towanna Isaacs Recycling Program Coordinator (678) 569-6752 [email protected]
Tangy Johnson Environmental Assessor - Ft. Stewart (678) 569-9267 [email protected]
Felicia Nichols NEPA & Cultural Program Manager/
CNGC Assessor
(678) 569-6755 [email protected]
Kathryn Norton Energy & Sustainability Program Manager (678) 569-6726 [email protected]
Megan Spells Environmental Assessor –Tifton/eMS
Awareness Coordinator
(678) 569-8458
Butch Thompson Compliance Program Manager (678) 569-9264 [email protected]
Welcome 2015!
Our Vision
Commanders maintaining readiness while acquiring the knowledge and
resources to make informed decisions that protect and conserve today’s
resources for tomorrow’s National Guard Soldiers and Citizens of Georgia.
January 2015
~Clay National Guard Center- 1000 Halsey Avenue, Building 70, Marietta, GA 30060~
CFMO-ENV Ongoing Projects and Activities for 2015
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The CFMO-Environmental team has continued to strive towards keeping the Georgia Army National Guard ready and on track with environmental stewardship! Here in the newsletter, you will find some informative articles to broaden your environmental knowledge. See below for interesting updates on the developments that have taken place over the past months and what new things are coming our way. Environmental Training: Check out the up-coming EO/UECO training classes— Page 3 Compliance Program: EO/UECO Training—Page 3 Our Children’s Future– Page 4 Energy Program: Read about the outdoor lighting for Clay– Pages 5-6 Stormwater Program: Stormwater 101– Page 7 Natural & Culture: Berry College Eagles Update— Page 8 Cleanup & Restoration: General Rules for Hazardous Waste— Page 9 Recycling: Join the Hype– Page 10 Earth Day 2015: Come celebrate with us– Page 11 Environmental Awards: A new awards’ program is in the works—Page 12
“Make You Think” Quotes
Be polite. Turn off the light. Conservation, not Deprivation!
Conservation: It doesn’t cost. It saves. Earth: Cherish or Perish.
Energy misused cannot be excused. If it’s not in use, turn off the juice!
Leaks make your future bleak. Live green. Save green.
Save energy and money, just snuggle up to your honey! And,
Flip it Off!!
Page 3
FY-15 Environmental Officer (EO)/Unit Environmental Officer (UECO) Training In accordance with AR 200-1, CFMO-ENV will provide one 8 hour block of initial training and one 4 hour block of annual refresher training for personnel assigned EO/UECO responsibilities. The 8 hour initial training is for personnel that have not received any EO/UECO training and the 4 hour refresher training is for personnel that have received initial training and require annual refresher training. EO/UECO training courses for calendar year (CY) 2015 will be conducted as follows and announced quarterly via FRAGO, normally one month prior to scheduled course: 13/14JAN15, DLC RTSM (Bldg 9392, Computer Lab), GGTC, Ft. Steward, GA 01/02APR15, Augusta Readiness Center (Classroom TBD), Augusta, GA 10/11JUN15, Columbus Readiness Center (Classroom TBD), Columbus, GA 19/20AUG15, DLC Macon (Computer Lab), Macon, GA 03/04NOV15, Bldg 2 (Classroom TBD), Clay NGC, Marietta, GA The 13/14JAN15 training will be conducted at DLC RTSM (Bldg 9392, Computer Lab) at GGTC, Ft. Stewart, GA. Initial EO/UECO training will be conducted on 13JAN15 from 0800-1700 and Refresher EO/UECO training will be conducted on 14JAN15 from 0800-1200. Registration for training must be coordinated via appropri-ate Training NCOs and approved by unit AO/XO and class sizes are limited to 20 personnel for each class. To register Training NCOs are to submit an email to Mr. Charles "Butch" Thompson at [email protected] and ensure the email contains rank, full name, unit/facility assigned to as EO/UECO, and the course the individual needs to attend. EO/UECO training specifically pertains to GAARNG environmental programs, not host installations. GAARNG units on host installations must attend the host installations training and comply 100% with host installation environmental program requirements. GAARNG EO/UECO training rotates around the state and all GAARNG units/facilities are required to have a primary and alternate EO/UECO assigned and properly trained by the cognizant training authority to manage environmental issues/concerns at the unit/facility. Training NCOs should register individuals for the course nearest their home station to alleviate issues with obtaining travel orders and funding. Training will be conducted on specified dates listed above in accordance with AR 200-1 and FM 3-34.5 (Environmental Considerations). CFMO POC is Mr. Charles “Butch” Thompson at [email protected] or (678) 569-9265.
Compliance Training Program
"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain
uncommon results." --Andrew Carnegie
Page 4
Compliance Program
What Does the Future Hold for Our Children?
In reading a couple of articles regarding leaving our children a better world, an important point came to mind —what are our current world environmental conditions and what will it be like in 50 to 75 years for our children and future generations. It should be understood that we cannot continue to deplete all of our natural resources thinking that these are unlimited; as they are not. Our continued reliance on fossil fuels to power our trans-portation and home energy needs is detrimental to the environ-ment, as well as, our human health . We must be conscientious that continuing to demolish our natu-ral wetlands and delicate ecosystems, essential to some of our survivability needs, will impact our air and water qualities. If we fail to quickly realize that renewable energy sources, cleaner in-dustrial processes, and less wasteful consumption of our natural resources are the way of the future, then our children and their children will not have much of a future.
News organizations and the scientific community remind us on a daily basis that we are at a crucial point in the history of our world regarding natural resources and the environmental condition of our planet. Climate change is ever present with global warming and unpredictable or unexpected weather patterns. Mother earth is also letting us know things are not right with sudden volcanic activity, earth quakes, unex-plainable sink holes, and rogue ocean waves. All of us need to take a good look at what we are doing and realize that preserving our natural resources and improving our environment is essential for our future generations’ bright future. We cannot continue on the same destructive path; we must find ways to motivate people and make the change. Do your part today by stopping wasteful consumption and conserving resources so ALL OF OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS can enjoy what we enjoy today. For additional information on environmental conservation, please contact any staff member of CFMO-ENV. CFMO POC is Mr. Charles “Butch” Thompson at [email protected] or (678) 569-9264.
“Life is divided into three terms — that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the pre-sent, to live better in the future. “ -William Wordsworth
Page 5
Exterior LED Lighting Project –Clay National Guard Center
The Georgia Army National Guard, Construction and Facilities Management Office (CFMO), kicked off a major undertaking the end of last year to replace older technology outdoor roadway, site, parking and security lighting with LED (light-emitting diode) lighting. The project represents an op-portunity, through use of energy dollars, to upgrade the light-ing levels for CNGC, and reduce energy consumption.
While outdoor lighting currently exists along roadways and at designated parking and building locations on site, additional lighting which meets Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) outdoor lighting level standards is much needed at the CNGC enclave.
At the time of this report, foundational footings are being constructed around CNGC that will receive new, approxi-mately 30-foot, aluminum light poles outfitted with the LED fixtures. New poles will be located at strategic points along Halsey Avenue and Mitschner Drive, larger parking lots around Clay that are in need of higher light levels at night, and associated buildings. From a safety lighting standpoint, new site lighting such as building wallpacks and overhead security lighting will also be replaced with LEDs. Projects slated for energy funds must meet exacting life-cycle cost analyses (LCCA) [also, known in the busi-ness community as Return on Investment analyses] in order to qualify for National Guard Bureau’s buy-in on the project. This project is projected to reduce energy consumption at CNGC by approximately 300,000 kilo-watt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year, representing a total energy savings of approximately $690,000 over the life of the project and paying for itself in 14.5 years.
Energy Program
Foundation Footing
Home Energy Saving Tip: Solar Outdoor Lighting - For an update to your patio or garden that's quick and easy to in-stall, try solar outdoor lighting. These lights require no wires or electricity. During the day, they collect the sun's natural energy and automatically illuminate as soon as it gets dark. With a wide variety available at many locations, you should easily find one that fits your
needs.
Page 6
While LCCAs are analyzed for lighting improvement projects at a 15-year lifespan, modern-day LED lighting technologies are manufactured to last 20-30 years and beyond; therefore, once the project recoups expenditures, it could continue harnessing additional savings for the GAARNG well beyond the cost of construction.
LED technology allows for more watts per lumens than existing high intensity discharge (HID) types of lighting (high pressure sodium, metal halide, etc.) and require much less maintenance due to the fact that lamps do not ‘burn down’ like HID lighting. Partnered with the fact that outdoor lighting maintenance requires quite an effort to replace bulbs, savings are twofold.
This is an exciting project for the CFMO and will provide a safer, brighter, more contemporary com-
plex for our Guardsmen and visitors of Clay National Guard Center.
Below are pictures of the installation on Halsey Avenue near Building 74.
CFMO POC is Kathy Norton at [email protected] or (678) 569-9726.
Energy, Cont’d
Energy earns or simply burns, choice is yours...
Page 7
Stormwater 101: Stormwater Systems and Why We Monitor Them
As we all know, water flows in a cyclical pattern. It rains; flows to water bodies; is evaporated; condenses into clouds; and the cycle starts all over again. However, in order to understand why stormwater runoff is so important to keep track of, we must look deeper into what happens to rain when it falls to Earth. Rain does one of two things when it lands: it either absorbs into the soil (infiltration), or it hits saturated or impervious surface and runs off. The latter becomes particularly problematic in urban areas because most pavement and concrete is impervious. This leads to large channels of runoff water flowing down hill that can flood facilities and inundate roadways. To combat this, municipal and indus-trial facilities install a series of storm drain inlets, conveyances (pipes or ditches) and outfalls (where water leaves the property) to move the storm-water from impervious areas to the nearest stream, river, or pond. For the most part, this method of dealing with the quantity of stormwater is effec-tive. However, there are some obstacles, particularly when it comes to envi-ronmental impacts. One of the largest impervious surfaces in urban areas tends to be pavement. Due to the intended use of roadways and parking lots (e.g., automotive and ground transportation), pollutants such as motor oil, trash, and sediment tend to be carried by runoff water into the storm drains and stormwater sys-tems. As mentioned above, water in these systems leaves the property and flow directly into a stream or other water body, carrying any “picked-up” pol-lutants with it. This can be detrimental to downstream water quality, as these pollutants could be carried into rivers, ponds, or even drinking water supplies. Furthermore, excessive oil, grease, and sediment can clog storm drains, leading to backup and flooding of facilities. As part of a requirement from the EPA, Georgia EPD, and Army Regulation, GAARNG is required to monitor these outfalls to ensure that no concerning pollutants are carried with the runoff rain water. In order to achieve accept-able quality and avoid violation, it is essential that no foreign pollutants or materials end up going down these storm drains. Remember: nothing that is dumped in these drains will be treated. Any pollutants spilled could not only lead to a violation, but could also have a large affect on the ecosystem and safety of everyone downstream. So please, help do your part and make sure that at your facility, only rain goes down these drains. CFMO POC is Richard Batten at [email protected] or (678) 569-3970.
Water Program
Stormwater drains—
examples CNGC
Page 8
Eagles Return to Berry College
Berry College’s bald eagle couple first appeared on the main campus in the spring of 2012. Since that time, they have continued to nest in the top of a tall pine tree situated between the main entrance and the park-ing lot of the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center. They produced two eaglets (B1 and B2) in early 2013 and one eaglet (B3) in early 2014. All of these eaglets successfully fledged. The eagles were first spotted on the main campus in March 2012 by a Berry student who reported their pres-ence to his professor. It was an unusual time for eagles to nest and there has been speculation that they may have had a nest elsewhere possibly lost to a storm. During the summer, the college set up an approach cam-era (Approach Cam View) in the parking lot, and in the fall of 2012, the eagles returned and began demon-strating nesting behavior—adding sticks and pine straw to the existing nest. Eggs were produced in late De-cember or early January. Two eaglets became visible in a few weeks. They fledged in the spring on April 22 and April 28. The college added a camera to the tree (Nest Cam View 1) for direct viewing into the nest. The eagle couple once again returned to the nest in late September and began “nestorations” in preparation for the season. On January 14, 2014, the first egg was laid, followed by a second egg on January 17. On February 22, one of the eggs hatched and the other egg was seen as non-viable. The eaglet that hatched, B3, fledged on May 22. During the 2013-14 season, Berry added a third camera (Nest Cam View 2) to the nest tree, and the eagles returned to the nest in September 2014, right on schedule. They once again refurbished the nest and exhib-ited appropriate mating activity. The first egg was laid on January 6, 2015. A second egg was visible by Janu-ary 10. Berry College is live-streaming video of this eagle nest on campus. It is the only eagle nest cam in the state. The 24/7 life-feed can be viewed at http://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/ or http://georgiawildlife.com/berryeaglecam. The college set up a Berry Eagles Facebook page, and the eagles captured national and inter-national attention from viewers and media outlets. Millions of viewers watch the eagles daily and you can too. Published on http://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/. CFMO POC is Felicia Nichols at [email protected] or (678) 569-6755.
Natural & Cultural Resources
Page 9
General Rules for Hazardous Waste Since 1976, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) has been the principal federal law that governs the handling of solid and hazardous wastes. Almost 40 years later, hazardous waste continues to be the one of the most challenging areas of Environmental Compli-ance. It is the primary area subject to inspection and possible fines. But not everything we generate is classified as a hazardous waste. Often times, the fear of not labeling something correctly can cause one to just go with the worst case scenario and call everything a haz-ardous waste. That can actually cause more harm than good. We must properly classify whatever waste we have. There are some general rules to follow by everyone that helps to re-duce the quantity of wastes we generate. Some of them are: Order only the amount of material that you will need. Excess ma-
terial has been a large part of our disposal payments.
Please do not order a material just because it sounds like it would be nice to have around (yes, we have heard this).
Do not transport wastes over public roads.
Verify with your Unit Environmental Compliance Officer (UECO) to determine the classification of waste you have.
If no UECO is readily available, please contact Randy Drummond for help with processing the waste you have.
Be mindful when throwing away wastes into the general trash (some things you may be able to throw away at home have to be processed and handled differently at work).
When in doubt, contact your designated UECO or CFMO-ENV. CFMO POC is Randy Drummond at either [email protected], or 678-569-6750.
Cleanup and Restoration
Page 10
Recycling—We all need to join in at CNGC! We are back at it again! CNCG is taking “Going Green” to a whole other level by kick-starting our recycling program again. Some of you may have noticed that the Recycling Program has been in full affect since October 2014. Well if you did not, then let us clue you in. We have upgraded the program to be more efficient and effective. No longer are we recycling cardboard and paper only—we now have included plastic, metal and glass. All recycling streams can be placed in one container. Now one may wonder what is the big deal—why is recycling so important? Well, let’s get some of the facts in Recycling 101. The United States is one of the world’s largest producers of trash. We produce 1,609 pounds of thrash per person. Yes, per person! There are approximately 316.1 million people in the USA; now you do the math. That is a lot of trash, and of all that trash, 60-70% of it can be recycled. Wow what a waste! Now, we know you are thinking how can one person help? Well ….recycling is contagious and one person CAN make a differ-ence. Here are the facts: recycling saves money, time, energy, and other natural resources. In essence, recycling is a form of patriotism. Recycling contributes to the economy by conserving resources, creating jobs and gen-erating revenue. So—do you want to make a change in the world? Start by recycling that can or bottle of soda/water you drink everyday or the endless copies of paper you have sitting on your desk. In the words of Aristotle, “The first and best Victory is to conquer self!” We all can do this. Our positive actions impact oth-ers to follow and all together we can change how we deal with trash. For additional information, please con-tact our CFMO Recycling Coordinator, Towanna Isaacs, at [email protected], or at (678) 569-6752.
DID YOU KNOW……..
Every hour, nearly 250,000 plastic bottles are dumped constituting 50% of recycling waste. It takes approximately 700 years for a plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill. It takes 15-20 years for a tree to grow but less the 10 minutes to be felled. One tree can make 700 grocery bags consumed in less than 1-hr by a supermarket. Recycling 1 ton of paper can save 17 trees; 9000 lbs of stream; 60k gal of water; and 3.3 cubic yards
of landfill space. Recycling 14 trees worth of paper reduces air pollutants by 165,142 tons. Aluminum cans can be recycled and reuse within 60 days. If aluminum that is produced is regularly recycled, the energy saved is enough to light up a city for
almost 5 years.
Recycling
Page 11
Earth Day 2015 at CNGC! Each year, Earth Day -- April 22 -- marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war move-ment, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollu-tion, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.
As a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting facto-ries and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.
Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Repub-licans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environ-mental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. "It was a gamble," Gaylord recalled, "but it worked."
As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders asked Denis Hayes to or-ganize another big campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It also prompted President Bill Clinton to award Senator Nelson the Presiden-tial Medal of Freedom (1995) -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder. This year is Earth Day’s 45th anniversary! Come join us on Wednesday, April 22nd to celebrate Earth Day! The CFMO Environmental Office, as part of our Georgia Environmental Management System (GeMS), will be putting together a celebration at CNGC with give-a ways, free maple saplings and much more. Details soon to follow!
EARTH DAY 2015
SAVE THE DATE! Earth Day Celebration
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Page 12
Environmental Awards are Coming! For all GAARNG personnel helping out the CFMO-ENV team, we have some great news! We are working
on putting together an awards’ program to highlight best practices by units and Environmental Officers/
Unit Environmental Compliance Officers (EO/UECO). The program is currently being developed to identify
criteria and a selection process. We anticipate that the first winner (s) will be identified at the next Envi-
ronmental Quality Control Committee to be held on 08 APR 15. Stay tuned for more information! CMFO-
ENV POC is Dania Aponte, [email protected], or at (678) 569-6707.
Environmental Awards
Stay tuned for the Environmental Awards!
Be a tree hugger—it pays!
