LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The countdown and final preparations are underway for Lackland's environmental assessment July 26-30 by Air Education and Training Command.
AETC inspectors will be on base to determine Lackland's impact on the environment and surrounding community. Each Air Force major command conducts Environmental Safety Occupation Health Compliance Assessment and Management Program compliance assessments every three years.
"Units should be doing final preps and fine tuning," said David Rairdan, 802nd Civil Engineer Squadron ESOHCAMP manager.
"If they are making major corrections to a process now, it's too late because we only have 25 working days before ESOHCAMP.
"We've been putting information out in the daily bulletin with results of the top 10 inspections we've been conducting. We haven't found a lot of things wrong, but we've found things to improve the processes."
Col. Patrick Fogarty, 802nd Mission Support Group commander, has been making surprise Friday inspections, using a compliance checklist compiled by 802nd CES. Today was the sixth of eight visits to various base units since May in preparation for the assessment.
Mr. Rairdan said in addition to those results, information about the Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., May inspection has been made available, another tool to go with unit self assessment checklists in preparing for AETC inspectors.
"Colonel Fogarty has been happy with what he's seen," Mr. Rairdan said. "I think the assessment is going to (evaluate) how we are actually managing base resources."
Areas covered by ESOHCAMP include health and environmental issues of air, cultural, natural, pesticide, hazardous waste, solid waste, storage tanks, toxics and wastewater. Last November's base self-assessment revealed 30 findings; most were minor with several majors, but no significant violations were found that would have resulted in work stoppage.
Annual self-examinations guide the base in satisfying 2007 and 2009 executive orders requiring all federal agencies to implement energy efficiency and conservation programs, and reduce greenhouse gases.
In fulfilling executive mandates by reducing solid waste and fossil fuels, using recycled paper and water, and replacing energy inefficient buildings, the environmental manager said it also eliminates wasteful spending, creating funding for new initiatives.
Mr. Rairdan said an understanding by all base personnel of those concepts would save money, energy and natural resources through conservation and efficiency in the future.
Units handling the most hazardous materials will be scrutinized, he said, and a recent assessment trend has emphasized conformance (improvement processes without penalties) over compliance (penalties imposed for violating regulations).
"I feel very confident about the upcoming inspection," Mr. Rairdan said. "It is going to be a different approach from the last assessment we had in 2007. If people look at their notes and what we've sent out, we will be fine."