RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
A recent certification audit of the Randolph Air Force Base's environmental management system, or EMS, said it conforms to Air Force standards for management of hazardous waste six months before December of 2009, the conformance deadline.
The audit, which took place in early June, graded Team Randolph's EMS program positively on compliance with all the 24 different elements specifying what an EMS program should do.
Among them were; inventorying environmental aspects to be fixed; identifying infrastructure deficiencies; establishing objectives and targets; and identifying, developing and implementing operational controls that manage negative environmental impacts.
Don White, 12th Civil Engineer Division chief of natural resources element, said the positive results of the audit showed that the base's several commands are cooperating with standards for disposing of hazardous wastes. They're also working hard, he said, to maintain the base while still accomplishing their various missions.
"We have to maintain aircraft here," Mr. White added. "And if people don't manage their waste, there could possibly be negative environmental impacts. The results of the audit show the EMS is about accomplishing the mission and that the environment is being considered in all of our decisions."
An example of cooperation throughout the base in disposing of hazardous waste was even with occasional rain coming down on Hangar 37 --the hazardous waste storage building -- no issues with waste runoff have occurred, said Verna Cyr, 12th CED compliance officer.
"That's because the people who work there have been educated on how to store hazardous wastes so they don't come into contact with water," she added.
Ms. Cyr said cooperation between members of various commands, who report to 12th CED as members of "cross-functional teams," or CFTs, helps to ensure success in getting the word out on how to properly dispose of hazardous wastes and other materials detrimental to the environment.
Mr. White said that leadership of the 12th Flying Training Wing has also passed word to subordinate unit leaders on the importance of environmental management training. He added with cooperation of the base's CFT members, environmental "aspects", meaning areas needing to be cleaned up, are identified and quickly scheduled for disposal.
"There are some aspects that we have to clear which require money to cleanup," he added. "Not all of them are drastic, but this way, we can advocate for the money we need to clear them."
Identifying environmental issues and training Airmen and civilians to take care of them early and well is a continually challenging process, said Ms. Cyr and Mr. White.
"There are always new people PCS'ing in and out," Ms. Cyr added. "There are always new missions and there is an aging infrastructure here on the base. So training and keeping up with the environmental aspects are kind of like shooting at moving targets."
For more information on base environmental programs, call 652-4668.