RDL Homepage | Table of Contents | Document Information

Appendix H

Environmental Concerns and Compliance

This appendix is a guide by which to attain a balance between accomplishing the mission and protecting environmentally sensitive areas.

H–1. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Unit preparations to conduct aviation operations, in any environment, can incorporate the necessary environmental awareness with minimal additional planning. Many aspects of environmental protection discussed below are common sense and most likely will be a part of a unit's operational activity.

H–2. PREPARATION FOR TRAINING

Advanced preparation is key to successful completion of training and the same holds true for environmental awareness and protection. The commander should be aware of the publications governing environmental protection. All unit staffs (company and above) should designate an environmental compliance officer/noncommissioned officer (NCO) to serve as unit point of contact (POC). This person will be responsible for environmental education, standing operating procedures (SOP) updates, incident reporting, etc. Army Regulation (AR) 200–1 and AR 200–2 explain the Army's environmental programs. Appendix A, in both regulations, references the additional documents that should be reviewed. Training Circular (TC) 5–400 provides a comprehensive listing of all items of interest to prepare for operating near and avoiding environmentally sensitive areas.

a. The following general matrix on POCs should assist in planning for environmental factors affecting unit training:

Topic | Point of Contact
Air pollution | Environmental Division (ED)
Archeological and historic sites | ED and Natural Resources Branch (NRB)
Clean and safe water | ED
Hazardous materials and waste | Directorate of Logistics (DOL), Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office, ED, fire department
Noise pollution | ED, Range Control (Directorate of Plans, Training, and Mobilization (DPTM))
Range clearances and restrictions | Range Control (DPTM)
Standing operating procedures | ED
Spill reporting | ED
Threatened/endangered species | NRB
Water pollution | ED
Wetland protection | NRB, Range Control
Wildlife management | NRB, Range Control

b. Most topics can be reviewed by contacting the ED, NRB, and/or Range Control. In most cases, the ED and the Natural Resources Section are located under the Directorate of Public Works (DPW). In cases in which training is conducted overseas, refer to the host nation equivalent of the POCs listed above. If there is no host nation equivalent, all training will be conducted under US policies and requirements. Units should coordinate with these organizations to provide a briefing before the start of mission training.

H–3. ARMY ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM (ECAP)

Units that handle hazardous waste (HW) and hazardous materials (HM) must designate, in writing, a hazardous waste coordinator. The unit must comply with ECAP protocol and will be periodically inspected. ECAP protocols should be obtained from the ENRD/DPW or, if they are unable, then call the Army Environmental Hotline at 1–800–USA–3845 or DSN 584–1699.

H–4. UNIT LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS (REFER TO TC 5-400)

Step | Action
1 | Ensure all unit personnel have had, or are scheduled to receive, environmental awareness training.
2 | Designate, in writing, an environmental compliance officer and an HW coordinator, and ensure these persons are properly trained and qualified.
3 | The unit environmental compliance officer will interface with appropriate environmental personnel and ensure that the unit complies with environmental laws and regulations.
4 | Meet with battalion S3, S4, and installation personnel who deal with environmental issues.
5 | Identify requirements concerning ECAP inspections that may affect a unit, identify problem areas and how to avoid them.
6 | Ensure SOP addresses environmental issues/procedures that apply to the unit and coordinate environmental requirements with appropriate installation/chain of command personnel.

NOTE:

Personnel to contact to support unit is the chain of command, DPW, Staff Judge Advocate (SEA), and Range Control.

H–5. TYPES OF UNIT PROGRAMS (REFER TO TC 5–400)

a. HM programs.

b. HW programs.

c. Hazardous communications (HAZCOM) programs.

d. Pollution prevention and hazardous waste minimization (HAZMIN) recycling programs.

e. Spill prevention and response plan programs.

NOTE:

TC 5–400 gives specific guidance on environmental protection matters and should be followed. This appendix is intended to supplement, not replace, TC 5–400.

H–6. CONDUCT OF THE MISSION

Environmental concerns pertaining a mission could be incorporated into the mission briefing using the mission, enemy, terrain, troops, and time available (METT–T) acronym. Some of the factors affecting the briefing should be unit mission, geographical location, and time of the year.

a. Mission.

(1) Identify and assess known environmental risks during planning.

(2) Determine environmental impact on mission execution.

(3) Specify those areas to avoid and minimize the effect on units' schemes of maneuver.

(4) Select alternate training methods or goals.

(5) Provide maps/sketches with detailed areas of environmental concern.

(6) Emphasize the importance that every soldier play an active role in the identification, and timely reporting, of new environmental risk elements.

(7) Rapidly and effectively respond to all petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) and/or hazardous waste accidents.

(8) Aircraft transporting hazardous material/waste should select routes that allow for quick access in case the aircraft should have to land unexpectedly.

b. Enemy.

(1) Identify areas of probable environmental contamination that could affect friendly force movement.

(2) Evaluate intelligence reports of enemy equipment/capability and how it would be employed against the environment.

(3) Develop enemy target options to minimize environmental effects.

(4) Maneuver enemy action away from environmentally sensitive areas, when feasible.

c. Terrain and weather.

(1) Provide recommended paths of movement to avoid environmentally sensitive areas.

(2) Emphasize navigation accuracy and identify well–defined terrain features to assist.

(3) Obtain and analyze predominant and developing weather patterns to diminish possible environmental risks.

d. Troops and equipment.

(1) Develop a briefing for all soldiers that highlights and defines the environmental concerns/points of interest.

(2) Provide a detailed and accurate SOP that identifies guidelines to avoid risk areas and not inhibit mission accomplishment.

(3) Anticipate areas of probable risk and brief troops on how to prevent damage.

(4) Employ practice scenarios that test soldier response to changing environmental risks and promote the decisionmaking process.

(5) Require accurate and timely reports that pertain to any environmentally concerned issues, friendly or enemy.

e. Time.

(1) Maximize planning time and minimize complexity of mission brief.

(2) Practice and develop various mission profiles that emphasize adjusting for changing environmental factors, while maintaining the desired momentum.