January-February 2011 • Vol 103 • Number 669
S O C I E T Y O F A M E R I C A N M I L I TA R Y E N G I N E E R S
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EXECUTIVE FORUM IN REVIEW LEADER PROFILE: REAR ADM. RODENBECK ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
The Military Engineer • No. 669
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
LETTER FROM . . .
GOVERNMENT NEWS
MILITARY NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
LEADER PROFILE
NEW PRODUCTS
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DOD Remains Focused on and Committed to the Environment
I wish you a happy and healthy New Year. I hope each of you had a great holiSOCIETY NEWS ENGINEERS IN ACTION HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE day season that included some thoughts or prayers for our deployed forces and their families. I know you share with me the hope that 2011 will bring greater peace and stability to the world. The Department of Defense (DOD) has been active in environmental cleanup for more than a decade, with the goal of having all remedies in place by 2014. While this has been an achievable goal for the services, the continuing costs of monitoring and operating these remedies over the coming years will be a burden on DOD budgets. Therefore, the services must think more about completing site cleanups with innovative contracting mechanisms and technology. The services look forward to support from the contracting community and our industry partners to make site cleanup a reality. Compliance with environmental regulations continues to be a focus for the military as standards change based on science and the adoption of new regulations to protect the health and safety of our installation population. DOD relies heavily on its in-house workforce and industry partners to make DOD a top performer in the compliance area. The big push towards sustainability has at its core a consideration of the environment. U.S. Air Force Civil Engineers and U.S. Army and U.S. Navy public works organizations are working on sustainability initiatives to ensure that DOD can accomplish its mission in a safe and cost-effective manner into the future. However, we need all functional areas within the military to help to change the culture to allow the U.S. and DOD to achieve greater energy independence from foreign oil, reduce the operating costs of our installations and preserve our natural resources. The services will again be relying on industry to help us achieve these goals by providing innovative technology to help reduce the cost of renewable energy. While funding for the Service Installation Restoration Programs (IRP) is tapering off, the funding for munitions cleanup programs has been increasing and will require many more years to complete. Funding for energy projects and programs should increase and will remain a focus area in the Future Years Defense Plan, although the pressure on the defense budget may limit the
The Military Engineer • No. 669
size of these programs. And finally, in the long term, DOD needs to invest in more comprehensive community-based master planning if it will ever achieve sustainable installations. Transitioning from base master planning—where the focus has been on siting projects—to a sustainable community approach will require a cultural change in the way installation master planning is done. SAME has an active Environmental Committee, chaired by Jack Norris of AECOM, that continues to address many of the environmental issues within DOD. I compliment the committee for its many years of service to SAME and DOD. Its monthly speaker program and the initiative shown in establishing a subcommittee on sustainability enable SAME members to contribute to DOD’s sustainability goals. The Sustainability Subcommittee, chaired by Col. Bart Barnhart, USAF, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment (ODUSD(IE)), recently sponsored a track at the SAME Executive Forum in New Orleans, La. Included among the attendees were Mike McAndrew, SES, Director, Facility Investment and Management, ODUSD(IE). The forum is an excellent example of how SAME is making a difference in the sustainability arena by partnering with the public and private sectors. Reports from this track, as well as the other tracks at the Executive Forum, are included in this edition of The Military Engineer. As the nation works to recover from the current recession, and DOD attempts to find savings in its operating costs and focuses on being more efficient, 2011 will be a challenging year. That said, we in the military engineering community have a long-standing history of rising to the challenge. This year will be no different. I am confident that with the capabilities and dedication of the men and women in this field, we will continue to provide excellent facilities and infrastructure to DOD and the nation while we pursue the goal of sustainable installations. Thanks for all you do and for helping build SAME to last! Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Byers, F.SAME, USAF SAME President 2010-2011
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
FEATURED THIS ISSUE 50 Leader Profile
Rear Adm. Sven E. Rodenbeck, P.E., USPHS
54 Cleanup and Closure at Camp Navajo
Munitions remediation in Arizona
57 Innovative Cleanup Technologies Improving remediation methods across DOD
59 Sustainable Remediation: An Emerging Approach
Integrating sustainability from investigation to closure
61 Collaboration in the Corps
Inter-organization teamwork reaps rewards
63 Optimized Groundwater Monitoring Triad-based sampling at Hunters Point
65 Stormwater Management at Navy Installations
Protecting the Chesapeake with low-impact development
54-68 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
This edition of TME explores the complex challenges of environmental engineering and compliance. This outstanding collection of articles spans a range of issues, from range remediation to innovative groundwater monitoring technology.
DEPARTMENTS 1 6 16 28 34 77 82 83
ON THE COVER:
U.S. Army Environmental Engineering Command photo
President’s Message Government & Industry News Military News Sustainability News Technology News Executive Director’s Message Society News Small Business News
The USACE Walla Walla District installed an innovative spillway weir at the Snake River’s Little Goose Dam that provides an efficient surface passage route for migrating juvenile salmon and steelhead fish.
AECOM AMEC Aerostar Black & Veatch Burns & McDonnell CH2M HILL Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Coastal Environmental Concentric Security Conti Federal Services Dewberry EMCOR
The Military Engineer • No. 669
AFIT researchers get (nano)technical
69 Professional Credentialing and the Civil Engineer Corps Warfare, engineering and contracting
71 DBIA: Designated Design-Build Professional
A tangible measure of experience and knowledge
73 CMAA: Certified Construction Manager A decade of steady growth
74 IFMA: Certified Facility Manager
Professional excellence through credentialing
43 Special Insert
The SAME Executive Forum: A Review
ADVERTISING INDEX 7 31 28 27 C4 C3 C2 8, 9 10 11 30 23
67 Treating Groundwater with Nanotechnology
17 Environmental Chemical Corp. 20 GEL Laboratories 18 Gannett Fleming 35 HDR Inc 25 Hankins & Anderson 14 Kalwall Corp. 15 MWH Americas 26 Megadoor 5 Michael Baker Corp. 22 NDIA 24 PARSONS
19 6 30 32, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 49, 53, 76 12, 13 40 21 29 33 2
Perini Management Pond & Company RS&H SAME Sika Sarnafil Soil Stabalization Products Co. Tetra Tech U.S. General Services URS Weston Solutions
80 SAME Small Business Conference Photo highlights of the SBC
89 Historical Perspective
The birth of the Environmental Impact Statement
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EDITORIAL OFFICE 607 Prince Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3117 703-549-3800 plus ext. Fax: 703-548-6153 EDITOR IN CHIEF L. Eileen Erickson Ext. 140; erickson@same.org EDITOR John M. Nank Ext. 141; jnank@same.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER Natalie L. Kirkpatrick Ext. 142; nkirkpatrick@same.org ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Emma K. Inwood Ext. 145; einwood@same.org WEB MANAGER Josef M. Scarantino Ext. 143; jscarantino@same.org CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Meighan Altwies, M.SAME milnews@same.org Wendi Goldsmith, M.SAME sustainability@same.org
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ENGINEERS IN ACTION
Army Environmental Engineering
EXCLUSIVELY AT TME ONLINE In “Stormwater Compliance at Air Force Bases,” available beginning Jan. 17, the authors discuss and dissect the stormwater management guidelines set forth in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and assess their impact on stormwater planning at U.S. Air Force installations. — By Ganesh Krishnan, P.E., M.SAME, et al.
Beginning Feb. 7, learn about a dynamic and innovative cleanup activity that is enabling the transition of a former World War II-era TNT manufacturing site in Tennessee in “Triad-Based Redevelopment.” — By Frank Bogle, PG, et al.
www.same.org/TME
Jill M. Jackson, M.SAME technews@same.org ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES MID ATLANTIC/NORTHEAST L. Eileen Erickson Ext. 140; erickson@same.org WEST/NORTH CENTRAL Emma K. Inwood Ext. 145; einwood@same.org SOUTH/SOUTHEAST Beverly Ellis 407-654-5311; Fax -5322 ellispubrp@aol.com
AND I QUOTE . . . “Compliance with environmental regulations continues to be a focus for the military as standards change based on science and the adoption of new regulations to protect the health and safety of our installation population. DOD relies heavily on its in-house workforce and industry partners to make DOD a top performer in the compliance area.” MAJ. GEN. TIMOTHY A. BYERS, F.SAME, USAF SAME President 2010-2011
REPRINTS Gail Hallman, Sheridan Reprints 717-632-8448, ext. 8175 ghallman@tsp.sheridan.com
CORRECTION: The September-October issue of The Military Engineer erroneously indicated that Donald Chandler, recently named Director of Engineering and Science, MACTEC, is a retired U.S. Navy commander. Chandler has not served in the Navy.
PUBLISHER Dr. Robert D. Wolff, P.E., F.SAME
The Military Engineer (ISSN 0026-3982) is published bi-monthly by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), 607 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3117; Tel: 703-549-3800; editorial, ext. 141; advertising, ext. 145. © 2011 The Society of American Military Engineers. All rights reserved; reproduction of articles prohibited without written permission. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and at additional mailing offices. Rates: Single copy: Member, $3; Non-member (U.S.), $15; foreign, $30. One-year subscription $88 in the United States and Canada; $168 elsewhere. Two-year subscription $168 in the United States and Canada; $316 elsewhere. Three-year subscription $210 in the United States and Canada; $435 elsewhere. Agency discount available; Air Mail extra. For details go to www.same.org/subscribe. Annual subscription rate for SAME members is $18 and is included in dues. Address Changes: Send mailing label with changes to The Military Engineer Circulation Department, 607 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3117; allow 60 days for change to take affect. Article Submittals: We invite and encourage manuscript submissions for possible inclusion in The Military Engineer. TME editors consider each manuscript on the basis of technical accuracy, usefulness to readers, timeliness and quality of writing. SAME reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. Before submitting an article, please read the Writers’ Guidelines at www.same.org/tme. Submission of an article does not guarantee publication; unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned. Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect official SAME or TME policy unless so stated. Publication of advertisements does not constitute official SAME endorsement of products or services. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Military Engineer Circulation, 607 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3117.
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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Issue: With a natural water table close to the surface, potential flooding in this developed area threatens both the integrity of the water table and the ability to further develop surrounding properties. Solution: Groundwater Flow Modeling, incorporated within a comprehensive geographic information system, can illustrate various future-use scenarios in excavated areas and provides a valuable evaluation tool to help mitigate flooding potential of each future-use area.
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GOVERNMENT & INDUSTRY NEWS GSA MOVES TO LEED GOLD FOR ALL NEW FEDERAL BUILDINGS AND MAJOR RENOVATIONS
LEADER PROFILE
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To move the government’s federal inventory into a more sustainable future, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has upgraded to a requirement for Leadership in Energy and EnENGINEERS IN ACTION HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE vironmental Design (LEED) Gold certification as a minimum in all new federal building construction and substantial renovation projects. By using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system, GSA can evaluate and measure achievements in sustainable design. “Sustainable, better-performing federal buildings can significantly contribute to reducing the government’s environmental footprint,” said Robert A. Peck, GSA’s Commissioner of Public Buildings. “This new requirement is just one of the many ways we’re greening the federal real estate inventory to help deliver on President Obama’s commitment to increase sustainability and energy efficiency across government.” With a portfolio of more than 361-million-ft2 of space in 9,600 federally-owned and -leased facilities, GSA’s goal is to provide sustainable, healthier, more productive workspaces for the federal workforce while being a responsible asset manager using taxpayer dollars wisely. For projects funded prior to FY2010 that are in design, GSA is requiring that LEED Gold be incorporated into ongoing designs where possible, after considering budget and schedule con-
Compiled by John M. Nank, M.SAME straints on the current design and construction contracts. GSA’s facilities standards will be updated to reflect these changes by the end of calendar year 2010. For GSA’s leased properties, the requirement remains at the LEED Silver certification for new construction lease projects of 10,000-ft2 or more. For leases in existing buildings, LEED for Commercial Interiors is optional, at the request of the tenant agencies. (Contributed by MaryAnne Beatty, GSA)
DOE FUNDS FREE DOWNLOAD OF ENERGY CODE
Free digital copies of the International Code Council’s (ICC) 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are now available thanks to funding provided by the Department of Energy (DOE). The funding is part of DOE’s initiative to meet nationwide energy-efficiency goals through its Building Technologies Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The download of the IECC is available at www.iccsafe.org/ freeiecc. The 2009 IECC will produce approximately 15 percent in residential energy efficiency gains compared to the 2006 edition, according to DOE. The goals of initiatives like these are homes and commercial buildings, including schools and hospitals that consume less energy and help the environment by reducing emissions and their collective carbon footprint. As the national model energy code of choice for states, cities and counties that adopt codes, IECC is referenced in federal law determined by Congress through the Energy Policy Act of 1992. It is the only energy code that serves as the basis for federal tax credits for energy-efficient homes, energy efficiency standards for federal residential buildings and manufactured housing, and state residential energy code determinations. The 2009 IECC is the target building energy code that all 50 governors agreed to achieve compliance with under the Recovery Act. In response to the 1973 energy crisis, model energy codes were first developed to address the design of energy-efficient buildings and the installation of energy-efficient mechanical, lighting and power systems. In 1976, ICC legacy groups developed the Model Code for Energy Conservation in New Building Construction, which became the foundation for the IECC, first published in 1998. ICC—along with the American Institute of Architects, ASTM International, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Illuminating Engineering Society—also developed the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) Public Version 2.0 to regulate construction of new and existing commercial buildings. The IGCC includes ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1 as an alternative compliance requirement. (Contributed by Steve Daggers, ICC)
CEQ REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF RECOVERY ACT
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in November submitted its seventh report to Congress regarding the status and progress of projects and activities receiving funds under the Recovery Act and how they have complied thus 6
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ADVANCING By leveraging our innovative and award-winning expertise in markets such as transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government, AECOM is advancing the ideas, projects and strategies of clients in over 100 countries around the world. Our complete portfolio of services, combined with a connected global presence that spans every continent, enables AECOM to deliver visionary turnkey solutions to the challenges facing our clients. We are also advancing the careers of our global network of approximately 50,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management professionals — who are united by a shared commitment to creating, enhancing and sustaining the world’s built, natural and social environments. And we are advancing our reputation, as our work on eight of the largest infrastructure projects on the planet has helped AECOM become the #1 ranked design firm — in the U.S. and globally — by ENR. To learn more about AECOM, advance to www.aecom.com.
www.aecom.com
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You can see the work we’re continuing to do at the Omaha Superfund site in some of the smallest details.
Coastal’s responsibilities include obtaining access to each property, documenting site conditions, performing excavation and restoring properties to pre-excavation conditions.
REMEDIATION DESIGN/BUILD CONSTRUCTION 8(a)/HUB Zone
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S o l v i n g
p r o
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
Any site. Any situation. Every time. Over the last decade, Coastal has successfully completed hundreds of environmentally sensitive remediation, design/build and construction projects nationwide. Since 2007, our work at the Omaha Lead Superfund site has been some of our most significant and gratifying. By removing and disposing dangerous, potentially toxic lead-impacted soils from residential properties, we are not only helping to restore the environment, but thousands of lives as well. Now, the USEPA has asked us to continue our work with them by excavating and remediating up to 2,000 more individual properties over the next three years. The project calls for strong on-site management and resource utilization, efficient coordination of multiple contractors, plus maintaining safe PEL and strict quality control. We will also be in constant contact with the EPA, public entities, and most importantly, local homeowners to assess our performance and ensure timely and satisfactory results. Our biggest task will be doing all this while houses on the properties are occupied. But at Coastal, we’re once again looking forward to the challenge, because nothing is more important to us than giving the people of Omaha their futures back.
b l e m s .
B u i l d i n g
t h e
f u t u r e . www.coastalgrp.net
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far with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. The report is an overview of the 15 executive branch departments and nine agencies HISTORICAL required to report on their curENGINEERS IN ACTION PERSPECTIVE rent NEPA status under the Recovery Act. As of Sept. 30, the departments and agencies reported more than 250,000 Recovery Act-funded projects or activities. The completed reviews support implementing more than $293 billion in Recovery Act projects and activities. “More than 98 percent of the environmental reviews have been completed for projects and activities funded under the Recovery Act,” said Nancy Sutley, CEQ Chair. “The departments and agencies have once again shown that environmental impacts can be assessed and taken into account without delaying projects designed to stimulate our nation’s economy.” The departments and agencies reported completing nearly 6,400 environmental assessments for the Recovery Act projects and activities. Those environmental as-
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sessments provide the basis for findings of no significant impact. More than 820 of the projects or activities were the subject of completed environmental impact statements, which is the most intensive NEPA review and is applied to projects or activities that may have significant effects on the human environment. Finally, approximately 179,500 of the projects or activities fit into categories of activities that did not have significant individual or cumulative effects on the human environment. Departments and agencies completed categorical exclusions for these projects. (Contributed by CEQ)
UTEP PROGRAM TO ADDRESS ENGINEERING CHALLENGES, BEST PRACTICES
The College of Engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso has launched a new program aimed at providing solutions to engineering problems that threaten healthy communities.
“Engineering in Practice for a Sustainable Healthy Living Community: 21st Century Engineering Challenges” was developed by UTEP to foster a healthy community by applying best engineering practices. “The world is constantly evolving,” said Carlos Chang-Albitres, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering. “We need to develop engineers who are aware of changes in economic, social and environmental conditions.” The program seeks to provide students the opportunity to interact with professional engineers, extending their education beyond the classroom. The program will merge education, research and professional practice to propose solutions to engineering problems. Students, faculty and area engineers will benefit. The City of El Paso also will provide support. “This program creates practical experience and research opportunities for our students,” Chang said. “Professional engineers will receive fresh feedback on
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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Why is Lou so happy? LEADER PROFILE
NEW PRODUCTS
www.conticorp.com
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
Lou Seijido is a really happy guy. Yet Lou leads a team of guys who are rarely happy. Lou sets incredibly high standards for himself and everybody involved in Conti Federal Program Management. They are rarely satisfied because delivering top quality federal projects, saving clients money and being ahead of schedule is not enough for these guys. They want more. ENGINEERS IN ACTION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
They want to be even better. They wake up every day thinking “What can I do today that’s better, faster, safer for our customers?”. Nearly good enough is not good enough. Neither is 100%. It’s tough but Lou is not happy unless he is not happy with something. Maybe that explains why he is happy?
Joe has problems. In fact Joe McDade is never satisfied unless he has buildings and infrastructure problems to solve for his customers. That is one of the attributes that makes Joe a true Conti team player. Clients love to give Joe problems. Joe loves to get them.
‘Mr. Responsive’ goes South. Despite a long history of success, having helped set up the New York Region for Conti, Anthony LaBato has gone south and has given up cannoli for crawfish. Anthony saw the opportunities in flood control and water management and wanted to bring his practical experience and his reputation as a “rapid responder” to the Conti New Orleans operation.
Would you trust Doug? Lots of people have over the past 40 years. They trust Doug Henne to deliver construction and engineering projects. Often projects with huge hazardous waste disposal and chemical challenges. You can trust Doug to deliver.
Ask Kurt Goddard about what drives Lou, Anthony, Joe, Doug, Philip and everybody at Conti Federal Services, and how to get these top people working for you. Call 732.520.5000.
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What does Philip know anyway? Quite a lot as it happens... Philip Stearns, P.E. has over 20 years experience in environmental engineering, hazardous waste remediation, construction, and operation and maintenance as well as homeland security. He is a frequent speaker at conferences. He has certifications in Project Management, Security Management, Environmental Engineering and lots of other stuff. He has experience leading major Conti Federal Programs including Design/Build, Superfund, FUSRAP and Rapid Response from Seattle to Jacksonville. If he is not the smartest guy on earth, he comes pretty close.
Done once. Done right.
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cutting-edge methodologies available to solve engineering problems.” Program topics include construction techniques, environmental engineering, infrastructure, innovative materials, paveENGINEERS IN ACTION HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ments, transportation systems and water processing systems. “I am very happy that Dr. Chang-Albitres has taken the initiative to develop this program,” said Richard Schoephoerster, Ph.D., Dean of UTEP’s College of Engineering. “It’s a win-win situation for the students and the City of El Paso. The students get the real world experience and collaboration with practicing engineers, and the city gets solutions to its pressing engineering problems.” Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and professional engineers are eligible to join the program. (Contributed by Steven Lazarin, UTEP)
CONTRACTS AND RECOGNITION
Alpha Corp. was selected to provide construction management services for the National Park Service to construct a new visitor center and research center at Mesa Verde National Park, Colo. AMEC was awarded a $7.1 million task order to renovate the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency’s headquarters building at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The upgrade will enable the building to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification. Benning Construction Co. was awarded renovation contracts for two Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals: Carl Vinson Medical Center in Dublin, Ga., and the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System East Campus in Tuskegee, Ala. CH2M HILL’s Applied Sciences Laboratory obtained accreditation for the Department of Defense (DOD) Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, enabling the laboratory to provide analytical support to DOD projects worldwide. MacDonald-Bedford LLC was awarded a five-year, $5 million indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract by the GSA Rocky Mountain Region. Matrix New World Engineering Inc. was selected as a finalist in the 51-100 employees category of the 2010 NJBIZ Business of the Year awards program.
The Military Engineer • No. 669
McDonough Bolyard Peck Inc. was selected by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection to provide construction management services at seven land ports of entry facilities across the country. Parsons was selected by the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, for an IDIQ, multiple-award task order contract for the Facilities Reduction Program, Midwest Region. Parsons will provide services for the demolition and removal of excess buildings and structures at Army and other federally-funded facilities throughout the Midwest. PBS&J and Peter R. Brown Construction have been named a winner of the 2011 Air Mobility Command Design Awards Program for the facility design of the Consolidated Air Traffic Control Tower and Radar Approach Control Facility at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. A collaboration between Stanley Consultants and Hanson Professional Services Inc. was awarded an IDIQ contract for worldwide airfield and roadway design and evaluation services from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Transportation Systems Center. Sovereign Consulting Inc. was awarded a five-year multiple-award contract to provide remedial action operations and monitoring services to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic. URS Corp. was awarded a task order to provide design and construction services for communications upgrades and electrical distribution systems at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. WEST Consultants Inc. was awarded a $9.8 million, five-year IDIQ contract with the USACE Los Angeles District for hydraulic and environmental engineering for civil works projects within the South Pacific Division.
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ACQUISITIONS AND EXPANSION
EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc. announced the acquisition of Blumen Consulting Group Inc. Lutron Electronics announced the opening of a Washington, D.C., location. Skelly and Loy announced an expansion of its operations into Wise, Va. Warrior Group has opened an office in the Washington, D.C., area.
www.sustainabilitythatpays.com
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Brig. Gen. William E. Rapp, P.E., USA, Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Army Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., was nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Maj. Gen. Don Riley, P.E., USA (Ret.), was named as Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development, Dawson & Assoc. RAPP The following U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Officers and SAME members were selected to assume Group Commands in the summer of 2011: Col. Michael Addison Col. John Allen Col. Beth Brown Col. Justin Davey Col. James Hodges Col. Greg Rosenmerkel Col. Michael Saunders
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Brig. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, USA, Director, J-7, U.S. Forces–Iraq, Operation New Dawn, Iraq, was nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. ENGINEERS IN ACTION HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Lt. Col. Mike Duffey, USAF (Ret.), was named Director, Federal Programs, SSOE Group. COX Rear Adm. Michael Giorgione, P.E., F.SAME, USN (Ret.), was named Energy Services Market Leader and Vice President of the San Diego office, RBF Consulting. Brig. Gen. Alexander Kozlov, USAR, was named Vice President, Infrastructure & TechLOOSE nology Group, Parsons. Vice Adm. Michael K. Loose, P.E., F.SAME, USN (Ret.), was named Senior Vice President and Manager of the Installations & Environment (I&E) Division, Infrastructure & Technology Group, Parsons. MORRISON Linda Morrison was named Director of LETTER FROM . . . Federal Projects, Golder Assoc. Steve Pearson, AIA, PMP, Director of Military Programs and Senior Vice President, will serve as Chairman, Board of Directors, H&A Architects Engineers. 6706 KW&Upd Military Eng to 4c 8/3/10 3:00 PM
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Submit Government & Industry News items, with high-resolution (300-dpi) electronic images, to industrynews@same.org. NEW PRODUCTS
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USACE PROVIDES CLEAN WATER TO IRAQ’S RURAL AREA
NEW PRODUCTS
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Gulf Region District, in concert with the Babil Provincial Reconstruction HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Team, recently turned over a newly-constructed water compact unit in al-Khidr, south of Baghdad, Iraq, to the Iraqi government. The unit will provide clean water to approximately 420 homes in the area. The $1.1 million unit will provide water to residents of the village and nearby areas. It will provide approximately 200-M3 of water per hour to an area that has long faced critical water challenges. The challenges arose in part because of the high salinity water contamination. The area in which the community is located has a high mortality rate for infants and children under five primarily due to preventable water-borne diseases. The unit draws water from an adjacent river that was developed by the British in the 1930s. Construction included an intake structure with pumps, piping, screen, operations building, chemical storage building, sludge settlement lagoons and fenced enclosure. The pre-engineered components installed in the water treatment facility included flocculators, a settling tank, filters, blowers, Programmable Logic Units and a chemical reagent dosing system; water storage tanks; a generator and fuel tank; and a chlorine injection system. The facility is one of 98 water units the U.S. government has constructed for the benefit of the people of Babil Province. Also built into the contract is plant operation for 90 calendar days, including all necessary chemicals, reagents and consumables such as fuel, distribution piping, classroom and hands-on training, spare parts, operations and maintenance manuals and as-built drawings. Future requirements include construction of a piping network and connection to a 13.25-kmlong water distribution network. (Contributed by Mike Beeman, USACE Gulf Region District Public Affairs)
NAVY AWARDS FIFTH PHASE OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE HOUSING PROJECT
Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific and Hawaii Military Communities LLC signed agreements in 16
MIKE BEEMAN, GRD
A newly installed water compact unit in al-Khidr, contracted by USACE, will provide 200-m3 of clean water per hour to a community that has suffered high infant and toddler mortality rates, primarily from water-borne diseases.
late September to execute the fifth phase of the Navy’s public-private venture (PPV) housing project for U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy families stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. The fifth phase of the PPV project involves a comprehensive 48-month development plan that will invest $111 million into the construction of 224 replacement homes between 2011 and 2014. After phase five is completed, a total number of 2,316 high-quality homes will be available for service members and their families at Kaneohe Bay. Since May 2004, Hawaii Military Communities LLC has constructed 3,039 new homes and renovated 1,450 homes for the Navy. Overall, the Hawaii Navy and Marine Corps PPV team has privatized more than 6,550 homes and will invest more than $1.8 billion in development over a 10-year period through 2014 on Navy and Marine Corps installations on Oahu and Kauai. A PPV is the formation of a limited liability company (LLC) between the Navy and Marine Corps and a private company. The private company secures the necessary financing and, as the majority member in the LLC, is responsible for the replacement, renovation, maintenance, management and operation of the conveyed family housing. The Navy, as a
minority member in the LLC, maintains a vested interest in ensuring that quality housing is available to service members and that the housing is fully sustained for the life of the 50-year agreement. Under the PPV plan, the service member signs a lease and makes monthly rent payments to the LLC using the service member’s Basic Allowance for Housing entitlement, which covers rent, utilities and renter’s insurance. (Contributed by Don Rochon, NAVFAC Pacific Public Affairs)
ARMY COMPLETES STOCKPILE DESTRUCTION AT PINE BLUFF
The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) announced the disposal of the last mustard agent-filled ton container in the chemical weapons stockpile of the Pine Bluff Arsenal, Ark. Disposal was completed safely in November, marking the end of chemical weapons storage at the arsenal after nearly seven decades. Pine Bluff Chemical Activity (PBCA) provided the safe and secure maintenance, storage and transport of approximately 12 percent of the nation’s original chemical weapons stockpile, while ensuring maximum protection of the installation and community population and providing treaty compliance. PBCA personnel safely transported the original inventory
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of chemical weapons in 5,879 enhanced on-site container deliveries from storage to the Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (PBCDF). That inventory included 90,409 M55 GB rockets, 19,608 M55 VX HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE rockets, 9,378 M23 VX landmines and 3,703 mustard ton containers. The disposal facility provided safe and
environmentally-compliant chemical agent destruction operations, which began in March 2005. Workers destroyed the agents using incineration technology, following recommendations made by the National Research Council. “For more than 60 years, the Pine Bluff team stored approximately 3,850-T of the
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nation’s original chemical agent stockpiles. Today, the Pine Bluff stockpile has been safely disposed of,” said CMA Director Conrad Whyne. “From the very beginning, employees at Pine Bluff and throughout CMA made safety the cornerstone of our chemical weapons stockpile storage and destruction missions. Today we reap the benefits of their dedication and vigilance.” PBCA and PBCDF will now begin closure operations, which will continue for approximately two years. Closure operations include official termination of surety status, closeout of treaty requirements, management and disposal of wastes through safe and environmentallyacceptable methods, transfer of property, closeout of related permits, records archiving, budget requirements processing, contract closeout and management of human resources. Closure operations will be conducted in accordance with facility and storage area end-states as agreed upon with state regulators. The U.S. established the Chemical Demilitarization Program in 1986 to remove the threat posed by continued storage of outdated chemical weapons; meet international treaty requirements; and inspire a worldwide commitment to the elimination of an entire class of weapons of mass destruction. (Contributed by Richard Arndt, CMA)
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The most common threat to coalition forces in Afghanistan is not an insurgent wielding a weapon, but a pressure-plate explosive buried just below the surface of a road, waiting on a passing military patrol to fulfill its purpose: Kill as many as possible. Marines have developed new ways to defeat improvised explosive devices (IED), but nothing works as well as preventing their emplacement entirely. After operating for nearly two months in Sangin, Afghanistan, Marines of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, are putting this notion to the test. Marines of Company K have successfully secured one local route for more than a month, preventing the enemy
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011 12/7/2010 9:57:36 AM
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from emplacing IEDs while continuing counterinsurgency and civil military operations. When Company K Marines entered the Northern Green Zone in midJuly, there was no road to travel. Coalition forces have not journeyed that deep into enemy territory in several years, leaving the Marines to forge their way through the enemy’s backyard with no foundation to build on. “We had to make this road,” said Gunnery Sgt. Lafayette Waters, USMC, Company K Gunnery Sergeant. “We used assault breaching vehicles to clear the road.”
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The assault breaching vehicle is a tracked, armored engineer vehicle with the same chassis as an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank, designed for conducting in-stride breaching of minefields and complex obstacles. The Marines of 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, who are attached to Company K, use the vehicles to help repair the roads. The Marines knew the enemy would attempt to place IEDs on the new route and it would have to be protected. A constant presence and regular patrols ensured the watchful eyes of Company K are always on the route. The route also is surrounded by concertina wire in multiple areas along its path, and Marines man posts along the road to ward off would-be IED implanters, according to Cpl. David Davis, USMC, a communications technician. “This is the safest road in Afghanistan,” Cpl. Waters said. “In 36 days, we have only hit one improvised explosive device and it was actually off the route.” The Marines are not the only ones who know the route
is safe. The enemy knows it, too, and does not like it, Davis said. “We have to keep 24/7 security on the route to keep it safe. They fire rocket-propelled grenades and small arms at the trucks we use to defend it.” (Contributed by Cpl. Ned Johnson, USMC)
LARGEST BRAC TRANSFER TO DATE TAKES PLACE AT HQ USACE
The largest land transfer to date under the U.S. Army 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) was executed at USACE headquarters in September. The transfer of 14,298 acres of real estate and associated personal property of the former Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant in Bowie County, Texas, from Army ownership to civilian reuse represented another major milestone under the BRAC program. This transfer occurred less than one year after the operational closure of the facility, minimizing deterioration of the facilities and, more importantly, supporting the retention of 300 jobs and provid-
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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ing the local community the opportunity to generate new jobs and begin economic redevelopment. Joseph F. Calcara, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE and Housing, signed a memorandum of agreement documenting the approval of an Economic Development Conveyance
to the Red River Redevelopment Authority (RRRA). Scott L. Whiteford, USACE Director of Real Estate, and officials from the RRRA and Day & Zimmermann-Lone Star LLC (D&Z), were on hand to sign deeds, a purchase and sale agreement, and associated easements to implement the conveyance of 8,874 acres of property
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to the RRRA and 5,424 acres to D&Z. “Both transactions represent a significant achievement,” Calcara said. “This milestone is a result of almost two years of diligent discussions by all parties and with Texas state agencies, and assures that the property can be returned to productive economic reuse in accordance with the plans submitted by the local redevelopment authority. This accomplishment truly reflects what can be achieved when people work together to achieve a common goal.” These transfers were made under federal BRAC authority and conveyance terms that foster job retention and promote job creation. The D&Z agreement also provides that the company will support the Army’s environmental cleanup efforts at the former ammunition plant, which had been in operation since World War II. (Contributed by HQ USACE)
MUSA QAL’EH ROADS MADE SAFE BY COMBAT ENGINEERS
Safe travel throughout the roads of Afghanistan is a must for coalition forces, which is why combat engineers with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), conducted a route reconnaissance mission in late October. “We’re trying to get rid of IEDs in order to protect the locals,” said 1st Lt. Mark Tetzel, USMC, a platoon commander from Akron, Ohio. “The goal of the mission was to make the route trafficable by both civilians and Coalition forces, as well as escort civil affairs so they could accomplish their mission.” With a history of IED activity, the route needed to be cleared by engineers. Marines conducted a sweep and surveyed the roads for needed repairs. “We don’t regularly travel that route, so we had to make sure there weren’t any IEDs in the road,” said Cpl. Gary Zavala, USMC, a team leader. The mission also helped Marines identify potential hazards such as sharp turns, overhead obstructions and any other restrictive terrain that may limit vehicle movement. Marines were successful in securing the route and allowed civil affairs Marines to identify road construction projects for the future. “The mission went well. Locals were glad that we were there and we were able
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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mission, even with the high threat of roadside bombs. “I know my job is dangerous, but I do it anyway. I feel good about what I do,” Cpl. Zavala explained. “I’m glad that my command and my fellow Marines have the confidence in me to bring them back safely.” (Contributed by Cpl. John McCall, USMC)
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
EOD TEAM TRAINS WITH NEW RESPONSE VEHICLE
to identify key features along the route,” Lt. Tetzel said. Engineers continue to accomplish their
During a recent training scenario, technicians from the 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Flight at Moody Air Force Base (AFB), Ga., displayed the effectiveness of a new, four-wheeled weapon that will help improve their response time and capabilities. Known as the BSERV, the 36-ft-long bomb squad emergency response vehicle was designed to help EOD units within the continental U.S. respond with all needed equipment. “The BSERV is very spacious and allows
us to travel with all of our equipment, preventing any delay when we get a call,” said Senior Airman Daniel Esselstrom, USAF, a 23rd CES EOD technician. “Previously, we’d have to go and grab the equipment specific to the situation, such as aircraft incident kits or improvised explosive device response kits. Now, we can respond immediately.” A quick response in situations, such as IED threats, is crucial because of the potential damage. To aid in responding quickly and efficiently, technicians get plenty of practice through continual training. “We’re responsible for responding to any situation on or off base where we are the closest unit and sometimes even when we’re not,” said Capt. Michael Fuller, USAF, the 23rd CES EOD Officer in Charge. “We set aside two days a week for training and have large exercises like this about once a month. It’s important to stay proficient in all the procedures, so we can respond against any threat as needed.”
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Some features of the BESERV include a rear-mounted camera, lights, sirens, an intercom, fire extinguisher and a spacious work area. The BSERV was first used in a real-world situation at Moody AFB when it responded recently to a suspected IED at a local store. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE (Contributed by 23rd Wing Public Affairs)
HILL AFB ENERGY PROJECT STEAMS AHEAD
Officials are set to begin negotiations on a unique enhanced use lease (EUL) project that could process recyclables and municipal solid waste at Hill AFB, Utah, and the surrounding community. Officials at the Air Force Real Property Agency (AFRPA) and Hill AFB will soon begin negotiations with Ogden Hill Community Energy LLC (OHCE), to develop recycling and wastehandling facilities that could ultimately process up to 120,000-T of recyclables and 200,000-T of municipal solid waste per year. “We are taking urban waste and converting it into a renewable fuel source” said Mary Enges, Energy Development Program Manager at Hill AFB. “This project will reduce the environmental footprint of Northern Utah, while providing in-kind consideration and reduced operating expenses for Hill AFB.” The recycling center will include a classroom for expanding educational opportunities for the local community related to recycling, waste reduction, energy conservation, efficiency, clean renewable energy and climate change. Through the EUL program, Air Force officials will lease land to OHCE for development. In exchange, the installation can receive lease payments in the form of cash or services, such as facility byproducts that can be converted to power. Following a highly competitive evaluation of developer-submitted proposals, Kathleen Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, approved the selection of OHCE as the highest ranked offeror, given its ability to provide the highest and best use of the property to the Air Force. The waste-to-energy project at Hill AFB is the latest in a growing portfolio of Air Force energy projects developed through the EUL program. “This project is a perfect example of the unique benefits EULs can provide installations,” said Bob Moore, Director of AFRPA. “It will create a renewable energy source, a recycling center to handle community waste and a business opportunity for the developer.” The EUL program is a major part of AFRPA’s mission to manage, acquire and dispose of Air Force real property worldwide. To date, the agency has more than 30 EUL projects in various stages of development at bases throughout the U.S. and its territories.
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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www.bv.com/federal The Military Engineer • No. 669
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SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS ARMY ANNOUNCES NEW POLICIES ON ENERGY EFFICIENCIES
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
In late October, Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and the Environment issued a new policy memorandum to improve high-performance green buildings standards for the U.S. Army. The memo, “Memorandum for Sustainable Design and Development Policy Update (Environmental and Energy Performance) (Revision),” changes the way the Army will approach efficient design of Army facilities. Requirements throughout the planning, programming, budgeting, design and building stages will strengthen the Army’s sustainability, energy security and energy independence through more responsible consumption and planning. Incorporation of sustainable design and development principles, following guidance as detailed in the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 189.1, will reduce water and energy consumption, optimize energy efficiencies and performance, and reduce negative impacts on the natural environment. Through strategies such as siting, cool roofs, solar water heating, storm water management and water efficiency, the Army will reduce its impact on the environment. Options will be investigated and documented for each project to evaluate the Army’s ability to utilize renewable and alternative power sources on its installations in a fashion that is compatible with training missions. Commissioning, measurement and third-party verification are also required to track progress and identify opportunities for
Compiled by Wendi Goldsmith, M.SAME further improvement. Lifecycle cost analyses will be mandatory to promote best business practices. While the benefits gained through efficiencies and reduced consumption will vary based on location, buildings in compliance with the new policy are expected to yield significant energy savings for the Army over current construction standards. Preliminary analysis by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicates energy savings over current design of 45 percent or greater. Hammack also issued “Memorandum on the Utilization of Efficient Lighting” to reduce energy consumption and adverse impacts to the environment. The memo establishes policy and guidance to use only efficient light bulbs that meet standards outlined in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). EISA requires the manufacture of energy-efficient light bulbs, with efficiency standards phasing in between 2012 and 2014. It also requires the use of energy efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs in buildings constructed by the General Services Administration (GSA). For the Army to capture energy efficiency savings consistent with these provisions, the new policy requires the use of the light bulbs as soon as possible. When installed bulbs fail and existing inventory is depleted, only efficient light bulbs may be purchased. Compact fluorescent lights require significantly less energy to produce the same amount of light, and need replacement six times less often. This means a profound reduction in electricity, maintenance and labor costs. (Contributed by Department of Defense)
CEQ ISSUES GUIDANCE ON GREENHOUSE GAS ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released Guidance on Federal Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting, which establishes government-wide requirements for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions associated with federal agency operations. The guidance was announced at the first GreenGov Symposium, a three-day event held by CEQ from October 5-7, 2010, in Washington, D.C., that brought together a broad group of sustainability leaders to identify opportunities around greening the federal government. The guidance serves as the federal government’s official greenhouse gas protocol and will be used by federal agencies to develop their first greenhouse gas inventories, which will be submitted annually beginning in January of 2011 as called for by Executive Order 13514, signed by President Barack Obama in October 2009. Earlier this year President Obama announced a federal government-wide target of a 28 percent reduction by 2020 in direct greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from fuels and building energy use, and a target 13 percent reduction by 2020 in indirect emissions, such as those from employee commuting and landfill waste. Combined, these two goals could result in a cumulative reduction of 101 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the emissions from 235 million barrels of oil. Meeting federal agency greenhouse gas pollution reduction targets is estimated to result in a cumulative $8 billion to $11 billion in avoided energy costs through 2020. 28
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SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS E.O.13514 directed the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program to develop recommended federal greenhouse gas reporting and accounting procedures, in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense (DOD), GSA, Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce and other agencies. These recommendations established the foundation for the guidance. CEQ released draft guidance for public review and comment on July 12, 2010. The draft guidance was accompanied by a separate draft technical support document that provided detailed information on federal inventory reporting requirements and calculation methodologies. (Contributed by CEQ)
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
SALAZAR PROPOSES OCEAN ENERGY SAFETY INSTITUTE
In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in early November proposed the concept of establishing an Ocean Energy Safety Institute designed to facilitate research and development, training and
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implementation in the areas of offshore drilling safety, blowout containment and oil spill response. “The Deepwater Horizon tragedy highlighted the importance of raising the bar on offshore drilling safety, practices and technology,” Salazar said. “The institute would serve to coordinate and institutionalize the lessons and strategies learned from the oil spill so that the United States can stay at the forefront of drilling safety, containment and spill response.” The institute would be a collaborative initiative involving government—in particular, DOE and the U.S. Coast Guard— industry, academia and scientific experts. Because of the department’s regulatory responsibilities in this area, the institute would be housed at the Department of the Interior, but would seek to coordinate and prioritize research dollars from a variety of governmental and non-governmental sources to create a center of excellence that would ensure that the United States remains on the cutting edge of offshore energy safety. The institute would create a transparent
organization that builds on the strategic collaboration of its members to address technological needs and inherent risks associated with offshore drilling, and deepwater drilling. Salazar reached out to potential partners in government, industry and elsewhere to discuss the proposal and asked that they share ideas regarding the institute’s formation and future operations by Nov. 30, 2010. (Contributed by the Department of the Interior)
FOREST SERVICE TO CONDUCT CARBON RESEARCH ON MILITARY BASES
Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) and university partners are beginning work on an innovative research project in three states that will help DOD better manage longleaf pine forests on military bases for absorbing climate-changing carbon dioxide and providing other ecological services. SRS, Auburn University (the lead institution) and University of Florida researchers will conduct the five-year, $2.4 million study on longleaf pine forests at Fort Polk, La., Fort Benning, Ga., and Camp Lejeune, N.C. Research organizers say the study is the largest carbon sequestration assessment of longleaf pine ecosystems conducted on southern military bases. “This project will give the Defense Department biologically-based models that will improve the military’s ability to manage longleaf pine forests for carbon sequestration, productivity and biodiversity, while promoting the health and restoration of these native ecosystems,” said Kurt Johnsen, Ph.D., SRS’s principal investigator on the project. “In addition, the research will help answer larger questions about the carbon cycle in longleaf pine forests and provide valuable information that the federal government and others can use in offsetting carbon dioxide emissions.” Longleaf pine forests were once the largest temperate forest type in North America, occupying up to 90 million acres across the South. Land clearing for crops and pastures, logging, turpentine operations, conversion to other southern pines and the interruption of natural fire regimes reduced the longleaf forest to approximately 3 percent of its original
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SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS range. Longleaf pine forests have a high potential to sequester carbon, and there is a renewed interest in restoring longleaf pine for high-value wood products, pine straw production and wildlife benefits. Longleaf pine ecosystems, among the most diverse in temperate North America, provide habitat for threatened and endangered species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker. The research is funded by DOD through the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, an environmental research program that uses the latest science and technology to improve environmental performance, reduce costs and enhance and sustain mission capabilities within DOD. The study supports DOD’s transition of forest management toward an ecological forestry model that balances military mission support with the maintenance of ecological services with a view toward offsetting facility carbon emissions. (Contributed by U.S. Forest Service)
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY GOALS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR COMMUNITIES RELEASED
The STAR Community Index (STAR), a national standard to create more sustainable, livable communities, released in early November its Sustainability Goals and Guiding Principles. The 81 goals and 10 guiding principles collectively define communityscale sustainability and set a national standard for local governments. The goals give local governments and communities a much-
Are You LinkedIn? The SAME LinkedIn group is growing by the minute. Join the close to 5,000 existing members who work in the A/E/C environmental and facility management fields across the world. The SAME LinkedIn groups keep you up-to-date on upcoming SAME events, foster connections with fellow group members, and provide opportunities for unique discussions posted by SAME members.
Connect with SAME at www.same.org/LinkedIn LETTER FROM . . .
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needed vocabulary to more effectively strategize and focus their sustainability planning efforts. They also serve as the foundation of STAR—the forthcoming national rating system that will offer cities and counties a roadmap for creating healthy, inclusive and prosperous communities. The Sustainability Goals and Guiding Principles can serve as a resource to help local governments: create or revise a sustainability plan; conduct a sustainability assessment; establish local sustainability priorities; and focus ongoing sustainability initiatives. STAR is being developed by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, National League of Cities and Center for American Progress. (Contributed by USGBC)
U.S. LAUNCHES GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO TRACK LAND COVER AND USE
Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes, who colead the U.S. delegation to the 2010 Group on Earth Observations (GEO) summit in November, announced that the United States is launching a new global initiative aimed at developing the first-ever comprehensive and up-to-date database of 30-M satellite imagery that will show changes in land cover and land uses worldwide. Hayes was joined in the announcement by Sherburne Abbott, Associate Director for Environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and GEO CoChair for the United States. “The Global Land-Cover Data Initiative aims to provide land managers, decision makers and communities around the globe with critical information about changes to land use and land cover,” Hayes told delegates from 85 countries and the European Commission at the intergovernmental GEO VII Ministerial Summit meeting in Beijing, China. “This type of sharing of data and technology can help us make wise decisions about how best to build a sustainable future, protect our environment, and tackle challenges like pollution and climate change.” More than 80 percent of the imagery for the Global LandCover Data Initiative can be obtained with Landsat, a satellite program operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Hayes asked international partners at the GEO summit to assist with developing the remaining information that would be needed for a comprehensive global land cover database. Although moderate-resolution global land cover initiatives have been underway for some time and have provided important synoptic global land cover data, the proposed initiative is based on the fact that higher-resolution datasets would permit detection of land change at the scale of most human activity—where change most commonly occurs—and would increase flexibility in environmental modeling. The higher resolution is particularly important for studies of ecosystem fragmentation and degradation, and ultimately will improve the comparability of assessments conducted across the globe. (Contributed by the Department of the Interior)
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Submit Sustainability News items, with high-resolution (300dpi) electronic images, to sustainabilitynews@same.org. 32
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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The Military Engineer • No. 669
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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Compiled by Jill M. Jackson, M.SAME
AIR FORCE COMPLETES SECOND BIOFUEL TEST
SOCIETY NEWS
ENGINEERS IN ACTION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Specialists at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Fla., conducted their second aircraft performance evaluation using an environmentally-friendly, biomass-derived fuel in October, this time with an F-15 Eagle. The jet flew at a variety of flight conditions, achieved supersonic speeds and landed with no issues while being powered by a hydro-processed renewable jet blend fuel (HRJ), according to officials with the U.S. Air Force Alternative Fuels Certification Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. “The flight went as expected; we didn’t anticipate any issues going into it,” said Maj. Matthew Coldsnow, USAF, the 40th Flight Test Squadron pilot who flew the first F-15 flight using something other than the common kerosene-based jet propellant 8 (JP-8) fuel. “The chemical properties are very similar to that of normal fuel. I didn’t notice any change in thrust or performance degradation.” The biofuel blend used for the flight was composed of 50 percent HRJ mixed with 50 percent JP-8. The HRJ used for this evaluation was derived from extracted animal fats and oils, and then refined into kerosene using conventional processes. In March, an A-10 Thunderbolt II flew on a JP-8/HRJ blend derived from oil extracted from camelina seeds, a weed-like, nonfood-source plant. “Alternative fuels testing allows the Air Force to look at alternative fuels from non-petroleum sources, an effort that kicked off in 2006,” said 1st Lt. Luke Gaalswyk, USAF, of the Alternative Fuels Certification Office. “The larger picture of using these fuels is that it allows the Air Force to purchase more fuel from inside our borders, in turn reducing our dependence on foreign oil.” Air Force officials are embracing national priorities of cleaner fuel and energy independence. “The Air Force is working toward an ambitious goal of changing half of the continental U.S. jet fuel requirement to alternative fuels by 2016,” said Air Force Material Command Commander Gen. Donald J. Hoffman. This could represent as much as 400-million-G of fuel annually. 34
PHOTO COURTESY 2ND LT. ANDREW CAULK, USAF
Senior Airman Jacob Prine checks the fuel connection to an F-15 Eagle Oct. 22, 2010, prior to a flight test of new, environmentally-friendly fuel at Eglin AFB, Fla. Aircrews from the 46th Test Wing and Air Force engineers evaluated flight parameters using a blend of standard JP-8 fuel and hydro-treated, renewable jet biofuel.
President Barack Obama acknowledged the military’s leadership in nurturing development of renewable biofuels during a speech at Andrews AFB, Md., just days after the A-10 test flight, the Air Force’s successful first flight of an aircraft on all engines burning a biofuel. “It’s always a neat experience to be the first person to do anything,” said Maj. Coldsnow. “We’ve taken a step in the right direction.” During the test, the pilot took off in afterburner and explored a variety of speeds and altitudes while remaining within the aircraft’s approved flight envelope. “The next step is additional flight and engine testing to build on data we have with a high level of confidence that we can certify this fuel for operational use in operational aircraft,” Lt. Gaalswyk said. “The Air Force is committed to reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” said Terry Yonkers, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics. “Our goal is to reduce demand, increase supply and change the culture and mindset of our fuel consumption.” A short-term goal is to have all Air Force aircraft certified to fly using alternative fuels by 2012, said Yonkers.
The Air Force is the largest user of jet fuel in DOD, consuming 2.4-billion-G per year. (Contributed by Chrissy Cuttita, Eglin AFB Public Affairs)
PICATINNY TOUR AIMS FOR CLOSER COLLABORATION BETWEEN SOLDIERS, ENGINEERS
Fifteen soldiers toured Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., in November as part of a twoweek, 11-lab tour of U.S. Army research facilities designed to connect soldiers with the scientists and engineers who design the gear they take into combat. “All these soldiers recently came back from either Afghanistan or Iraq,” said Sgt. 1st Class Israel Santiago, USA, the soldiers’ Post Combat Deployment Assessment tour escort and the Army Research Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) operations sergeant. The tour is “a first step in establishing a new dialogue between the warfighter and the engineer.” “What we want (the soldiers) to do is go to all of the RDECOM research, development and engineering centers and think about how the equipment is being utilized, and if it is suitable to the mis-
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
Photo credit: U. S. Air Force
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS sion—if what is being sent downrange is working the way we advertised it,” said Sgt. Santiago. RDECOM is working to ensure that equipment developers understand and absorb the soldier perspective. “The Army’s scientists and engineers know a lot, but they’re not soldiers,” said RDECOM spokesman Dave McNally. The tour started in Detroit at the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and continued to the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate in Virginia. It continued in Maryland, home to the CommunicationsElectronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, the Adelphi Laboratory Center, the Army Research Laboratories and the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. At Picatinny, the soldiers, who specialize in skills such as artillery, medical, infantry and ordnance disposal, toured Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) facilities.
SOCIETY NEWS
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ENGINEERS IN ACTION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
They talked with scientists and engineers who specialize in designing explosive ordnance disposal, robot, vehicle armor, counter IED, warhead, rifle, ammunition, acoustic sensor, virtual battlefield, optics and rapid production technologies. “Up until I went on this trip, no one knew who RDECOM was,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Leavens, USA, a cavalry scout with A Troop, 8-1 Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. “Nobody in the Army has the scope of what they are doing.” Although soldiers have been made aware through briefings of the numerous projects being undertaken by thousands of scientists and engineers, prior to the tour they weren’t sure how their experiences and insights could be used to help address the equipment issues they had. “I don’t think anyone here knew the whole process of getting things fixed,” Sgt. Leavens said. On the tour, soldiers can see the capabilities of the Army labs firsthand, talk to the scientists and engineers, and then
go back to their units and inform other soldiers of what they learned, said Sgt. Santiago. “They can also see who they can contact in the future.” With the soldier-developer dialogue in place, the delay between the discovery of equipment problems in combat environments and their resolution by Army engineers can be narrowed, said ARDEC Sgt. Maj. Dewey L. Blake Jr., USA. Soldiers who have seen combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan know that differences in terrain sometimes means that equipment that is effective on one location may be less so in another location, said Sgt. Santiago. “If we can add this (modification) to it, it will be better if we go to this terrain or this environment.” “After the tour, RDECOM will go back to meet with the soldiers, and we’ll let them know, ‘Hey, this is the answer to your question,’” said Sgt. Santiago. “This is the way RDECOM is going to operate going forward,” said Sgt. Santiago. (Contributed by Tim Rider, AMC)
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
Register now for the
2011 Peninsula Engineer Conference February 14-17, 2011 Seoul, Korea www.same.org/PEC
Engineers Sustaining the Force
S u st a
i ni ng
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to participate in sessions and discussions that address the planning, design, construction and basing of the U.S. Forces in Korea, including the multi-billion dollar Korea Relocation Plan (KRP) and the full-spectrum joint engineer contingency operations capabilities of the uniformed services in the Pacific region.
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The 2011 PEC, taking place at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, will include: • Technical Tracks on Installation Management, and Design, Construction and Project Delivery (earn 4PDHs); • NCO Forum • High-ranking speakers from USFK, CFC and 8th Army, Army Engineer School and the First Naval Construction Division • Pacific region updates from USACE, NAVFAC, PACAF, PACOM and AAFES; • Exhibit area for networking and learning the capabilities of companies that support the DOD missions in Korea and the Pacific; and • Networking and social events including the Ice Breaker Reception and the Engineer Dining Out with USACE Keynote speaker. If you’re looking for a more detailed experience, register for specialty programs and events that can be added to your registration. These include the Humphreys Garrison Tour, Warfighting Sessions, Contingency Engineering Sessions and a Design-Build Forum.
To register, or obtain a detailed program of events, go to www.same.org/PEC. The Military Engineer • No. 669
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS ONR HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCES IN COUNTER-IED TECHNOLOGIES
SOCIETY NEWS
ENGINEERS IN ACTION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
As the use of improvised explosive devices (IED) continues to grow globally, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is exploring physical and social sciences to counter the threat. Its research was highlighted at the 2010 ONR Naval Science and Technology Partnership Conference in November in Arlington, Va., where experts were on site to discuss near- and long-term solutions for locating, disarming and avoiding IEDs. One approach to countering IED threats employed by U.S. Marines in Afghanistan is to use Labrador retrievers (trained under ONR contract), to seek out roadside bombs. Initially, 21 dogs were fielded in Al Anbar province in 2007, said Lisa Albuquerque, ONR Naval Expeditionary Dog Program Manager. The Marine Corps now has 247 dogs with 140 in theater, and according to Albuquerque, that number will grow to more than 500. Albuquerque acknowledges it is a chal-
lenge adapting the animals to meet the changing mission threat. ONR’s research has been optimizing dog detection capabilities and has found that canines suitable for IED detection are quite different than those used for sentry or guard duty. “ONR is also making gains in detecting, identifying and neutralizing IEDs at a safe distance,” said Dan Prono, Ph.D., an ONR program manager whose research focuses on advanced scientific technologies to defeat insurgency use of IEDs. Efforts at mitigation are looking at new materials for personal protection. “It’s critical we develop these technologies now, so we can outpace the threat,” said David Tremper, Electronic Warfare Program Officer at ONR. In social sciences, ONR is exploring the mindset behind building and planting IEDs. Ivy Estabrooke, Ph.D., ONR Manager for Human, Social, Cultural and Behavioral Sciences, is merging social science with technology solutions to better understand the motivations and inten-
tions of populations who use IEDs. (Contributed by Geoff S. Fein, ONR Corporate Strategic Communications)
ERDC RESEARCHERS LEAD AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY UNIVERSITY RENEWABLE ENERGY STUDY
Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are working with the Command Security Transition Command–Afghanistan and the U.S. Forces Afghanistan Joint Program Integration Office to study renewable energy for the Afghan National Security University (ANSU) complex outside of Kabul, Afghanistan. ANSU will be the premier educational center for all levels of the military of Afghanistan and is expected to host eight senior-level educational institutions and courses and contain more than 100 buildings. The complex is under construction with completion estimated for fall 2012; however, currently there is no electric grid to support the location. The estimated fuel
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SAME is offering Career Memberships to those in uniform, and reduced rates to civilians working for the uniformed services. Membership in SAME provides opportunities to: • receive TME—The Military Engineer—magazine both in print and online • network with leaders of the uniformed services and industry at national and local conferences and events; • interact with members of all branches of the uniformed services to become better-educated on joint engineer operations; • gain valuable training and receive professional development hours through the SAME Continuing Education Program • receive discount registration fees for SAME events as well as events and certification programs offered by our strategic partners
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
t Engineer Training Join
Conference & Expo
Attendee registration is now open for the
2011 Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo May 24-27, 2011
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center Grapevine, Texas Co-hosted by SAME HQ and the Fort Worth Post
Join us at the A/E/C industry’s most highly anticipated event of the year—the SAME 2011 Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo (JETC). You’ll find the people, products and practices you need to guarantee success in the DOD market. Only at the 2011 JETC can you interact with leaders and decision makers from each of the uniformed services and other federal agencies, and participate in some of the industry’s most insightful panel discussions and technical sessions. The 2011 JETC has an information-packed agenda centered around six technical tracks addressing timely issues affecting A/E/C and related fields, including:
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The Military Engineer • No. 669
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS cost of running diesel generators is approximately $45 million annually. “The goal is to reduce or replace the planned fossil fuel generators at ANSU and its supporting facilities,” said William Brown, a mechanical engineer in ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) and project manager for the effort. “A daily population of 8,000 personnel, along with peak demands, requires careful planning to determine the most cost-effective and reliable means to deliver the required energy and power.” Research was done on both groundbased and building-integrated solar photovoltaic, solar domestic hot water, wind, geothermal, heat pumps, waste-to-energy (including biomass), solar heating, solar air ventilation and hydroelectric power. Of 15 technologies assessed, only seven were found to be feasible, and have the potential to create a more efficient and sustainable complex while cutting fuel consumption and costs. “This is a level of effort that does not in-
SOCIETY NEWS
ENGINEERS IN ACTION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
volve conducting R&D projects, but it is hopeful that the study will pave the way for a follow-up effort,” said Brown. (Contributed by Megan Holland, ERDC Public Affairs)
Division, which counts Pakistan as one of its areas of responsibility, logging, tracking and archiving the division’s Pakistanrelated requests for information. Support during natural disasters is nothing new for UROC. The center proERDC PROVIDES SUPPORT FOLLOWING vided reachback capabilities following the PAKISTAN FLOOD Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and has LETTER FROM assisted ... GOVERNMENT NEWShurThe ERDC Corps of Engineers Reachduring almost every major back Operations Center (UROC) is ricane in the U.S. since that time. UROC providing support to the flood-ravaged also provided support following the recountry of Pakistan after the country was cent earthquake in Haiti. thrust into disaster following July and AuCurrently in Pakistan, the immediate gust monsoon rains. The BBC reported focus of reachback operations is on hythat nearly 2,000 Pakistanis died and more drology and the expansion of an airfield, than 21 million were injured or lost their which will allow for the accommodation homes. According to CNN, one-third of of additional aircrafts supporting relief the country was affected by the disaster efforts. It is expected to take at least five to PROFILE recover. and many remote villages wereTECHNOLOGY cut off af- years NEWSfor the country LEADER (Contributed by Megan Holland, ERDC ter roads and bridges were swept away. Public Affairs) UROC is providing reachback support to the U.S. Central Command and to U.S. personnel deployed to the affected areas. Submit Technology News items with high-resolution (300-dpi) electronic The center also is working with the U.S. images, to technews@same.org. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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Do you know of an outstanding SAME Member in the military or in private industry who has displayed outstanding leadership, or an SAME Sustaining Member company or Public Agency that has made eminent contributions to the A/E/C field?
If so, nominate them for one of SAME’s prestigious awards and medals. Each year, SAME honors outstanding individuals, and companies that have made notable contributions in support of the engineering profession, national security objectives and the SAME Strategic Plan.
SAME NATIONAL AWARDS INCLUDE: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS • Bliss Medal for education and student mentoring • Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award for outstanding mentoring efforts by an SAME Fellow • Goethals Medal for pre-eminence in engineering, design or construction • Paul R. Smith NCO Medal for outstanding leadership and contributions to military engineering and in support of the SAME mission by a noncommissioned officer • Post Service Award for significant service to SAME at the Post level • Student Leadership Medal for outstanding leadership in support of student development, mentoring and the SAME mission • Sverdrup Medal for engineering leadership by a uniformed Young Member • Technology Advancement Medal for initiative in the advancement and transfer of technology • Tudor Medal for engineering leadership by a civilian Young Member
• Urbahn Medal for pre-eminence in architecture • Walter O. Bachus Gold Medal for SAME lifetime achievement • Young Member Medal for outstanding leadership and accomplishments in support of the SAME mission AGENCY AND ORGANIZATION AWARDS • J.W. Morris Sustaining Member Award for eminent contributions to SAME by an SAME Sustaining Member organization (large company) • Public Agency Award for eminent contributions to SAME by an SAME Public Agency Member • Robert B. Flowers Small Business Award for eminent contributions to SAME by an SAME Small Business Sustaining Member • Seymour S. Greenfield Sustaining Member Award for eminent contributions to SAME by an SAME Sustaining Member organization (medium company)
A full listing of awards and nominations instructions are available at www.same.org/awards. The awards presentation will take place May 25, 2011, at the SAME Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo in Grapevine, Texas. Nominations for SAME Awards and Medals are due to the SAME Headquarters by Jan. 31, 2011. The Military Engineer • No. 669
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education & mentoring fund $570,000
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Being a sponsor or donor of the SAME Education & Mentoring Fund is a great way to support numerous SAME initiatives, including:
• Providing financial support to the SAME Engineering and Construction Camps to sustain their long term viability. • Providing financial support to other professional development, education and mentoring initiatives that will benefit SAME members. • Offering sponsorships for NCO, Young Member and College Award Winners to attend the annual SAME Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo. • Sponsorship of the annual Student Leadership Workshop, attended by representatives from 38 SAME Student Chapters.
With gratitude, SAME recognizes the following individuals, companies and organizations for their donations. 5 STAR—$25,000 Sundt Construction Inc. SAME Omaha Post Academy of Fellows
4–STAR—$10,000 The Benham Companies Parsons Stanley Consultants Jacobs CH2M HILL Lt. Gen. John W. Morris, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.)
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1–STAR—$2,500 Jean Jennings Brown In Memory of Gerald C. Brown Bryan C. Chu Earth Tech HNTB William J. Yang, P.E. Brig. Gen. & Mrs. Walter Bachus, P.E., USA (Ret.) Charles S. Higgins Jr., P.E., F.SAME
ANNUAL DONORS FOR 2010 PLATINUM LEVEL–$1,000 OR MORE Wade Cockburn Jill Jackson James Donovan GOLD LEVEL–$500 - $999 Manocher Jahanbin Jeanne LeBron Donna Weinkauf SILVER LEVEL – $250 - $499 Carl Baswell James Boykin William Brown Jay Graham King Charles Kubic Howard Mager Joe Patterson Michael Piper Terry Rice Earnest Robbins Sven Rodenbeck Andrew Rollins Nanda Sen BRONZE LEVEL–$50 - 249 Boby Aboesono Christopher Aceto Tanya Anderson Ardo Holmgrain Carnegie Askins Robert Atkins David Barragan Marsha Bates Edward Beck Joshua Biggers Suzanne Bilbrey William Blair Earnetta Brady Lloyd Brown John Browning
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John Lohr Paul Loudermilk Allan Lucht Raymond Lupe John Mactarnaghan Everett Maguire Lonnie Mansell Dayna Marcum Felipe Martin James Martin Tobin Martin Thomas Matzen Andrea McClure Michael McGeady James Meanor Maria Meeks Charles Merdinger James Metalios Brian Miller Kenneth Miller William Miller Warren Mitchell Victor Modeer Gareth Montgomery Edward Munns Martin Munoz James Myers Allen Nease Thomas Neel Eli Nemer Robert Neimann Carl Newsome Max Noah George Nyfeler Michael O’Bryan Timothy O’Rourke Leopold Ortiz Douglas Paulin Joshua Perry < Edward Phelan Tabitha Pierzchala Joni Powell Chris Puckett
Pamela Puckett Alan Quesnel Paul Ragusa Scott Ranalli Marvin Rees Lavern Reid Steven Richardson Andy Rider William Riehl Veronica Rife Robert Rizzieri Dave Robau Wilton Roberts George Robertson Ralph Robertson Richard Rogers Alejandro Rosado Ronald Rummell Gilbert Russell Richard Sabato Steven Sanders Timothy Sanford Michelle Schneider Stuart Scruggs John Selstrom Stephen Shepard Elvin Shields Gordon Simmons Francesca Singhas Timothy Smith Walter Smith Karl Sonnenberg Francis Speed Stephen Spohrer David Sroka Fred Stephanich Christopher Strunk Yipming Tang Andrew Tanton Deidre Teeter Bobby Templin Murphy Tuomey Robert Tyzzer
William Vonderschmidt Daniel Ward Howard Weber Alfred West Trentwell White Gregory Whittle Donald Wiese Daniel Williams David Yamamoto Roger Yankoupe David Yentzer Jonathon Zabrocki Michael Zuhlsdorf CONTRIBUTORS–UNDER $50 Ernest Aitchison Justin Beebe Ronald Brass Kenneth Bretsch Daniel Broxson Gordon Buchanan Diane Crouch William Doerres Jeffrey Franklin Geo. Bancroft Engineering Brian Hagemeier Howard Haiges Leroy Jauman Charles Kurtek Robert Lo Pinto Jeffrey McGowan Jacqueline Parks Joseph Pasquantino Mark Perodeau James Roy Marco Salazar Roy Singleton Gregory Smith William Stockhausen Russell Struckman Kevin Westbrook Harry Wills
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
In RevIew NCOs and officers, DOD civilians and private-sector leaders working in the A/E/C profession play a vital role in shaping the future of engineer support to our national security. The SAME Executive Forum brings together these leaders to discuss topics of shared interest with the goal of enhancing the public-private partnership. Set in the historic French Quarter in downtown New Orleans, La., the second annual SAME Executive Forum was held Nov.8-9, 2010. Summaries of each of the topic areas addressed are included in this insert, and complete reports are online at www.same.org/execforum.
The Military Engineer â&#x20AC;˘ No. 669
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Sustainable Installations: Policy to Practice FACILITATOR: Al Hurt, Bioengineering Group Seasoned high-level professionals from industry and government shared information, ideas and strategies concerning obstacles and solutions for addressing recently-established and rapidly-evolving goals for conservation of water, energy, and land to plan, design, implement and operate installations in a socially-, environmentally- and economically-sustainable manner. Expert panelists clarified the primary sources of current sustainability goals and policies. Multiple presidential executive orders and guiding principles are the key drivers, stemming from both the Bush and Obama administrations. Several participants questioned the Department of Defenseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (DOD) level of commitment to sustainability goals, and observed confusion and lack of clarity regarding their implementation. However, panelists concluded that the goals are real, the benefits worthwhile and initial experiences can guide ongoing project work on installations. Current construction bids are coming in 20 percent to 25 percent below estimates. Customers seek bid options such as enhanced energy and water efficiency that could tap the full amount while delivering lifecycle value and policy compliance, yet progress remains slow. One hindrance to greater progress is that planning, including scoping and budgeting, in past years was completed prior to the new mandates and current criteria.
Several illuminating discussions emerged: Does sustainable design cost more? Does it cost more than standard DOD designs, or well-planned designs that feature multi-purpose buildings with built-in efficiencies? Data from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and elsewhere confirms that good design costs little if anything more initially, and reduces cost during the operations and maintenance phase. How is lifecycle cost analysis being factored? DOD still uses construction cost rather than operating cost to drive decisions. How can the two become better linked with improved decision analysis? Panelists observed that energy and water master planning should occur, but personnel remain focused on implementing the next project, without planning. The Government Accountability Office has demanded major improvements to DODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s master planning process. Master planning currently lacks a focus on energy, which would support DOD accelerating renewable energy projects that merge greenhouse gas reduction and energy security. Perhaps a higher level of master planning, such as an enterprise model for the business of DOD, should be assessed? Return on investment and lifecycle cost analysis techniques should be improved and widely adopted. Many observations and anecdotes were shared about how rapid evolution of sustainable building practices is clashing
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with DODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s established habits and required procedures. For example, a large effort is required of design-build contractors to develop energy- and water-efficient proposals, yet the customer often is unwilling to take the risk of accepting a higher price, believing in the lifecycle value findings. Also, proposal reviewers are not always appropriately trained or tasked to be forward looking and to take future operations and maintenance savings into consideration. Participants suggested that design-build and early contractor involvement may be a part of the problem, as these systems do not readily allow for coordination with end users or parties responsible for operations and maintenance. Old-fashioned design-bid-build may offer more flexibility to coordinate with end users, and creatively tap rapidlyemerging best practices. Participants highlighted potential for private-sector funding to execute energy improvements for existing buildings, new construction and renewable energy generation. Power Purchase Agreements, enhanced-use leasing and Energy Savings Performance Contract arrangements can allow tapping private funds when government funds are not sufficient. Forum participants agreed that SAME can use webinars and other tools to update and disseminate information to promote evolving energy, water and green building methods, and promote culture change among DOD and industry partners.
The BIM panelists
Building Information Modeling FACILITATOR: Col. Marvin N. Fisher, LEED AP, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.), PBS&J The Building Information Modeling (BIM) discussion was complex, partially owing to the fact that BIM in itself is very complex. Various users, from technical professionals to entire organizations, use BIM models in different ways. Whether considered a design and construction documentation tool, an asset management aid, or a cost-estimating aid, the end result tended to influence the specifics within the discussion. BIM models were touted as a way to avoid design conflicts, and lessen construction time and cost, as well as protect an owner’s intelligent infrastructure investment by monitoring the performance of high-performance buildings over their lifecycles. It was noted that BIM is more than just “buildings,” and that BIM also benefits civil projects, entire campuses, utility systems and more. The discussion was lively regarding the varied uses and benefits of BIM, and the participants agreed the physical data about assets are often more valuable than the facility itself. Much of the discussion centered around the benefits and challenges of BIM, as well as on solutions and lessons learned. Topics included interoperability among various BIM platforms. The good news is that Application Programming Interfaces and the Construction Operations Building Information Exchange are making it easier to exchange information among software programs. Ownership of data, as well as liability associated with BIM models, are issues industry needs
The DOD Contracting panelists
to address. Many federal agencies are requiring BIM for design and construction, and these issues are important to resolve. Policy from the agencies has various levels of maturity. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will soon include both Bentley and Autodesk in its BIM Roadmap, allowing their ultimate client to dictate if one system is preferred over another—a more software-neutral position regarding BIM platform. USACE also is focusing more on installation support versus using BIM for design purposes only. USACE has been working with BIM since 2006, and several USACE districts have been designated BIM Centers of Expertise, including Omaha, Louisville, Huntsville and Fort Worth. The U.S. Air Force is focused on facility lifecycle in its BIM flight plan. Although the flight plan is in the formative stage, the Air Force is currently developing the list of necessary attributes that will be required within BIM models on Air Force projects. The General Services Administration (GSA) has a culture of pilot projects and is currently working on early concept design pilots. GSA requires that all projects with designs funded since 2007 will have a BIM spatial model. Yet to be solved is the issue of data ownership. What is liability for data accuracy, and what are the issues and limits of liability? More interaction is needed to develop the answers to these questions, including input from those in the A/E/C industry, from facility owners and software developers, and from the National Institute of Building Sciences’ buildingSMART alliance, which is looking at these issues as well as the entire discussion regarding BIM. SAME also will play a role in facilitating discussions around these topics.
DOD Contracting FACILITATOR: Capt. Michael Blount, P.E., USN (Ret.), Balfour Beatty Construction Discussions on contracting methods within the A/E/C industry focused on five major areas: Best Value Source Selection (BVSS) versus Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA); protests; multipleaward contracts; past performance questionnaires and evaluations; and small business contracts. The definition of “best value” differs from agency to agency and even among offices within the same agency. Agencies agreed there is no rule of thumb for the right price. Evaluations are performed on a project-by-project basis and technical evaluators only compare to evaluation criteria, essentially “checking the box.” The agencies present agreed that they want to maximize value within the stated budget for each project. “Best value” is preferred, as past performance is taken into account for the final selection instead of the lowest price. Agencies are moving towards streamlining consistency among regional offices; however, there are challenges, including staffing, workload and turnover. The ultimate goal is to give proposers more information and reduce pursuit costs. Agencies represented at this year’s forum are seeing an increase in protests across the board, but the result is usually corrective action, not reversal of a selection decision. The most frequent protest cases come from small business set-aside contract awards to entities that are not truly small businesses. A popular myth that protests create a “black mark” on a protestor was denounced as untrue. Typically, multiple-award contracts are
The MILCON Project Delivery panelists
composed of two steps, and the second phase is shortlisted to three to five firms because administrative costs are directly proportional to the number of firms shortlisted. Industry representatives confirmed that most contractors want only three firms per multiple-award contract, but all three must propose on the task orders to make it fiscally acceptable. A new policy currently being written, related to multiple award contracts, includes the term “on-off ramps.” This would be applied to shortlisted firms during a period of performance. Agencies will get rid of non-performers and will bring in firms to increase the competition pool. Agencies are currently rewriting policy so offerors can submit existing past performance questionnaires (PPQ) directly to the agency instead of inundating clients with new PPQs and expecting them to submit to the agency. However, the ultimate goal is to phase out PPQs and move towards accessing past performance evaluations through the Architect-Engineer Contract Administration Support System (ACASS) and Construction Contractor Appraisal Support System (CCASS). The challenge agencies are trying to overcome with this transition is that it precludes firms that do not currently have DOD experience. Also, designbuild pursuits do not have ACASS records, so PPQs need to be on file for the designers. To overcome these challenges, forum attendees proposed automated PPQs linked to ACASS or CCASS, which the agencies agreed to look into. Finally, the group discussed major changes related to small businesses, including a change in the small business subcontracting goal. Among them, by 2011, the Federal Acquisition Regulation will be changed to list penalties for not accomplishing small business goals.
MILCON Project Delivery FACILITATOR: Rad Delaney, AIA, LEED AP, Ewing Cole A mix of industry and federal agencies discussed current delivery choices and trends for the government. The government is using early contractor involvement (ECI) as an alternative to design-build, though there are still hurdles to overcome with legal interpretations, guidelines being developed and ECI’s relative infancy as a methodology for the government. Agencies are utilizing delivery models that make the most sense for their projects. Challenges include a number of congressional appropriations specifying design-build and the time constraints of award or mission, which necessitate the use of design-build as a delivery method. Customers and users continue to demonstrate resistance to design-build as a delivery method due to a belief that there is a loss of design decision-making control and operational efficiencies during occupancy. Industry sees the need to select a delivery model that matches up with the project and not forcing design-build unfairly. Though design-build has been in use longer, forum participants have experienced inconsistencies across agencies with the details. The group noted the ongoing change within industry with respect to architect-engineers and construction managers. Specifically given the federal bonding requirements and risk-averse nature of architect-engineers, there may be a shift of architect-engineers’ services to be owned by construction
managers. There was not total agreement among the roundtable group on this point. Industry continues to struggle with the basis of selections. Experience of industry specific to BVSS and LPTA selections seems consistent in that the decision is based on something different than the stated methodology. An increase in protests is occurring. Innovation is not limited to designbuild—the group agreed that any model can spur innovation; it just needs to be in the mindset of the team and to be promoted as a project goal. Clients need to drive innovation and the team needs to focus on the differentiators of the project to meet the client’s needs. There was consensus among forum participants that the request for proposals (RFP) process within the designbuild model have gotten extremely lengthy. Conversely, there is not agreement as to the merit of the length. Agencies have responded to lessons learned on user preferences, change orders and post occupancy operational needs adding provisions to the RFP. Agencies continue to seek consistency within their “boundaries” to support Industry. Agencies represented at the forum recognized the need to tighten source evaluation criteria and streamline the number of differentiators. Lastly, the agencies are forecasting a drop in their work due to the ending of Base Realignment and Closure and related programs. These agencies built up their workforce and will likely perform more in-house design-bid-build as a retention tool.
Joint Engineer Contingency Operations FACILITATORS: Col. Mike Flanagan, USA (Ret.), KBR, and CSM Rodney Craddock, USA (Ret.), USACE The by-invitation-only Joint Engineer Contingency Operations session began with introductions and a review of the rules of engagement for the session. The initial topic of discussion focused on Combatant Command force requirements and was led by a review of the engineer requirements of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), whose unique mission requires a need to engage the request-for-forces process whenever forces are required. The challenges faced by NORTHCOM when conducting joint operations with other government agencies were highlighted, leading to a discussion on interagency interaction and integration and how military engineers fit into this scenario. The unique challenges of interagency operations for CONUS and OCONUS interaction was discussed, and it was agreed that interagency operations would be a focus area for a future session. The next topic was the transformation of U.S. Army engineer units, how the transformation has affected unit availability and its impact on other services. The embedding of engineers into Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) lower the number of available engineer units to perform engineering missions in theater. A discussion of engineer unit command and
control in a theater of operations (as compared to embedded engineers in maneuver units) raised some interesting points. Some debate occurred as to the preferred method of command and control for engineer forces in theater and if enough engineer forces are available. Consensus was reached that all engineer headquarters need to be capable of commanding and controlling joint engineer forces, but that the services should retain their core competencies—not all engineers need to be “purple,” but their effects can be purple with the right force mix and command and control. Discussions also took place on command and control of the total force, which includes contractors on the battlefield in the area of operations. Joint operations also were a significant issue, with discussions revolving around training as a total force. In addition, the group discussed several means of facilitating training between senior leaders and government agencies and how SAME may be able to assist. Examples of potential audiences for interagency training included senior NCO service schools, pre-command courses, COCOM engineer conferences (proposed) and webbased training. The group also spent time discussing the importance of providing education to senior leaders in the area of contingency contracting and how to integrate such training into the Joint Engineer
Contingency Operations track that will take place at the SAME Joint Engineer Training Conference and Expo, May 2427, 2011, at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. Standardization of basic construction trades also was discussed in depth, both as a breakout session of senior NCOs and in the combined forum. The biggest concerns were standardizing the core curricula for each of the construction trades among each service to ensure all students receive identical instruction on the basics of each trade, as well as translating these basic standards to the private sector to create a common expectation for basic construction in contingency operations. The interface between military troop construction (and associated standards) and the assumption of operations and maintenance via a contractor also were discussed, and one subtopic was the applicable standards for construction outside the wire, to include Commanders Emergency Response Program projects and some Cooperative Theater Security Engagement projects. Lastly, the group identified a training gap among the services on urban and city planning and noted this as an area where SAME may be able to provide education assistance. The session ended with a commitment to continue to meet in the forum at least semi-annually.
Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System Tour More than 20 attendees of the 2010 SAME Executive Forum were treated to a briefing and tour of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) led by Col. Robert Sinkler, USA, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Hurricane Protection Office, a temporary task force composed of personnel from the USACE Mississippi Valley Division and its supporting districts and from across the nation. On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall at Buras, La., in Plaquemines Parish, about one hour south of New Orleans. The storm was moving with Category 5 strength less than 12 hours prior to landfall and generated a 28-ft storm surge and 55-ft waves. The damage wrought by the storm was unprecedented. Approximately 80 percent of New Orleans
was flooded to depths exceeding 15-ft in many areas. Surge and waves caused 50 major levee breaches in the regional storm protection system. Thirty-four of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 71 pumping stations were damaged, and 169-mi of the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 350-mi of protective structures were compromised. More than 1,500 lives were lost. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hurricane Katrina is the costliest natural disaster ever to occur in the U.S. However, five years and $15 billion in work later, USACE is on track to complete construction of the HSDRRS by the beginning of the 2011 hurricane season. Tour attendees were shown the nearlycomplete, 10,000-ft-long Lake Borgne Surge Barrier located east of downtown and the towering new floodwalls immediately adjacent. The surge barrier spans
Lake Borgne near the confluence of the Gulf Intracostal Waterway and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, and is designed to prevent storm surge from reaching New Orleans proper from Lake Bornge or the Gulf of Mexico. Col. Sinkler and several Hurricane Protection Office personnel were on hand to answer questions and provide further detail on the project scope and completion timeline. (Supplemented with USACE text)
Society of American Military Engineers is proud to present the
FY12 DOD and Federal Agency PrOgrAm BrieFings
march 23, 2011 arlington, va
registration opens January 2011 The Department of Defense (DOD) and Federal Agency Program Briefings will showcase the planned initiatives in the President’s FY 2012 budget. This all-day forum will provide SAME Sustaining Member Companies with the appropriate contacts and valuable information needed for future contracting opportunities with DOD and other federal agencies.
In addition to our informative Engineering Service Chiefs Panel, this event will feature high-ranking officials from the following organizations: • • • • •
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Civil Works and Military Programs U.S. Air Force Office of the Civil Engineer and the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command U.S. Coast Guard Office of Civil Engineering U.S. Army Installation Management Command and U.S. Navy Commander Navy Installations Command • U.S. General Services Administration • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
www.same.org/DOD
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Rear Adm. Sven E. Rodenbeck, P.E., USPHS The Chief Engineer of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) discusses the value of professional certification, the duties of USPHS engineers, the service’s role in disaster response and how SAME can help. TME: Give our readers a snapshot of your responsibilities and of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) engineering category. How many officers and civilians are in the category, and will its size change over the next several years? ADM. RODENBECK: As the USPHS Chief Engineer, I provide advice and consultation on public health engineering matters to the Surgeon General and the American public. This requires that I and my fellow USPHS engineers and architects provide 50
the best scientific information available on how to improve the health of our fellow citizens and reduce the risk of illness and injury. We accomplish this, in part, by designing and constructing water treatment and delivery systems and wastewater collection, treatment and disposal systems for underserved populations. USPHS engineers also conduct research and evaluations to reduce workers’ exposures to occupational safety and health hazards; evaluate medical devices and electronic products at federal testing facilities; and inspect domestic and international facilities where these products are manufactured. We provide facilities management, planning and construction services for healthcare delivery facilities and laboratory research complexes. In addition, USPHS engineers are involved with the identification, assessment, evaluation and reduction of the health risks associated with hazardous waste sites, unplanned releases of haz-
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ardous substances and environmental contamination or pollution. This requires that we have engineers and architects in specialties from traditional chemical, electrical, mechanical and civil engineering disciplines to the emerging biomedical, computer and environmental specialties. The everevolving prevention and healthcare needs of our nation will require that we recruit additional engineers and architects. Currently there are more than 1,200 engineers and architects within the Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 430 of these engineers are USPHS Commissioned Officers. The remaining engineers and architects are civil service employees. Together we form a dynamic team of professionals that are protecting, promoting and advancing the health and safety of our nation. TME: What is the mission of USPHS engineers? ADM. RODENBECK: For approximately the first 100 years after the creation of the Marine Hospital Service in 1798 (the earliest component of USPHS), the USPHS mission was almost exclusively focused on providing healthcare to merchant seamen. By the beginning of the 20th century, the service’s duties were expanding to include epidemic containment and quarantine of ships docking in U.S. ports and determining the causes of these public health threats. These efforts began to show a clear correlation between environmental factors, exposures to disease vectors and adverse impact on the health of affected populations. Walter Wyman, who served as Surgeon General from 1891 to 1911, reported that “There should be attached to the Bureau a sanitary engineer of high professional standing, competent to solve technical problems connected with the purification of water and sewage, the prevention of pollution of interstate streams and other matters involving knowledge of Sanitary Engineering.” The first USPHS engineer, Harry P. Letton, joined the service in 1913 and was soon followed by 45 more sanitary engineers. The value of USPHS engineers was immediately demonstrated with the issuance of the first PHS Drinking Water
The Military Engineer • No. 669
Standard in 1914. This standard was revised in 1925, 1941, 1946 and 1962. In fact, the current nitrate U.S. Safe Drinking Water Standard was originally developed by USPHS engineers. The USPHS was militarized during World War I and World War II, and the need for sanitation drove its primary mission to contain outbreaks of disease in and around the rapidly expanding U.S. military installations and war-critical industry sites. USPHS engineers quickly expanded their role into industrial hygiene in and around the war-critical industries of munitions and equipment. They also were involved with the construction and operation of the additional hospitals needed to care for the thousands of injured and sick war veterans (the forerunner to the Department of Veterans Affairs). Because of the importance of engineering to public health, the Surgeon General appointed the first Chief Engineer, Rear Adm. John K. Hoskins, to advise him on engineering issues in 1943. Other notable USPHS engineering actions include the 1948 investigation of deaths associated with the air pollution in the steel town of Donora, Pa. This action launched the USPHS into an era of air and environment pollution investigations that continues to this day. By 1953, USPHS engineers at the Taft Sanitary Engineering Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, were regularly conducting investigations in all areas of environmental concern, including milk, food, shellfish, interstate carrier, municipal and world sanitation, radiological health, hygiene and housing. In 1959, Congress passed legislation that directed USPHS to improve the health of Native American/Alaska Natives by providing safe drinking water and sewer services. To date, more than 90 percent of Native American/Alaska Native homes have been provided with improved drinking water and sewer services, which has dramatically reduced the postneonatal and gastroenteric mortality rates of this population. Too many of our citizens still do not have access to safe drinking water. Proper management of hazardous materials and waste products will continue to require engineering solutions and leadership. Our built and workplace environments have direct impacts on our
USPHS PHOTO
health, and USPHS engineers and architects provide the solutions. We need to assure that effective and safe medical devices are available. The ever-changing climate of our planet and our need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels also will require the insight and leadership of public health engineers and architects. These are only a few of the public health challenges that USPHS engineers and architects address. TME: What is the USPHS mission in response to natural and manmade disasters such as the attack on the World Trade Center, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the earthquake in Haiti? ADM. RODENBECK: USPHS engineers are an important component of the Department of Health and Human Services emergency response capabilities. During the World Trade Center response, USPHS engineers provided expertise in occupational safety and health, and environmental health. This included taking air samples and interpreting the results in areas immediately adjacent to the debris pile and on personnel actively involved in rescue efforts on or in the vicinity of the debris pile to characterize occupation exposures during the disaster response. USPHS engineers also assisted the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with the “Ambient and Indoor Sampling for Public Health Evaluations of Residential Areas near the World Trade Center.” This investigation was the first government effort 51
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LEADER PROFILE to address World Trade Center-related HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE contamination that entered nearby residential buildings. During the responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the capabilities of USPHS engineers were not only utilized in purely engineering roles but also in logistics and leadership. Throughout the impact area, our engineers were involved with vector control, drinking water, wastewater, solid waste and debris, and hazardous chemical recovery issues. Our technical experts assisted local officials to ensure that safe and healthy solutions were utilized. The earthquake response in Haiti presented its own unique challenges, particularly with the total collapse of all infrastructures. By working with our military colleagues and non-governmental organizations, we advised the Haitians on how to best address the complex environmental health issues they were facing. For example, USPHS engineers, along with U.S. Navy Seabees, assisted in reestablishing safe drinking water for several towns just outside Port-au-Prince.
ENGINEERS IN ACTION
SAME PHOTO
Adm. Rodenbeck (second from left) appears at the Engineering Service Chiefs Panel at the SAME FY11 DOD and Federal Program Briefings in March 2010 in Arlington, Va.
TME: How did you become interested in USPHS and what advice would you give students about becoming a USPHS officer?
TME: You are a registered professional engineer and have several other certifications. What is your advice to USPHS engineers on obtaining the Professional Engineer license and other certifications?
ADM. RODENBECK: My parents instilled in me and my brother (a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer) a strong desire to serve our country. In addition, my father, an Army colonel, has been our primary role model. So when it came time to look for my first professional job, I mainly looked at the public sector. It was pure happenstance that I found out about USPHS engineering careers. I noticed an announcement on the Environmental Engineering Department job board, and I sent in the 3-in by 5-in card requesting more information. After obtaining the standard recruiting information and exchanging several letters with the Chief of Staff to the USPHS Chief Engineer, I decided USPHS was the best fit for me. I have never regretted the path that I have taken. I would advise college students to listen to their hearts and decide how best to harness their inner drive. If they want to take up the challenge of protecting, promoting and advancing the health and safety of our nation, we would love to have them serve with us.
ADM. RODENBECK: I strongly believe that professional registration or certification is an important part of an engineer’s or architect’s career. By obtaining a P.E. license or other certification, you are demonstrating your continued growth as a professional. It also provides the public that we serve with a sense of your level of achievement and commitment. Which registration or certification that an individual obtains really depends upon the career path the individual chooses. For example, engineers assigned to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) probably wouldn’t find a P.E. license that meets their professional needs. But certification in quality control procedures would likely be beneficial for FDA engineers involved with inspecting pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing facilities because assuring a high level of quality control is paramount at those types of facilities. On the other hand, our engineers assigned to the Indian Health Service need to obtain a P.E. license, as they do a fair amount of in-house design.
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TME: How does SAME support USPHS engineers and architects? ADM. RODENBECK: As a uniformed service, our involvement with SAME is a natural fit. We have continuing education needs similar to those of our fellow military colleagues, particularly in the area of facilities construction and operation. In addition, SAME assists in our ability to foster work relationships that enhance our capabilities, particularly during times of national emergencies and humanitarian missions. For example, USPHS has for a number of years been a primary partner on the Navy’s Continuing Promise and Pacific Partnership humanitarian missions. These missions have demonstrated how Navy and USPHS personnel bring their different engineering experiences together to effectively resolve complex problems. SAME can and has helped foster those collaborative efforts. SAME also helps us spread the word about USPHS and the vital service we are providing to our nation. It also provides us with the opportunity to inform our private-sector colleagues about potential projects they can get involved with. I look forward to our continued involvement with SAME.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
Society of American Military Engineers
Academy of Fellows 2011 Golden Eagle Awards Dinner March 24, 2011 Join us in honoring the 2010 Golden Eagle Award recipients
Rear Adm. Benjamin F. Montoya, F.SAME, USN (Ret.) For outstanding contributions to the engineering profession
Adm. Thad Allen, USCG (Ret.) For dedication and contributions to national security
The 2011 Golden Eagle Awards dinner is a black-tie event that will include a cocktail reception with an open bar, three-course dinner, live entertainment and the presentation of the prestigious Golden Eagle Awards. RegistRation opens JanuaRy 2011
Table sponsorships and individual tickets available!
www.same.org/GoldenEagle The Golden Eagle Awards Dinner is open to all SAME members and invited guests. The Military Engineer â&#x20AC;˘ No. 669
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ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
Cleanup and Closure at Camp Navajo BY LT. COL. WILLIAM M. MYER, PG, USA After assuming the lead role in conducting the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure of munitions detonation operations at Camp Navajo in 2000, the Army National Guard is set to implement post-closure care in spring 2011. Camp Navajo, Ariz., built by the U.S. Army in 1942, served as an active munitions depot until 1994. As part of the installation’s storage mission, disposal of military munitions by open burn/open detonation (OB/OD) had been conducted from 1942 through 1994. In 1982, Camp Navajo applied through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to continue the active OB/OD disposal mission. The Arizona Army National Guard (AZ-ARNG), through an agreement with Army Materiel Command, was responsible for active depot operations from 1982 until 1993. As a result of the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC), Camp Navajo was licensed to the Arizona National Guard in 1994 for industrial and military training use. Although Army Environmental Command conducted initial RCRA closure activities from 1993 to 2000 under BRAC, the National Guard Bureau (Guard) in 2000 assumed responsibility for conducting the OD/OB closure operations. The Guard and the AZ-ARNG have successfully executed risk-based characterization and cleanup actions following the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) process. The Camp Navajo RCRA closure has been well received by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and the Guard has identified several valuable lessons learned associated with responsive stakeholder communications, outlining a clear closure strategy, and applying innovative technical approaches.
COMMUNICATIONS
PHOTO COURTESY CH2M HILL
A white phosphorous 81-mm mortar is disposed of by open detonation at Camp Navajo, Ariz., in spring 2010. A total of 11,178 munitions and explosives of concern were destroyed as part of the RCRA closure project.
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In all projects, an understanding of the various stakeholders, lines of communication and key decision makers is critical. Identifying and defining the role of key stakeholders can be very complicated with multiple Army cleanup programs and multiple regulatory stakeholders, each with different regulatory enforcement authorities, goals and objectives. Prior to 2000, none of the Camp Navajo closure project stakeholders had a clear understanding of the decision makers and process, and a consensus closure approach and process was not defined. In an attempt to resolve the stakeholder’s communication issue, the Guard developed a management action plan to identify the stakeholders in the two cleanup programs and their roles and lines of authority. The plan outlined a tiered conflict resolution process between the Guard and ADEQ, the two primary decision makers. The resolution process played a signifi55
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING cant role in resolving communication issues, primarily because it identified—by organization and title—the person responsible for resolving the issue. The process comprised three tiers: ADEQ’s Federal Projects Unit Manager and the Guard’s Remedial Program Manager; then the ADEQ Waste Programs Division Director and the ARNG Cleanup and Restoration Branch Chief; and finally the ADEQ Director and the Director of the ARNG Environmental Division. The resolution process proved effective on both the RCRA closure project and the Installation Restoration Program (IRP). The management action plan played a significant role in the development and approval of the closure strategy as well as other investigation, remediation and closure processes. The plan demonstrated to all stakeholders that the Guard was committed to open communications and involvement of the key stakeholders in decision making.
RCRA CLOSURE STRATEGY
Initial discussions with ADEQ on the closure process for IRP and RCRA sites in the OB/OD area focused on how munitions and explosives of concern would be addressed and ADEQ’s requirement to address them within each site’s boundary as defined in the conceptual site model. In the OB/OD area there were two sites that generated the munitions. One OD site consisted of more than 265 detonations pits used to destroy conventional munitions ranging. Another site was located within the floor of a canyon adjacent to the 265 pits and was primarily used to demilitarize 81-mm mortar white phosphorous munitions. The munitions kick-out from the two sites was distributed laterally across adjacent RCRA and IRP sites within the boundaries of the OB/OD area. In February 2004, the Guard proposed a unique closure strategy—consisting of three components—to address the munitions for the sites in the OB/OD area. 1. Use the CERCLA risk-based cleanup process to investigate, remediate and closeout all sites (both IRP and RCRA) under the direction of ADEQ and in coordination with the ADEQ Hazardous Waste Permit Unit. 2. Separately address munitions and explosives of concern contamination generated from detonation activities 56
and chemical contamination generated from historical activities such as propellant burning. 3. Focus and condition closure of the RCRA interim status permit based upon the sites identified in the initial RCRA permit application. This allowed the individual chemical contamination sites to be addressed quickly by familiar and traditional methods, while munitions were addressed on a site-wide basis. Upon closing out or implementing the final remedy under CERCLA, the RCRA sites requiring longterm care will transition to an RCRA post-closure permit. The key to success of this approach was receiving regulatory approval of the munitions closure strategy for the detonation sites. The Guard was able to accelerate the closure of six RCRA sites and 12 IRP sites for chemical contamination in the OB/OD area.
INNOVATIVE TECHNICAL APPROACHES
As the Guard completes the CERCLA process for the RCRA and IRP sites in the OB/OD area and prepares to transition into the RCRA post-closure permitting process, two concerns remained between ADEQ and the Guard. The first concern was the munitions characterization approach for the detonation sites and defining a zero-line (no munitions present). The Guard proposed the following characterization approach to ADEQ: • Create 200-ft by 200-ft grids across the study area and characterize a select number of randomly-chosen grid cells. • Evaluate munitions distribution against the conceptual site model. • Generate statistical confidence of munitions spatial distribution. • Develop estimated quantities of munitions remaining. The munitions characterization data were used to determine the munitions density and zero-line in support of a risk assessment to evaluate potential future land uses and support remedial decisions for the detonation sites. The characterization process allowed stakeholders to agree on the location of the zero-line, which in turn focused the remedy decisions for the proposed AZ-ARNG future land use of military training. The zero-line reduced the study area from 5,000 acres to 2,500 acres. The detonation kick-out areas were surface-cleared, reducing the restricted
area by another 1,800 acres. The characterization and cleanup effort resulted in more than 4,300 acres being returned to military training use. Munitions remain in the remaining 700 acres due to the presence of highly sensitive and dangerous sub-munitions. The second concern was groundwater monitoring beneath the OB/OD area. It is technically impracticable to conduct a groundwater investigation in the primary sources areas due to the depth of the groundwater, which is 1,500-ft below land surface, and complex hydrogeology. The cost of such an investigation, coupled with the technical complexity of interpreting physical groundwater data, was not considered feasible or effective by the Army or ADEQ. However, ADEQ required some type of groundwater monitoring for the remaining sub-munitions area to comply with the RCRA post-closure regulations. To meet the groundwater monitoring data requirements, the Guard proposed installing vadose zone monitoring wells within the sub-munitions area. In spring 2009, the Guard installed twenty wells with screens at the soil-bedrock interface 2-ft to 30-ft below the surface. The wells are capturing the spring snow melt and surface water runoff as it infiltrates the unsaturated zone where munitions remain. The wells are providing adequate and representative data at a significantly reduced cost that will comply with postclosure requirements.
CONCLUSION
Involving key stakeholders in the decision-making process and developing innovative closure strategies and technical approaches has been the key to a successful RCRA closure project. The Guard is scheduled to submit the RCRA post-closure permit and implement the post-closure care in spring 2011. More than 4,300 acres have been returned to the AZ-ARNG for training use. The CERCLA remediation activities resulted in 11,718 munitions and explosives of concern items recovered and destroyed; 384,640-lbs of munitions debris recycled; and 731,030-lbs of range-related debris recycled. Lt. Col. William M. Myer, PG, USA, is a War College Fellow, Army Environmental Policy Institute; 703-604-2343, bill.myer@us.army.mil.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PHOTO COURTESY AMEC
Scott Kranz, a project manager with contractor AMEC, displays a handful of the 25 million lead bullets recovered during a sustainable remediation action at Camp Withycombe, Ore., which has served as a training site for the Oregon Army National Guard since 1909.
Innovative Cleanup Technologies BY BRAD CHRISTENSEN, M.SAME The Department of Defense is supporting the development of new and improved site remediation methods at installations across the United States. Innovative technologies are enabling firing ranges and other military sites to be assessed and remediated faster, more efficiently and at less cost than traditional techniques. In one example, a demonstration project in North Carolina contracted by the U.S. Navy in cooperation with the Department of Defense (DOD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) may have great significance for the discovery and removal of
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unexploded ordnance (UXO) from coastal and inland waters. At an active Army training site in Oregon, a Secretary of the Army award-winning sustainable remediation program resulted in the salvaging of nearly 30,000-T of soil, while new site investigation technologies are advancing the accuracy of remedial investigations elsewhere at the same installation.
UNDERSEA SURVEYING
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an estimated one million acres of underwater environment along U.S. coastlines are impacted by military munitions. A demonstration project off the coast of Brown’s Island, N.C., a shipto-shore and on-shore firing range active from the 1940s through the 1980s on the Atlantic coastal perimeter of Marine Corps Camp Lejeune, employed a prototype underwater towed-array system to
locate and map potential military munitions. The array system was designed to map UXO geophysically, with improved control over sensor position from other systems. The new system, which is towed by a jet boat, includes an electromagnetic metal detector, a downrigging towbar, a hydrofoil underwater sensor and positioning equipment. The positioning equipment includes GPS receivers, a bottom-depth transducer and side- and front-looking sonar. Ninety-seven acres at a rate of two acres per hour were surveyed off the coast of Brown’s Island. More than 100 metallic anomalies, each with an electro-magnetic amplitude of at least 75-millivolts (mV), were mapped at depths of up to 30-ft. Sixty anomalies were then verified by divers armed with GPS receivers and handheld metal detectors. Nearly 97 percent of 57
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING the anomalies were found within 2-M of where they had been mapped. The items mapped and identified included 105-mm HEAT tank ammunition and a 2.25-in-diameter aircraft rocket projectile. The dive results even turned up several metal firing range warning signs. Despite troublesome Atlantic Ocean breakers and bad weather, the demonstration project was completed successfully in July 2010. According to one project manager, the fact that these results were obtained under unusually difficult conditions indicates that the technology could easily be deployed in many other areas off the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts as well as in inland waters. Because the demonstration was performed for the Navy and ESTCP, the technology likely will be used in investigations and remedial actions under DOD’s Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP). MMRP is responsible for investigating and cleaning up former range areas that are known or suspected of containing UXO, discarded military munitions and munitions constituents.
SUSTAINABLE REMEDIATION
At the Oregon Army National Guard’s (ORARNG) Camp Withycombe, which has been an active training site since 1909, contractors employed a money-saving “green” remediation technology. The technology was used to remove lead from the camp’s six former small arms firing ranges. The project was fast-tracked for completion in preparation for the Sunrise Highway Corridor, a major state highway development set for construction through the former ranges. During the project, 270-T of lead—approximately 25 million bullets—was removed from 27,000-T of soil. Soil with a lead concentration of more than 400mg/kg was excavated and treated using a multi-component soil screening process and a water-based gravity-separation process to remove particulate lead and bullets. Phosphate amendment was added to soil when needed to reduce the leachable lead concentration below the 5-mg/L limit for characterization as a hazardous waste. The lead was recycled, with revenue reinvested in the program, and the cleaned soil was reclaimed and reused for beneficial use. Asphalt and base rock for the project’s one-acre treatment pad also 58
were recycled, as were 62-T of scrap metal and steel generated during the project. All water used in the process was treated and reused for irrigation of new vegetation in the project area. Had a traditional approach been taken, all of the excavated contaminated soil would have been hauled 120-mi through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to a hazardous waste landfill. This would have required more than 1,480 roundtrip truck trips, 355,200-mi travelled and 83,000-G of diesel fuel spent, resulting in the emission of 1.8-million-lbs of carbon dioxide and nearly 1,000-lbs of particulate matter. Under the green remediation strategy, nearly 30,000-T of hazardous waste was converted into reusable material in just six months and at a cost savings of more than $5 million. Furthermore, a national scenic area was protected from significant environmental harm. As a result, ORARNG was presented the 2009 Secretary of the Army Environmental Restoration Award. The project demonstrated that readilyavailable processing equipment from the gravel and rock mining, pulp and paper, and water treatment industries can be repurposed and engineered into a highly efficient green remediation system.
PIONEERING SITE INVESTIGATION
Also underway at Camp Withycombe is a remedial investigation at two munitions response sites, known as West MRS and East MRS, that are suspected of containing munitions and explosives of concern, including discarded military munitions and UXO. West MRS covers 134 acres and consists of the developed portion of Camp Withycombe, including former range land and open fields, as well as multiple buildings and other structures. A portion of West MRS is planned for development beginning in 2012 as part of the Sunrise Highway Corridor. East MRS consists of 100 acres of forested hillside slopes, portions of which were used as impact areas for small arms, mortar and artillery training. East MRS also contains several undocumented waste burial pits suspected of containing discarded military munitions, munitions constituents and other contaminants. Digital geophysical mapping will be used to identify locations potentially containing munitions and buried waste.
Currently under development is another technology that if successful could save DOD hundreds of millions of dollars in site-investigation and groundwatercleanup costs. The technology would offer a means of rapid, high-resolution, realtime mapping of source zones of dense chlorinated solvents that cannot be precisely defined using current technology. These denser-than-water contaminants include trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), which are among the most common found in groundwater at DOD sites. Current technology, known as laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), is able to quickly delineate certain categories of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contaminants that naturally fluoresce. However, many types of NAPLs such as dense chlorinated solvents known as DNAPLs, natural gas condensates, monoaromatic petroleum hydrocarbons and aviation gas do not naturally fluoresce. DNAPLs such as PCE and TCE are particularly troublesome because they can seep to depths hundreds of feet below ground surface. The inability to accurately delineate DNAPL source zones is a major impediment to aquifer cleanup programs around the world. The proposed technology would solve this problem by being able to detect any type of NAPL in the subsurface, regardless of its composition and innate ability to fluoresce. Through the process, a hydrophobic, partitioning fluorescent dye is injected through a port in the LIF probe a few inches ahead of the LIF detector. If NAPL is present, the dye will dissolve into it and begin to fluoresce. Based on successful initial laboratory testing and letters of support from the Navy and others, ESTCP has agreed to fund a field demonstration project of the new LIF technology. The top candidate sites for the demonstration project are the former Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda Point, Calif., NAS North Island, Calif., and Hangar K at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Brad Christensen, M.SAME, is External Communications Director, Earth & Environmental Division, AMEC; 480-940-2320 or brad.christensen@amec.com.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Sustainable Remediation: An Emerging Approach BY CHRISTOPHER CARLEO, JOHN RYAN and DAVE WOODWARD The green and sustainable remediation approach integrates sustainability in all phases of a remediation project from initial site investigation through site closure. While environmental remediation may inherently seem green and sustainable, site remediation activities often have significant impacts, including air emissions, water consumption, energy utilization, landfilling and resource consumption. Beyond these physical impacts, businesses and organizations tasked with environmental site cleanups are often subject to additional and equally significant project dimensions—requiring that community concerns and broader economic issues be addressed in site remediation plans.
Green and sustainable remediation (GSR) encompasses three areas: environmental performance; social impacts and performance; and economic or financial performance. Environmental performance at a remediation site includes technologies, approaches and designs that reduce or mitigate the environmental impacts of site cleanup activities using less resources and energy and producing lower emissions than conventional approaches. Social impacts include project approaches and remedial alternatives that provide a benefit to the community and that were developed and defined through a stakeholder engagement process. Economic or financial performance includes project procedures and remedial actions that are cost efficient and reduce the risks associated with the site for a lower cost when compared to conventional approaches. When properly implemented, GSR approaches maximize the positive social and economic outcomes involved
with site cleanup and minimize the unintended environmental impacts. The term “green remediation” is generally used in the context of reducing the environmental footprint of a site cleanup by using technologies and best management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, energy use, air pollution and noise. At the same time, green remediation promotes the use of renewable energy and resources, recycling and waste minimization, and land revitalization. One example might involve using solar power to generate electricity used during a site cleanup project. “Sustainable remediation” is a broader concept that builds on the environmental components by integrating social and economic considerations in the remedy evaluation, selection and implementation process. For example, through engagement of community stakeholders, determining that park space is the highest and best end-use for a site and adapt-
IMAGE COURTESY AECOM
This award-winning stream remediation and restoration used vegetation and conservation features to mitigate exposure, developed wetlands features to optimize stormwater treatment and detention, optimized contaminant removal with low-cost natural processes and engineered photolysis, and created multiuse open space from formerly contaminated urban space.
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ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING ing the remedial design to allow that goal to be achieved. In this case, to offset the cost of constructing the park and having the advantage of defining activity and use limitations for the site, the contaminants might be contained on site and integrated into the design of the site.
WHY GSR?
Several factors make GSR an attractive option for a remediation program. For starters, growing awareness and acceptance of GSR concepts among federal and state governmental agencies could help other public agencies and corporations develop better and more cost-effective remedies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states of New York, Illinois and Wisconsin have developed and promoted increased acceptance and guidance on GSR. GSR is consistent with and supports an organization’s overarching sustainability program and policy, and organizations that have developed sustainable remediation policies or programs or use GSR regularly—including the Department of Defense, multinational manufacturers and major oil companies—have already realized significant benefits. Furthermore, regarding social impact, the stakeholder engagement component of GSR—if executed correctly—will lead to the identification of remedial actions that satisfy community and economic goals. As a result, GSR solutions enhance community relations and good will while providing less resource-intensive and more costeffective remedies. GSR is particularly relevant to federal government and federally-operated or federally-funded remediation projects in the United States. Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, issued in October 2009, mandates that federal agencies: increase energy efficiency; measure, report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions; conserve and protect water resources; eliminate waste, recycle and prevent pollution; strengthen the vitality and livability of the communities in which federal facilities are located; as well as take responsibility for other sustainability activities. Passive, lower-energy and in-situ technologies generally provide better results in a GSR evaluation when compared to pump-and-treat and large, 60
energy-intensive remedial construction projects, which yield larger environmental footprints and greater greenhouse gas emissions.
“Organizations that have developed sustainable remediation policies or programs or use GSR regularly have already realized significant benefits.” EXPLORING GSR AT THE ENTERPRISE OR PROJECT LEVEL?
First and foremost, it is important to identify the business case specific to an organization. It could be to align a site remediation program with a sustainability program or to better understand and mitigate the unintended consequences of site cleanup projects. Whatever the basis, the business case will drive the organizational framework for a GSR program. Following this, there are a variety of “first steps” that can be taken to get started, including the following: • Identify the overall program objectives and the metrics necessary to evaluate for each project, and track and report on them. • Establish a baseline for existing remedial projects against which to measure applicable metrics. This can include energy consumption, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, etc. • Develop a checklist to evaluate projects throughout the remedial investigation, feasibility study, remedial design and remedial assessment lifecycle to identify opportunities. • Identify projects for pilot implementation of green remedial process optimization, such as alternative energy applications including using geothermal energy, renewable energy, or waste reduction. • Identify projects where adaptive reuse of contaminated sites fits with expansion or retrofit of base facility development, e.g., a new campus for training. • Develop “green investigation” protocols, using less invasive technologies for site characterization.
• Identify a project in the feasibility study stage and complete an evaluation of sustainable metrics for the alternatives. The first phase would include development of a metrics proposal for engagement with agencies.
KEY GSR CONSIDERATIONS
EPA recommends that project teams consider the following five core elements to reduce the environmental footprint of cleanups: energy; air; water; land and ecosystems; and materials and waste. These elements could be considered either qualitatively or quantitatively for a specific alternative during a feasibility study, or as part of remedy optimization. One approach is to consider sustainability at different stages of the remediation lifecycle including: site investigation; feasibility study or response action plan; remedial design; remedial action implementation or construction management; and operations, monitoring and maintenance. Such an approach could integrate environmental, social and economic factors to ensure that the remedial approach minimizes the environmental footprint of the cleanup while maximizing the societal and economic benefits. Many site remediation projects have successfully implemented GSR approaches. With the growing awareness and preference for GSR solutions, more technology, tools and guidance materials are becoming available, including many tools to enable the evaluation of key GSR metrics. For example, the U.S. Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE) developed the Sustainable Remediation Tool (SRT), which can be used to evaluate selected sustainability metrics, such as greenhouse gas emissions and water use for certain common remediation technologies. SRT is a freeware that is available through the AFCEE technology transfer website at www.afcee.af.mil.
Christopher Carleo is Vice President, Environment, John Ryan is Green and Sustainable Remediation Practice Lead and Dave Woodward is Director of Remediation Technologies, AECOM. They can be reached at 978-589-3122 or chris.carleo@aecom.com, 360-468-4745 or john.ryan@aecom.com, and 717-796-8004 or dave.woodward@aecom.com, respectively.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PHOTO BY T. DAILEY
Workers search the waters off the beaches at Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., for signs of practice munitions as part of a Formerly Used Defense Sites project. USACE, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Trustees of Reservations are working together to ensure beach areas are clear of practice munitions.
Collaboration in the Corps BY JAMES B. BALOCKI, P.E., SES Through hard work and an increased emphasis on inter-organizational teamwork, USACE is making strides in living up to its role as the nation’s environmental engineer. When an organization manages one of the largest federal environmental missions in the United States, there can be immense challenges, especially when the agency’s goal is to build a strong, sustainable environment for future generations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is up to those challenges. It is charged with restoring degraded ecosystems, constructing sustainable facilities, regulating waterways and managing natural resources, and cleaning up contaminated sites from past military activities. Its responsibility is to deliver environmentally-sound projects and services for the nation. The scope and magnitude of environmental issues that USACE addresses makes it unique among federal agencies. But addressing complex issues such as sustainability, climate change, water man-
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agement, green economics and ecosystem restoration require broad systems approaches. These challenges are complex, touching the mission areas of a wide variety of organizations, and they cannot be solved by any one agency alone. There is not one single solution. Instead there are multiple scenarios and options, all of which must be considered. Trulyenduring solutions are built from collaboration. USACE cannot solve these problems on its own, and must work and find common ground with others to find the best solutions. Collaboration is the key. It’s not a new concept for USACE, which has been focusing efforts on strengthening partnerships during the past several years. It’s imperative now, in these times of diminishing resources, that USACE intensifies its collaborative efforts. Collaboration must go beyond working within the Department of Defense to include other federal agencies, states, tribes, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia and the public. USACE must be fully inclusive of the best resources outside the organization. True collaboration will make decisions better, more innovative and help ensure that American taxpayers receive enduring, integrated solutions to the environmental challenges we face.
FINDING A COMMON GOAL
An example that illustrates the value of collaboration can be found in the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program cleanup efforts at the former Blaine Naval Ammunition Depot in Hastings, Neb. Although going through the Formal Dispute Resolution Process may not seem on first blush to be an example of successful collaboration, it does demonstrate that when there are diverse parties determined to come to an equitable solution, using all tools and techniques available can pay dividends in the end. At the 48,000-acre site, which produced 40 percent of World War II and Korean Conflict naval munitions, the major issue is cleaning up nearly 7-mi2 of solvent-contaminated groundwater. After much negotiation, USACE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached agreement on the major technical requirements of a remedy, but an impasse remained on land use control language to include in the record of decision. Employing the formal dispute resolution process resulted in a September 2010 record of decision for the site. Working through the process showed that it can be a tool to achieve resolution, it helps identify “need” and “wants,” it helps put the motivations of all parties into focus. These collaborative efforts identified mu61
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
USACE PHOTO BY F.T. EYRE
District of Columbia Councilwoman Mary Cheh (left) speaks with Col. Dave Anderson, USA, USACE Baltimore District Engineer, to share citizen concerns at the Spring Valley FUDS in Washington, D.C. Also listening are representatives of EPA and the District of Columbia Department of the Environment.
tual agreement of both parties to work toward the goal of restoring the property and making the area safe for the citizens of the region, which in the end, both parties worked hard to achieve. In this case, the mutual goal served as a flagship for achieving a collaborative solution. Some water reuse issues must still be addressed as work progresses, but thanks to the collaborative working environment now in place—which relies on active listening and seeking to understand unstated issues—project managers are confident the issues will be resolved in a fair and timely manner.
BUILDING RAPPORT
Trying to execute a time-critical removal action to rid an area of munitions always is challenging, but when the areas are on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, the most famous and exclusive beach areas in this country, the stakes are even higher. That’s been the reality facing a project manager in the USACE New England District. Public meetings, news releases, public notices, signs, local television and radio appearances, and face-to-face meetings with landowners all were part of a concentrated effort to make people aware of the FUDS project and to obtain the required rights-of-entry forms from landowners, many of whom are seasonal occupants. During the past two years, the district project manager has overseen the investigation and cleanup of three separate military munitions response program projects on Martha’s Vineyard at three FUDS prop62
erties: the Cape Poge Little Neck Bombing Target Site, the Moving Target Machine Gun Range at South Beach and the Bomb Target Site at Tisbury Great Pond. While some of the land in question is primarily undeveloped, other parts include public beaches, including South Beach, which attracts 10,000 to 15,000 summer tourists daily. There have been other issues to consider, as well, such as sensitive habitats for birds, reptiles, insects, plants and shellfish, and archaeological and cultural areas requiring additional coordination and sensitivity. Collaborating with the public, the property owners, the Trustees of Reservations, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, several different towns and federal agencies has been the key to success for the district. Although it has been very labor intensive and time consuming, the team’s focus on ensuring that the public is an active participant and that the need to collaborate was established up front has paid dividends in addressing concerns before they became impediments. Cleanup work is just getting underway at all three sites. At Tisbury Great Pond, where there are seven to 10 times more property owners than at the other two projects and the number of stakeholders is larger, the challenges are a bit tougher. Nonetheless, the project manager is confident that the rapport, trust and history of collaboration demonstrated at the other two projects will overcome fears and skepticism.
TEAMWORK FIRST
In the Chesapeake Bay area, USACE is part of the environmental stewardship team the U.S. Army assembled to help meet the federal goals found in the action plan, Strategy for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration and Protection, released in May 2010. The federal multiagency plan was developed in accordance with President Barack Obama’s May 2009 Executive Order 13508: Chesapeake Bay Protection and Resoration, which declared the Chesapeake a national treasure and ushered in a new era of federal leadership, action and accountability. As part of the federal team, the Army is integrating conservation and protection efforts for the bay into its national defense activities. USACE is working collaboratively with 19 major Army installations that occupy
more than 220,000 acres in the bay watershed and EPA to improve the bay’s health. The efforts are focused specifically on four major targeted areas: submerged aquatic vegetation, invasive species, oyster restoration, and low-impact development and sustainable training.
“Truly-enduring solutions are built from collaboration. USACE cannot solve these problems on its own, and must work and find common ground with others to find the best solutions.” LEADING THE WAY
USACE has found collaboration to be the key in its long-standing relationship with The Nature Conservancy. USACE signed a national and six regional memorandums of understanding with The Nature Conservancy that enable both organizations to leverage their strengths to find sustainable water resources solutions. In addition to The Nature Conservancy, USACE has national memorandums of understanding with several conservation organizations, including The Conservation Fund and Ducks Unlimited, allowing USACE to meet the nation’s needs. Collaboration builds capacity in the places we use it; it brings more innovative solutions and can accelerate innovation; and it builds trust with stakeholders. It also is time consuming and labor intensive. But at the end of the day the payoffs are very much worth the effort, and that’s what makes USACE an unparalleled leader in the environmental community.
James B. Balocki, SES, P.E., is Chief, Environmental Community of Practice, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 202-761-5642 or james.b.balocki@ usace.army.mil.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Optimized Groundwater Monitoring A Triad-based sampling and analysis plan has enabled an extensive and dynamic contaminant remediation program at Hunters Point Shipyard. BY GARY GOODEMOTE, M.SAME, and MELANIE KITO Hunters Point Shipyard, located in San Francisco, Calif., was closed in 1994 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program. The 420-acre former shipyard, a designated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site, is undergoing a variety of remediation and revitalization programs for future development. A critical part of conveying the land to a new non-military owner is its environmental cleanup, which is directed by the U.S. Navy’s BRAC Program Management Office. As the Navy implemented extensive cleanup projects, the existing site characterization and monitoring processes were no longer able to handle the natural progression of site cleanup. In response, the Navy introduced a variety of equipment and procedural changes, including a sampling and analysis plan for groundwater monitoring based on EPA’s Triad decision-making methodology. The plan’s flexibility and its focus on changing conditions enabled the Navy to reduce the number of wells sampled from 253 in 2005 to 120 in 2009, and saved the program more than $1.2 million annually.
SITE-WIDE ASSESSMENT
Over the course of a more than centurylong history as a ship-building, repair and maintenance site, and a subsequent role in submarine servicing and testing, the groundwater, sediments and soil of Hunters Point Shipyard have been contaminated by various chemicals. These chemical contaminants include fuels, pesticides, heavy metals, PCBs and volatile organic compounds. As part of the environmental cleanup, the Navy characterized and monitored groundwater until a final cleanup remedy was selected. The program originally included more than 250 wells for a variety of chemical analyses and more than 400 wells for monitoring groundwater eleva-
The Military Engineer • No. 669
PHOTO COURTESY NAVFAC
This customized groundwater sampling vehicle minimizes mobilization and demobilization at each sample location, thereby improving sampling efficiency.
tions on a quarterly basis. Samples were collected using low-flow sampling techniques to obtain representative samples of groundwater beneath the site. The low-flow sampling techniques presented numerous challenges in terms of data collection. The sampling techniques were prone to human error due to equipment limitations and intensive data collection requirements during each sampling event. During the purging process and before collecting samples, field crews hand-calculated the stability of five water-quality parameters. If the calculations were inaccurate or inconsistent, regulatory agencies would call the quality of the data into question. Further complicating the process, scientists had significant problems with the pumps and water-quality meters used during sampling. Although considered state-of-the-art at the time, the pumps’ temperature would increase if the flow rate was set too low. This caused the groundwater to heat up and made it nearly impossible to reach stability. In ad-
dition, water-quality meters occasionally yielded unreliable readings. In light of the variability and inconsistency of groundwater sampling data, the Navy recognized the need for more modern sampling equipment to support automated data collection and remove potential human and mechanical errors.
IN SEARCH OF STABILITY
The initial phases of the groundwater monitoring program focused on the improvement of processes and equipment. Process improvements began with the elimination of hand calculations. The project team purchased military-grade tablet PCs and developed specialized software that calculates stability. The tablet PCs were connected to custom-built workstations that housed the pump controllers, high-tech water quality meters, purge and decontamination buckets, and the air source for the pumps. Organizing this equipment on a single truck increased efficiencies at each monitoring location by
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ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING minimizing mobilization and demobilization at each sample location. At each monitoring well, sampling crews input the stability parameters into the tablet PCs for calculation by the sampling software. The software determines when stability is reached and provides immediate visual evidence about the acceptability of sampling. An unexpected benefit of this process was a significant reduction in paper generated each quarter, as well as the ability to manage the data in a searchable database. Rather than hand-entering stability parameters into a spreadsheet (which introduces quality-control issues), the data are input directly and become immediately available for review and analysis. Quality assurance and quality control processes are built into the software on a number of levels to verify accuracy of calculations. Appropriate samples are collected for a given well, and quality control samples are collected per the requirements of the sampling and analysis plan. The system has been recently updated to include chain-of-custody forms. The electronic forms reduce sample process time and the amount of paper generated, and add an additional layer of quality control to verify that appropriate samples have been collected from each well.
EQUIPMENT EVALUATION
The Navy also evaluated the effectiveness of the sampling equipment. After exhaustive research, the decision was made to add dedicated bladder pumps to each sampling well. While the initial capital cost for new equipment was more than $250,000, the Navy recovered the capital investment in two years by increasing productivity and efficiency. The dedicated pumps: • eliminated the need for up to five equipment blank samples per day; • eliminated decontamination of the pumps between locations; • reduced the amount of tubing required; • reduced the volume of de-ionized water used during an event to roughly one-eighth of the previous volume for equipment decontamination; and • reduced the volume of wastewater generated during the sampling and decontamination process to a one-third of the previous volume. An added benefit of the new pumps
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was the ability to achieve much lower flow rates and reach stabilization much faster. The next step was to focus on the overall program goals to monitor and characterize site conditions throughout Hunters Point Shipyard.
“Using a new approach to groundwater monitoring, the Navy has increased productivity, efficiency and reliability. ” PROGRAM-WIDE VALUE
In 2003, the Navy established a sampling and analysis plan based on an extensive groundwater data gap investigation that evaluated site conditions at the time. The plan included a well list for analysis based on the site conditions observed in 2003. Shortly after the program began in 2003, the Navy embarked on an extensive program to remove soil and groundwater contamination throughout the site. The program included various removal actions, remedial actions, pilot studies and treatability studies. Naturally, the groundwater conditions would change as each of these actions and studies occurred, and the sampling and analysis plan well lists did not match the ever-changing site conditions. The Navy realized that the plan needed to be modified to anticipate changing conditions. A new and more flexible plan was developed that met the Navy’s newest requirement—conformance with the Uniform Federal Policy for Quality Assurance Project Plans. In developing the new sampling and analysis plan, the most challenging issues became matching the well and analytical lists with the sampling recommendations from remedial investigation and feasibility study reports, and the need to monitor progress of various field cleanup activities. In addition, the Navy desired a plan that would allow it to answer various data gap questions posed by the regulatory agencies. As such, the Navy developed its first Triad-based sampling and analysis plan for implementation on a groundwater program and not for a field investigation.
DYNAMIC WORK STRATEGY
Typically, a groundwater monitoring program is somewhat static and does not require flexibility. Small changes are accommodated by field change notices, and larger changes generally require a sampling and analysis plan amendment. A Triad-based plan employs a dynamic work strategy whereby the sampling strategy is modified based on additional knowledge from a field investigation, or the monitoring requirements associated with cleanup. Similar sampling strategies are used during an investigation to gather necessary information and make informed decisions to guide the next steps of the investigation. The Hunters Point Shipyard sampling and analysis plan applied the Triad concept to an ongoing program with a dynamic work strategy in mind. Each quarter, a trend and variability analysis is completed on key wells and key analyses to see if groundwater conditions are changing. As these data become available, they are reviewed by the Navy and regulatory agencies. The program can be modified on a quarterly basis to adapt to any changes in site conditions, or as new information becomes available. Changes to the well list and associated analysis can be done without having to write a new sampling and analysis plan addendum or field change notice. The process allows the Navy to perform real-time changes and track the progress of various cleanup activities being implemented across the site. Using a new approach to groundwater monitoring, the Navy has increased productivity, efficiency and reliability and reduced materials usage and overall program cost. The new program is responsible for saving approximately $1 million each year by implementing processes that are more efficient, using modern equipment and technology, and embracing a Triad-based sampling and analysis plan to emphasize flexibility and anticipate changes in site conditions. Gary Goodemote, M.SAME, is National Navy Account Manager, Kleinfelder; 858-320-2000 or ggoodemote@kleinfelder.com. Melanie Kito is Lead Remedial Project Manager, Base Realignment and Closure Project Management Office West; 619-532-0787 or melanie. kito@navy.mil.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
PHOTO COURTESY NAVFAC
A new permeable paver parking lot at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, Md., will filter pollutants and prevent runoff from flowing in sheets across the parking surface.
Stormwater Management at Navy Installations BY JENNIFER STEELE and DAVE COTNOIR The use of low-impact development techniques at Washington, D.C., and Mid-Atlantic Navy installations is helping protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. Polluted urban runoff is a serious environmental and public health concern throughout all regions of the United States, but is particularly problematic within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. As more stringent stormwater regulations continue to be implemented to protect water quality, new techniques must be developed to effectively manage stormwater runoff on developed sites. The U.S. Navy is committed to effective stormwater treatment and to safeguarding the nation’s waterways. The Navy’s low-impact development (LID) policy is to attain a “no net increase” in the amount of stormwater that escapes into the ecosystems surrounding Navy and Marine
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Corps facilities and installations nationwide. The use of LID in construction and renovation projects is essential to meeting that goal. To this end, several innovative LID techniques have been implemented on installations throughout the Washington, D.C., and Mid-Atlantic regions by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), whose mission, in part, is to deliver and maintain quality, sustainable facilities and to enable environmental stewardship.
DIVERSE STRATEGIES, DIVERSE BENEFITS
As areas become developed and hardened surfaces such as roads, parking lots and rooftops are constructed, the movement of stormwater across a site is altered. Such impervious surfaces typically act to increase the peak flow rate and volume of stormwater leaving a site, thus allowing a greater volume of pollutants to reach surrounding waterways. LID is a stormwater management approach that focuses on controlling rainfall at the source using small-scale controls. The goal of LID is to mimic a site’s predevelopment hydrology
such that stormwater is treated on site using natural processes, rather than being exported as a waste product down storm sewers. Not only do LID techniques improve the quality of the local watershed and recharge groundwater, their added benefits include urban forest increase, urban heat signature reduction, air quality improvement, thermal stream pollution reduction and aesthetic enhancement. In addition to the environmental benefits of LID techniques, these stormwater practices are often more economical than traditional management techniques. LID practices can reduce infrastructure costs by reducing the amount of materials needed for paving roads and driveways and for installing curbs and gutters. Many LID techniques require little effort or cost to maintain and have a longer lifecycle than traditional stormwater strategies. Some may remain as natural areas even after their functional life is complete. Thus, LID initiatives not only offer a more environmentally-friendly approach to stormwater management, but are often the more cost-effective choice as well. LID features are now a required component of 65
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING all new construction at installations within Naval District Washington; and installations across the Washington, D.C., and Mid-Atlantic regions are already reaping the benefits of these initiatives. Bioretention cells. One LID technique being implemented at Navy installations across the Chesapeake Bay area is the use of bioretention cells. These cells typically consist of layers of vegetation, mulch, soil and gravel, and they are often placed strategically to intercept preferential stormwater pathways. Their purpose is to collect stormwater, allowing pollutants to be filtered from the runoff as the stormwater seeps through the substrate. Cleaner, filtered water is then collected in and discharged through underground perforated drainage systems. Overflow structures are often added to aid in controlling the volume and peak flow rate from large storm events. Bioretention cells have been installed along parking lot perimeters and between parking stalls in several sites at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C., and at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Typically, each unit is designed to treat the first half inch of rain, where most stormwater pollutants are concentrated, from approximately halfacre segments of impervious surface. Similar bioretention cells are proving effective at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Annapolis, Md., Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md., Naval Support Facility (NSF) Indian Head, Md., Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Va., and Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Va. Future bioretention cells are planned at NSF Indian Head, NSF Carderock, Md., Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Va., and NAS Oceana, Va. Tree boxes. Similar to bioretention cells, tree boxes also have been installed at several Navy installations, including the Washington Navy Yard and Naval Station Norfolk. Stormwater runoff flowing down a paved road is directed into the tree box through a cut in the curb. Pollutants are filtered from the stormwater by layers of mulch, soil mix and gravel, and any resultant filtered water not utilized by the tree itself is collected in an underground catch basin and carried via perforated pipes to the storm system. Tree boxes are an easy alternative to curb drain inlets and have proven very effective in removing sediment, brake dust, oil and grease from roadway runoff. 66
Permeable pavers. Where new construction or retrofit opportunities permit, NAVFAC commands across the Chesapeake Bay area utilize permeable pavers as a LID option for parking and patio areas. Primarily a water quantity control initiative, permeable pavers are constructed of individual paving blocks set among gravel chips or sand with layers of gravel underneath. These features allow stormwater to filter through the sand and gravel matrix and work to prevent runoff from flowing in sheets across an impervious pavement surface. The runoff is filtered of pollutants as it infiltrates the sand and gravel, and the cleaner water is captured and discharged through a perforated pipe underdrain below the gravel. Several permeable paver projects have been completed at the Washington Navy Yard, NSF Indian Head and Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and recently an entire permeable paver parking lot was installed at NSA Annapolis behind Metzger Hall of the U.S. Naval Academy. Grassy swales. Grassy swales are another LID technique being utilized at installations throughout the D.C. and Mid-Atlantic regions. These features are vegetated channels designed to slow stormwater runoff and to promote infiltration, thereby trapping sediments and helping to filter pollutants from the stormwater. When a section of a concrete stormwater conduit at NSA Annapolis was in need of repair, NAVFAC Washington took the opportunity to introduce LID measures by replacing the concrete swale with a new vegetated one. Composed of a plant layer over reinforced turf matting, the new swale is designed to slow the movement of stormwater through the channel, allowing the runoff to filter into the substrate and facilitating the removal of pollutants by the vegetation and underlying soil. Green roofs. Green roofs—perhaps one of the more innovative LID initiatives—are becoming increasingly popular at Navy installations in both the D.C. and Mid-Atlantic regions. Typically beginning with an impervious membrane overlying the base roof structure, green roof systems involve an underlying drainage system with layers of fabric, growth media and vegetation above. As rain falls on the rooftop, much of the moisture is soaked up by the vegetation. What is not utilized by the grass is filtered through the
growth media, allowing cleaner water to be discharged through the drainage network and down into the storm system. A variety of grass, moss and other native plants can be incorporated into the green roof, providing an aesthetically-pleasing roof landscape that can, in some cases, be used as an outdoor seating or recreation area. In addition to the benefits of reduced stormwater volume and purified runoff, green roofs have several other positive attributes, including extending an expected roof life two- to three-times that of typical roofing systems. Green roofs also tend to act as insulators, reducing air conditioning related energy costs up to 10 percent and diminishing the ambient air temperature above a building by as much as 15°F over traditional black tar roofing. The green roof technique has already been implemented as a retrofit to an existing building at Naval Station Norfolk, and a construction project is underway at NSF Indian Head that will include bioretention cells, permeable pavers and an extensive green roof, effectively controlling and treating all stormwater runoff on site.
A RENEWED ECOSYSTEM
The LID initiatives taken at Navy installations in the D.C. and Mid-Atlantic regions have been implemented with a specific mindset: to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay region and to protect and help restore the area’s impaired watersheds. The flexibility of LID allows stormwater management features to be designed within a variety of environmental and facility constraints while reducing the impact of new construction on existing stormwater infrastructure and the Chesapeake Bay. LID practices have already seen much success at many of the area’s installations, and it is the Navy’s hope that continued implementation of LID techniques will lead to a renewed Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. LID is the way of the future, and NAVFAC looks forward to continue incorporating these new initiatives into upcoming installation activities. Jennifer Steele and Dave Cotnoir can be reached through Whit DeLoach, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Naval Facilities Engineering Command; 202-685-9008 or whitney.deloach@ navy.mil.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Treating Groundwater with Nanotechnology BY SUSHIL R. KANEL, PH.D., and MARK N. GOLTZ, PH.D., P.E., F.SAME Research being conducted at the Air Force Institute of Technology could significantly improve the effectiveness of remediation activities not only at DOD facilities, but throughout the nation. Nanomaterials have enormous potential for use in areas ranging from consumer goods to medical applications to electronics. At the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, researchers are investigating another application of nanotechnology: to treat contaminants in groundwater. Conventional approaches for treating water contamination in the Department of Defense (DOD) cost billions of dollars. The main objective of the research underway at AFIT is to use nanotechnology to develop energy- and cost-efficient techniques for treating these water contaminants. Common groundwater contaminants that may potentially be treated using nanotechnology include: chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAH) like trichloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride, which are used as solvents; nitroaromatic compounds (NAC), which are used in explosives; and perchlorate. For more than a decade, zero-valent iron (ZVI) has been used to remediate groundwater contaminated with CAHs, NACs and perchlorate. More recently, nanoscale ZVI, or nZVI, has been shown, in both laboratory experiments and in the field, to be an excellent material for treating these contaminants. These applications are of particular interest to DOD, which is charged with remediating waters contaminated with these compounds. In response to the remediation challenge, DOD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) have been funding research
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PHOTO BY SUSHIL KANEL
AFIT researchers in the laboratory studying how nanomaterials can be used to destroy carbon tetrachloride.
into application of nZVI for remediation of compounds in groundwater, looking for more effective, economical and faster technologies. SERDP- and ESTCPfunded projects have explored application of nZVI for remediation of CAH source zones and plumes.
CHEMISTRY 101
Before discussing the state-of-the-art research that is being conducted at AFIT, let us first understand how ZVI and nZVI work. ZVI has been used in groundwater treatment for a number of years. While the diameter of ZVI particles is on the order of micrometers, the diameter of nZVI particles is on the order of nanometers. These tiny nZVI particles have very high surface areas; approximately 30 times higher than ZVI. Its high surface area makes nZVI extremely efficient in degrading contaminants. The mechanism by which the contaminants are degraded is reduction. Recalling what the reader may have learned in Chemistry 101, the acronym GER stands for “gain of electrons is reduction.” When
“Nanomaterials have enormous potential for use in areas ranging from consumer goods to medical applications to electronics.” ZVI or nZVI is used in a reduction process, the ZVI or nZVI provides electrons to the contaminant. By this reduction process, the contaminants are chemically transformed, hopefully into non-hazardous products.
REDUCTION AND OXIDATION
Researchers at AFIT are taking two approaches in applying nanotechnology to treat contaminants of concern. The first approach is to study nanomaterials that may be more efficient than nZVI in reducing the contaminants. Researchers are investigating the effect on reduction efficiency by coating nZVI with other met67
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING “The main objective of the research underway at AFIT is to use nanotechnology to develop energy- and cost-efficient techniques for treating water contaminants. ” als such as palladium and nickel to create bi- and tri-metallic catalysts. In the laboratory, the various catalysts are fabricated and placed in batch reactors along with the contaminants of interest. The rates at which the contaminants are transformed are then measured. One concern is that the transformation results in products that also are hazardous. For instance, the CAH carbon tetrachloride can be reduced to produce chloroform, and the CAH trichloroethylene can be reduced to produce dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride. Thus, not only is it necessary to determine the rate of transformation of the parent compound, it is also necessary to track concentrations of potentially hazardous daughter compounds. In part due to the concern that a reduction process can result in production of hazardous daughter compounds, AFIT researchers also are investigating another, more innovative approach for using nanomaterials to remediate the contaminants of concern. The second approach is to combine nanotechnology and photo-catalytic oxidation to develop a very efficient technique to oxidize, rather than reduce, the contaminants of concern. Going back to Chemistry 101, the reader may recall that the acronym LEO stands for “loss of electrons is oxidation.” Thus, in an oxidation process, it is necessary to have an electron acceptor to oxidize the contaminant of concern. The contaminant itself will provide electrons to the electron acceptor, which is also known as the oxidant or oxidizing agent. In the work underway at AFIT, a socalled advanced oxidation process is being investigated for the destruction of the contaminants. Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) are commonly used for 68
drinking water treatment. An AOP has been defined as an oxidation process that uses the hydroxyl radical (OH•) as the oxidant that destroys the targeted contaminants. Hydroxyl radicals are very powerful oxidizing agents. One advantage of using oxidation, rather than reduction, to destroy contaminants is that the likelihood of producing environmentallyfriendly byproducts is much greater when an oxidative process is used. There are a number of ways hydroxyl radicals can be produced for application of an AOP, including by use of sound, artificial ultra-violet (UV) light or natural solar radiation, or catalytically. AFIT researchers are investigating the use of either artificial UV or solar light in conjunction with gold-coated titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nano-catalysts to oxidize contaminants like perchlorate, CAHs and NACs and transform them into benign end products. The research will involve formulating the nano-catalysts in the laboratory and then placing them in transparent glass reactors. Water contaminated with NACs, CAHs, or perchlorate will then be pumped through the reactors, while natural or UV light is shone on them. Concentrations of the contaminants will be measured at the inlet and outlet of the reactors to determine the effectiveness of the destruction process. To the best of our knowledge, this is a new approach that has never been tried before. One key question the researchers hope to answer is whether natural sunlight is sufficient to facilitate the AOP and destroy the contaminants at a sufficient rate, or if artificial UV is required. Of course, in the interest of energy efficiency, it is hoped that sunlight is adequate.
IN-SITU REMEDIATION
One additional aspect of the research is studying how nanoparticles are transported in porous media. This information will be useful in developing methods to use nanoparticles to destroy groundwater contaminants in-situ, or in place, without having to remove contaminated water from the subsurface. The concept would be to inject nanoparticles through a well into a contaminated aquifer, allowing the particles to mix, react and chemically transform the contaminants. Obviously, for this concept to be implemented, researchers must gain an under-
standing of how nanoparticles move in a porous medium. In the laboratory, researchers plan to pump water containing nanoparticles through columns containing synthetic porous media made up of glass beads of known sizes. Waters with different values of pH and ionic strength will be used for the experiments, which will allow researchers to observe how those parameters affect the transport of the nanoparticles.
“One additional aspect of the research is studying how nanoparticles are transported in porous media. This information will be useful in developing methods to use nanoparticles to destroy groundwater contaminants in-situ, or in place, without having to remove contaminated water from the subsurface. ” Nanoparticle concentrations will be measured at the column inlet and outlet. In addition, at the end of the experiment, the columns will be opened up, and the distribution of nanoparticles within will be observed. Experimental results will be compared with predictions made using standard filtration theory, and researchers will then determine whether it is possible to predict the movement of nanoparticles in the subsurface. Knowing how these nanoparticles are transported in a porous medium will permit engineers to design remediation systems that make use of nanoparticles to destroy contaminants insitu. Sushil R. Kanel, Ph.D., is NRC Research Scientist, and Mark N. Goltz, Ph.D., P.E., F.SAME, is Professor of Engineering and Environmental Management, Air Force Institute of Technology. They can be reached at 937-255-3636 ext. 4568 or sushil.kanel@afit.edu, and 937-255-3636 ext. 4638 or mark.goltz@afit.edu, respectively.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS
NAVY PHOTO BY PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS ERIC CUTRIGHT
Capt. John Coronado, P.E., CEC, USN, Commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii, speaks at the Ford Island Child Development Center groundbreaking ceremony in October 2010. One hundred percent of Navy Civil Engineer Corps commanders and captains are professionally registered.
Professional Credentialing and the Civil Engineer Corps BY CAPT. DOUGLAS MORTON, P.E., M.SAME, CEC, USN Engineer officers in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps have long been instructed on the importance of professional registration to their service to the nation. The U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) has long held professional registration for engineers and architects as a requisite credential for individual officers and, collectively, for CEC. Not only does the process of study and examination produce a more professionally astute officer, it also raises the bar of competence for the entire community of officers and the professional civilian workforce they serve with and lead. Couple registration as an engineering or architecture professional with the requirement for all officers to achieve qualifications in acquisition and
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Seabee Combat Warfare, and the result is a proven triad of skills found nowhere else in military service. CEC officers deploy worldwide and are ably equipped to engage in the full range of engineering operations in all environments. While CEC takes pride in the professionalism of its officer cadre, there is a practical reason for requiring warfare, engineering and contracting qualifications. The Navy and U.S. Marine Corps team looks to CEC to provide qualified facilities professionals to lead shore infrastructure efforts both in homeport and expeditionary settings. With only 1,200 active component officers available, each officer must have a solid foundation in the triad of skills required to meet mission demands at more than 100 shore installations and countess deployed locations. A CEC officer’s responsibilities can range from leading Seabees constructing expeditionary forward operating bases in Afghanistan to leading multi-disciplined teams acquiring major military construc-
tion projects at enduring bases to working the planning, programming, budgeting and execution process in the Pentagon. From the first day of their basic course of instruction, CEC officers are instructed on the importance of developing their professional discipline, contract administration skills and warfighting acumen. All three of these skill sets have rigorous credentialing, and each is underpinned by a code of ethical behavior that aligns with the Navy’s core values.
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
From the time an engineer or architect shows interest in joining CEC, he or she is instructed in the importance of professional registration. Throughout the course of their careers, officers engage in and supervise engineering work and represent the Navy in dealings with professionals providing architect-engineer and construction services to the government. They must make clear professional judgments and understand when they must 69
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS seek advice and counsel from qualified professionals in areas outside their expertise. Officers are encouraged to sit for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam immediately, or establish a council record with their National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and strive for registration as a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect at the first opportunity. Senior officers and civil service engineers mentor and coach young engineers as they gain experience in their disciplines. Architecture candidates gain experience through an intern program through which they are assigned a tour of duty alongside Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) civilian architects working on design teams developing projects. Along with the professional expertise CEC officers gain by working towards registration, the codes of ethics espoused by the national bodies overseeing these two professions underscore the public service aspect of the practice of engineering and architecture.
ACQUISITION CERTIFICATION
The Defense Workforce Improvement Act of 1990 required the “Secretary of Defense to establish policies and procedures for the effective management (including accession, education, training and career development) of persons serving in acquisition positions in the Department of Defense.” Changes to the law since its enactment have focused on creating a professional acquisition corps and improving the training and education of the acquisition workforce. During their initial phase of instruction at the Civil Engineer Corps Officers School in Port Hueneme, Calif., junior officers set forth on an ambitious path to become acquisition professionals. Before they leave Port Hueneme just three short months into their service, each officer completes six basic acquisition courses and is given a roadmap to achieve Acquisition Level I Certification in their first or second tour of duty. Officers will typically exercise their acquisition knowledge in one of their first two tours, most likely in a Public Works Department or Resident Officer in Charge of Construction assignment, and 89 percent of these officers attain at least Acquisition Level 1 certification by the end of 70
their second tour. As they gain and enhance their certification, officers can become warranted contracting officers. CEC captains command NAVFAC organizations aligned with Navy Regions, where they are responsible for multi-milliondollar contracting operations.
WARFARE QUALIFICATION
Since 1942, the Navy’s Seabees have actively participated in every significant ground engagement of our armed forces. CEC officers, as leaders of Seabee units, are required to qualify as Seabee Combat Warfare officers through a stringent program of personnel qualifications standards. The objective of the program is “to provide the candidate an introduction into the processes and topics necessary to support the warfighting requirements of our Navy… focused on mission effectiveness, combat readiness and survivability as well as introducing an overall understanding of how an individual unit’s mission fits into and supports naval doctrine and its objectives. Experience shows it is essential that every warrior in our Navy be totally familiar with the mission of their command and be able to apply this knowledge to support the successful execution of the command’s current and future missions.” Qualification requires the officer to complete the personnel qualifications standards, take a written examination and sit for a practical oral examination of their knowledge of all facets of the Seabees’ mission, including equipment, embarkation, contingency operations, general military tactics, communications, administration and logistics, readiness, doctrine, safety, weapons, and basic first aid and personal hygiene fundamentals.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
For all three skills in the triad, responsible organizations require the holders of their credentials to maintain currency of subject matter. Thirty-six state licensing boards stipulate that Professional Engineers meet continuing education requirements prior to renewing their licenses. More than 40 states require the same of architects. The Department of Defense (DOD) requires 80 continuing education credits every two years for members of the acquisition workforce. Warfighting skills also can
become stale during periods away from Seabee units, and Navy regulations acknowledge this by requiring officers to requalify in their warfare specialties within one year of returning to a qualifying unit. Additionally, CEC made changes to the officer career path by assigning all officers to an expeditionary Seabee unit during their first or second tour of active duty. The new model provides earlier warfare qualification for all officers and increases the pool of skilled warfighters available for follow-on tours with the Seabees.
LEADERSHIP’S ROLE
As the principal advisor and sponsor on matters pertaining to officers in CEC, the Chief of Civil Engineers exercises his role as community manager to ensure that all officers maintain their skills in their professional discipline, in acquisition and in their warfare specialty. The Chief ’s established policies require officers at all pay grades to attain and maintain high levels of readiness in all skills in the triad. Stringent accessions rules mandate that officers seeking a commission in CEC must obtain an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc.accredited degree. Their application is enhanced by having passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. The Chief of Civil Engineers also has established assignment policies for key leadership positions throughout CEC where professional registration is a prerequisite for selection, and he strictly enforces Navy and DOD policies regarding warfare qualifications and acquisition credentials. The Chief also advises the Secretary of the Navy on community promotion precepts, which have a long held policy requiring officers seeking promotion to commander to have earned and maintained professional registration status. These policies and the culture of professionalism they reinforce show up clearly in the numbers. Of the 250 CEC commanders and captains on active duty, 100 percent are professionally registered, 100 percent have the required acquisition credentials and 93 percent are Seabee Combat Warfare officers. Capt. Douglas Morton, P.E., M.SAME, CEC, USN, is Chief of Staff, Naval Facilities Engineering Command; 202-685-9003 or douglas.morton@navy.mil.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS
PHOTO BY DAVID HATHCOX
The 2010 class of DBIA professionals receive their certifications at the DBIA 2010 Design-Build Conference and expo. A small portion of the nearly 300 new credential holders this year were present at the conference.
DBIA: Designated Design-Build Professional BY BRIAN WALSH, DBIA, LEED AP The Design-Build Institute of America’s professional certification was developed as a tangible measure of experience and knowledge of the design-build delivery method. We all hope to leave a professional conference more inspired and excited than we were on arrival. Fortunately for me, the 2010 Design-Build Conference and expo provided the kind of lift you can only get from networking and learning alongside other dedicated professionals in your field. As 2010 Chair of the Design-Build Institute of America’s (DBIA) Design-Build Certification Board, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Robert D. Wolff, Executive Director of the Society of American Mili-
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tary Engineers. The opportunity to communicate with the readers of The Military Engineer about the Design-Build Institute of America’s Professional DBIA Certification program came just as I was returning from DBIA’s annual conference, and I hope I can convey some of the energy and enthusiasm I felt there. Launched in 2002, DBIA’s program is relatively new and was developed in direct response to public- and private-sector owners’ requests for a tangible measure of experience and knowledge within the design-build arena. As Mark Shambaugh, President and CEO of Indiana-based Shambaugh and Son and 2002 DBIA Chairman, liked to say about the program, “It’s a means of distinguishing those who ‘do’ design-build from those who ‘are’ design-builders.” Why is it so important to know that people you are working with or the people you hire actually have expertise in de-
sign-build project delivery in addition to years of professional or trade knowledge and skills? Education is essential because design-build project delivery differs profoundly from the traditional design-bidbuild framework within which most design and construction professionals work. Design-build projects are performed by integrated teams operating under a single-source contract between the “designbuilder” and the owner. Think about it this way: If you are going to play on a team, you want everyone on that team to understand the game, the rules of the game and their roles on the team, otherwise your chances of winning are slim. Similarly, understanding the design-build process is crucial to fully realizing the benefits of this delivery method. At this point, certification provides the only measurable standard by which to judge understanding of the design-build process. 71
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
DBIA offers professional certification in design-build project delivery to members and non-members alike. Certification is based on professional education, experience, completion of DBIA-approved coursework and a written examination. For those just beginning their careers or making a career shift, we offer an Associate DBIA, an “entry-level” credential for people who currently do not meet the experience requirement for professional certification. Associate DBIA credential holders have seven years to gain experience and seek the professional DBIA certification. There are various ways to receive the core training that lies at the heart of the programs for both professionals and associates. DBIA university-based programs offer a five-day, intensive boot camp format of instruction. In addition to the core courses, exam prep and exam administration, these programs are expanded to include guest lecturers, networking events and social activities. This year, DBIA is rolling out a boot camp designed specifically for owners, with courses that address best practices in design-build source selection, performance requirements and high-performance contracting. Online courses and exam administration will become available for the first time in 2011. Like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation, design-build certification is sought by owners, designers and contractors alike. And, as is typical of certification and licensure programs, the use of the DBIA credential is contingent on maintaining familiarity with current knowledge through continuing education. All professional credential holders must accrue 24 hours of approved continuing education credit every two years to be eligible for renewal.
GROWTH AND EXPANSION
The Designated Design-Build Professional certification program has grown exponentially over the past six years—not surprisingly mirroring the expansion of design-build in industry. Both the growth of certified professionals and the advance of design-build show no sign of letting up. Meanwhile, the Associate DBIA credential has gained tremendous momentum since its rollout a little more than a year 72
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF DESIGN-
“True design-build only BUILD As the 2010 Chair of the Design-Build occurs when everyone from the Certification Board, one of the most exowner to the subcontractors citing developments within DBIA’s certification program is the number of owners understand the process who are already certified or are seeking certification. While I could see the numand expectations. ” bers on paper, for me, the popularity of ago. Right now, more than 200 young and emerging professionals are taking advantage of the credential to demonstrate educational mastery of design-build. Increasingly, public agencies are turning to design-build to leverage the maximum value from taxpayer dollars. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has accelerated the embrace of designbuild project delivery at every level of government. DBIA has been educating public owners for more than a decade, with several dozen local, state and federal agencies taking advantage of in-house training over the past two years. Many are repeat customers. Others, such as the National Park Service, are educating their staffs for the first time. Design-build requires a shift in perspective on the part of owners and their project teams, too. Single-source contracting remains the basis for design-build and is an essential difference between this method and other forms of integrated delivery. However, design-build requires more than a good contract and appropriate risk allocation. True design-build only occurs when everyone from the owner to the subcontractors understand the process and expectations, and is prepared to fully engage in the collaborative process. Many federal and state agencies understand this. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Baltimore District, for example, recently awarded a contract to DBIA specifically for training on the principles of design-build project delivery and for the administration of the exam for the design-build professional designation. Already, 20 USACE staffers hold the professional DBIA designation. With this end in mind, the U.S. Army National Guard also conducts three trainings yearly through DBIA. As a result, the National Guard is catching up with USACE in terms of the number of DBIA-certified professionals within their ranks.
certification among public owners was a highlight of the annual conference. Having informed and educated owners raised the conversation about design-build to a new level. One 2010 general session highlighted the active engagement of owners—not just in DBIA—but also in the designbuild process. An ever-popular segment of DBIA conference programs are owner and practitioner forums. Held separately, these owners-only and practitioners-only sessions offer each group a chance to share strategies and to vent a little. This year, an issues resolution session brought everyone together for a lively discussion of concerns. Interestingly, many owners were as well informed on best practices as the practitioners in attendance. Owners benefitted from hearing some practitioner frustrations and offered solutions within the framework of the education they had received. And practitioners benefited from learning some of the challenges faced by owners who often have to deal with staff used to doing things “the old way.” From the writing of the initial request for quotations to project completion, a thorough understanding of design-build principles and processes help ensure success for everyone. At DBIA we are committed to helping all stakeholders—designers, builders and owners—take full advantage of designbuild. I encourage you to visit www.dbia. org to learn more about this fast-growing approach to project delivery, register for one of our conferences, or learn more about our certification program.
Brain Walsh, DBIA, LEED AP, President, The Collage Companies, is the 2010 Chair, DesignBuild Certification Board, and a 2011 member, DBIA National Board of Directors; 407-8292257 or bwalsh@collage-usa.com.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS
CMAA: Certified Construction Manager BY JOHN J. MCKEON Following its endorsement by several major agencies and organizations, the Construction Management Association of America’s CCM certification has grown 20 percent in the past year. Driven by growing owner interest in improving the outcomes of capital construction activities, the Certified Construction Manager (CCM) program is completing its most successful year ever and anticipates continued growth in 2011. The Construction Manager Certification Institute (CMCI), which administers the program, surpassed its full-year goal for new applications by summer. Capt. Ben D. Piña, M.SAME, USN, Director for Construction, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, became the 1,300th CCM in April 2010, and the 1,400-CCM milestone was surpassed over the summer. In all, the number of CCMs has grown by nearly 20 percent in the past year. Moreover, several recent events have reinforced the likelihood that this growth spurt is no fluke. The Henrico County, Va., Department of Public Works has issued a request for proposals for engineering consulting services in which the department specifies that “Successful Offeror shall have at least one professional staff member dedicated to this contract who are certified as Construction Managers as defined by the Construction Management Association of America.” At almost the same time, the Hampton Roads district of the Virginia Department of Transportation put out an addendum to its previous request for proposals for engineering inspection services. The addendum states that in evaluating bidders, “recognition as a Certified Construction Manager through the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA)…is preferred.” Statewide, the Virginia Department of Transportation has strongly endorsed the CCM and has moved a large cadre of its professionals through the program.
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IMAGE COURTESY CMAA
This graph charts the growth of the Certified Construction Manager program since its inception a decade ago. The figures shown are the year-to-year cumulative totals.
These actions continue a long-established trend. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signed an agreement with CMAA in 2008 in which USACE pledged to “promote the Certified Construction Manager (CCM) designation” as a strategy “to better serve our nation at a time of unprecedented Army military and civil works program requirements.” The following year, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) restated its preference for CCMs among its construction management service providers. In issuing a request for proposals for as many as 10 indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity construction management contracts, GSA advised potential bidders that “A more favorable evaluation will be given to contractors demonstrating that their key personnel have been certified as construction managers through the Construction Management Certification Institute sponsored by the CMAA.” In addition to those already mentioned the list of major owner organizations that have embraced the CCM now includes the U.S. Department of State–Overseas Building Operations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; the Massachusetts Port Authority; the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; and the Los Angeles Unified School District.
A RATE BREAK
Most recently, the CCM got another boost when a major national business insurer, Chubb Group, and brokerage Ames & Gough announced a new professional liability insurance product specifically geared to independent construction management practitioners and small- to midsized companies—and announced companies led by CCMs could qualify for a 10 percent discount on the premiums. For Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, President and CEO of CMAA, the explanation for this surge is obvious. “Owners drive the marketplace,” D’Agostino said, “and owners want better project outcomes. They see CMAA’s CM Standards of Practice, and the CCM program based on it, as a practical and productive path to that goal. When owners insist on working with CCMs, the message to service providers is clear: Earn your CCM or miss out on important business opportunities.” Service providers had already been pursuing the CCM in large numbers, D’Agostino points out. Last June, Engineering News-Record’s annual “Top CMs/ PMs” issue featured a profile of Vanir Construction Management and put Vanir’s president, Mansour Aliabadi, on the cover. Among the profile’s key messages was that Vanir’s management attributes 73
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS the company’s success to its emphasis on professional development, including a commitment to the CCM. Vanir was one of the early proponents of a “culture of certification,” which CMCI defines as: “…a business environment in which it is simply assumed, at all levels, that the best and most committed Construction Managers will be CCMs, and in which organizations actively and consistently support their people in obtaining and maintaining their credentials.” D’Agostino asserts that the keys to CCM’s market penetration are the credential’s direct linkage to the CM Standards of Practice and the rigor of the application and examination process. Another big factor, he adds, is that the CCM program has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under the terms of the international ISO standard governing personnel certification programs. The accreditation, which ANSI has recently renewed for another year, tells the marketplace that the CCM process is fair and transparent, that every CCM candidate must meet the same standards, and that the examination has been fully validated as a test of the candidate’s knowledge of the standards of practice.
IN-CHARGE EXPERIENCE IS KEY
Earning the CCM depends on having the right combination of education and high-level experience, and passing a rigorous examination. The most important element of this combination is what CMCI calls “responsible-in-charge” work experience. Applicants must have 48 months of such experience spread across a range of project phases and management roles. To determine whether experience is responsible-in-charge, CMCI suggests applicants ask themselves the following:“Did the decisions that you were empowered to make directly impact the successful completion of the project and were you directly responsible in charge of construction management services and for protecting the interests of the project/owner?” CMCI stresses that this criterion is meant to be inclusive and focuses on the critical factor of whether the applicant was acting in the owner’s best interest. “An applicant who works for a general contractor or a firm doing at-risk construction management can meet this criterion if the construction management work they per74
formed was responsive to and in support of the owner,” says D’Agostino. Applicants must also provide references who can verify their work experience. As educational preparation for the CCM, CMCI looks for a college or university degree from an institution listed by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation in the field of construction science, construction management, architecture, architecture engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, structural engineering, or chemical engineering. Applications that meet the tests of education and responsible-in-charge experience are submitted to the CMCI Board of Governors for review. Once accepted into candidacy, the next step is to prepare for the examination. The online exam is available whenever the candidate is ready to take it, at a large number of testing sites nationwide. The five-hour test includes questions on the topics of project management, cost management, time management, contract administration, quality management, professional practice, and safety and risk management. Exam results are usually available immediately, and candidates may re-take the test up to three times. As an aid in preparing for the exam, CMAA publishes a standards of practice study kit that includes a variety of relevant publications.
PROVIDING A JUMP START
Indeed, CMAA’s interest in supporting future CCM applicants begins when a would-be construction manager is still in college. Students and new career entrants can enroll in the Construction Manager In Training (CMIT) program, which provides a jump start toward eventual certification. CMITs are assigned mentors and given guidance in formulating a successful career path, all based on the assumption that some day, when they have accumulated the necessary responsiblein-charge experience, they will apply for the CCM. Extensive information about both CCM and CMIT is available on CMAA’s website at www.cmaanet.org. John J. McKeon is Vice President of Communications, Construction Management Association of America; 703-356-2622 or jmckeon@cmaanet.org.
IFMA: Certified Facility Manager BY CATHY PAVICK With its CFM certification process, the International Facility Management Association allows practitioners to achieve professional excellence through credentialing. The International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) Certified Facility Manager (CFM) credential sets the global industry standard for validating the knowledge and abilities of practicing facility managers. Established in 1992, IFMA’s certification process was designed to assess one’s competency in the field through work experience, education and the ability to pass a competency-based exam. With several thousand CFMs worldwide, never before have public- and private-sector employers relied much on certification organizations. Credentials provide an individual with the authority to advise one’s employer and colleagues on important issues affecting the workplace, as well as direct programs and initiatives that support heightened productivity, sharper performance of occupants, and the increased longevity and profitability of buildings. The CFM provides a neutral third-party validation to an employer while elevating the employee’s credibility within the organization by assuring professional excellence.
CFM REQUIREMENTS
The CFM exam is competencybased, testing what a person can do compared to standards that define the practice of facility management. One cannot take a course or a knowledgebased exam to earn the credential. IFMA’s competency-based program is at a higher level than a knowledgebased program, reflecting the growing importance of facility management in the international business world.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS The competencies are identified through a comprehensive process known as the Job Task Analysis. Conducted every few years, the analysis provides valuable information to the facility management profession and is used as the foundation for all of IFMA’s credentials. Currently, CFMs are being tested on nine core competency areas. The area competencies and a brief summary of what each entails is noted below. • Planning and Project Management. Develop facility plans. Plan and manage all phases of projects. Manage programming and design. Manage constructions and relocations. • Operations and Maintenance. Oversee acquisition, installation, operation, maintenance and disposition of building systems. Manage the maintenance of building structures and permanent interiors. Oversee acquisition, installation operation, maintenance and disposal of furniture and equipment. Oversee acquisition, installation operation, maintenance and disposition of grounds and exterior elements. • Real Estate. Manage and implement the real estate master planning process. Manage real estate assets. • Quality Assessment and Innovation. Manage the process of assessing the quality of services and the facility’s effectiveness. Manage the benchmarking process. Manage audit activities. Manage developmental efforts of facility services to make innovative improvements in facilities and facility services. • Leadership and Management. Plan and organize the facility function. Manage personnel assigned to the facility function. Administer the facility function. Manage the delivery of facility services. • Human and Environmental Factors. Develop and implement practices that promote and protect health, safety, security, the quality of work life, the environment and organizational effectiveness. Develop and manage emergency preparedness procedures. • Finance. Manage the finances of the facility function. • Communication. Communicate effectively. • Technology. Plan, direct and manage facility management business and operational technologies. Plan, direct,
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manage, or support the organization’s technological infrastructure. Ideally, candidates should have experience in all nine areas; however, it is possible for a candidate to have experience in most competency areas with minimal exposure to others and still pass the exam. In addition to having experience in the nine competency areas, one must also have several years of work experience. Once an individual has determined that he or she meets the eligibility requirements to sit for the CFM exam, the online application—available at www.ifma. org/secure/learning/certification_app. cfm—must be filled out and submitted for formal review and approval. Within several days of submission, candidates will be electronically notified if their application has been accepted and provided the necessary steps to register for the exam. Candidates must take the exam within three months of acceptance.
RECERTIFICATION
All CFMs must recertify every three years. Keeping up with current knowledge and trends is critical. To maintain the CFM credential, a list of the activities performed along with the appropriate supporting documentation—including a processing fee—must be submitted to the IFMA credentialing department. CFMs are required to earn 120 maintenance points in at least two of the following four categories: • Practice • Continuing education • Professional involvement • Development of the profession Reminder notices are sent out as a courtesy; however, it is each CFM’s professional obligation to renew his or her CFM in a timely manner. It is also an individual’s responsibility to ensure that his or her address record is kept current.
OPENING DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES
There are many benefits of becoming a CFM, including a sense of personal fulfillment as well as being a leader in advancing the facility management profession. Equally important is the fact that CFMs in the private sector are shown to earn higher salaries than those without the credential.
IMAGE COURTESY IFMA
The International Facility Management Association’s CFM credential signifies an individual’s competency in nine core areas, each of which is critical to the practice of facility management.
With an increasing number of job opportunities that list credentials as highly recommended or encouraged, attaining CFM certification is particularly worthwhile for those in the military who are looking at post-service opportunities. With one’s military background and work experience, the CFM may be an ideal opportunity to pursue. Those interested in taking the next step toward earning the CFM credential should not hesitate to contact the IFMA credential staff at 713-623-4362 or credentials@ifma.org. Through the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) and IFMA’s long-standing history of collaboration, SAME members are extended the same benefits offered to IFMA members. These benefits include the CFM Exam Review Course—which is occasionally offered in conjunction with local IFMA chapters and SAME Posts— the new online CFM practice exam and various online courses to assist in specific competency areas. Those interested in more information can visit www.ifmacredentials.org/cfm/exam-prep. The facility management profession continues to thrive and grow in the global market, and there is no better time than now to pursue the most recognized designation in the field. Cathy Pavick is Vice President, Education, International Facility Management Association; 713-623-4362 or cathy.pavick@ifma.org.
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Working in and for the DOD market comes with its unique challenges.
CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM
With the right skills and knowledge, challenges become opportunities.
Enhance your knowledge base and sharpen your skills by attending DOD-specific workshops available through SAME’s Continuing Education Program. From design-build to project management, all workshops address timely topics affecting the industry while providing information specific to the DOD market.
SAME’s Continuing Education Program will be offered in four locations in 2011, making it easy for professionals to attend workshops at a location that is convenient for them. SAME currently offers eight active courses, with several more in development (see chart).
2011 Continuing Education Courses February 15-17 Seoul, Korea
SAME Continuing Education Program Titles: Increasing the Sustainability of Existing DOD Buildings (1 day, 8 PDHs)
April 26-28 Norfolk, Va.
June 21-23 St. Louis, Mo.
October 12-14 Seattle, Wash.
X
X
X
LEED for DOD Projects (1.5 days, 12 PDHs)
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Best Value Source Selection for DOD Projects (3 days, 24 PDHs)
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Project Management for DOD Practitioners (3 days, 24 PDHs)
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PMP Exam Prep Course (3 days, 24 PDHs)
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X
X
X X
X
Design Build for DOD Projects (2 days, 16 PDHs) CMAA CMSOP (3 days, 24 PDHs)
X
X X
X X
IFMA Course (TBD)
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Energy Course (In Development)
X
X
Facility Asset Management
Building Information Modeling
One-Day Seminars for DOD Projects (8 PDHs)
Sustainable Communities on DOD Installations
Not all courses are offered at all sites, so please refer to the SAME Continuing Education Program website for updates.
2011 Continuing Education Program Locations February 15-17 Seoul, Korea
April 26-28 Norfolk, Va.
June 21-23 St. Louis, Mo.
www.same.org/continuinged
October 12-14 Seattle, Wash.
LETTER FROM . . .
GOVERNMENT NEWS
MILITARY NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Visiting SAME Regions and Posts
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
LEADER PROFILE
NEW PRODUCTS
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
Happy New Year to all our readers. I hope you were able to spend some quality time with your families over SOCIETY NEWS ENGINEERS IN ACTION HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE the holidays and have come back to your work and SAME with renewed energy and enthusiasm. The fall season was filled with SAME events that were well attended and demonstrated the value of SAME to members and non-members alike. I attended several SAME Regional Conferences this Fall including: the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes Regional Conference in Dayton, Ohio, which was hosted by the Kittyhawk Post; the Northwest and Pacific Regional Conference in Seattle, Wash., in October, which was hosted by the Seattle Post; and the South Atlantic and South Central Regional Conference in St. Augustine, Fla., in November, which was hosted by the Jacksonville Post. All the regional conferences boasted attendance that far exceeded expectations, putting stress on the facilities where these events were held. My compliments to the host Posts, which did an excellent job planning and conducting the conferences, and to the speakers who provided the attendees with valuable information. One area that needs improvement at our regional conferences is the participation by SAME Young Members and junior officers. SAME HQ will be working with the planners for 2011 regional conferences, the Academy of Fellows and the Young Member Council to help identify ways to attract Young Members to the regional conferences. We need to design a program specifically for Young Members and market the program to our senior members in both the public and private sectors. This fall I also had the privilege of hosting the Contractors on the Battlefield panel at the Joint Engineer Operations Course (JEOC) in Honolulu, Hawaii. While in Hawaii, the panel made a presentation at a Post luncheon that drew more than 100 attendees. Paul Dinkel, SAME Director of Continuing Education, hosted the same panel at the JEOC in Quantico, Va. SAME is proud to have supported JEOC for the past three years and provided added value to the course. SAME HQ also attended the annual conferences of SAME strategic partners including the International Facilities Management Association, the Design-Build Institute of America and the Construction Management Association of America. The purpose of our attendance is to establish and maintain a strong working relationship with these three organizations by seeing how they run their annual conferences and creating an environment of mutual understanding of our respective missions. We have dedicated several articles in this edition of The Military Engineer to the credentialing programs of these organizations— I also discussed these to a limited extent in my column in the November-December edition of TME. The credentials serve the dual purpose of setting professional standards and allowing indi-
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viduals to demonstrate their commitment to their profession. In November, SAME conducted its second-annual Executive Forum, a summary of which is provided as an insert to this edition of TME. The forum featured excellent participation by invited subject-matter experts, mostly from the government sector, and high-level individuals from SAME Sustaining Member Companies. The format of the forum is unique for SAME—no power point slides, just round table discussions for about six hours in each of five tracks. A big thanks is in order for the track facilitators and recorders who did an excellent job. SAME supported the Marine Corps Engineer Association (MCEA) by sponsoring the award recipients and their guests at the annual awards banquet, held this year in Quantico, Va. MCEA will select two of the award recipients—one officer and one NCO—to attend the 2011 Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo in May to be recognized by SAME for their outstanding contributions to military engineering. I had the privilege of attending one day of the U.S. Europe Command Engineer Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, in November to discuss SAME’s continuing education program. To begin initial planning for the 2012 SAME Europe Engineer Conference, I was able to meet with the 18th Engineer Brigade Commander and Command Sergeant Major; the leaders of the SAME Rhein Main and Kaiserslautern Posts; the Commander and staff of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District; and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Engineer and his team. We reviewed the feedback from this year’s conference in Frankfurt and look forward to making the next conference relevant to our SAME members and the 18th Engineer Brigade, which is scheduled to have returned from Afghanistan by the summer of 2012. In early December, SAME hosted its second-annual Small Business Programs for DOD Engineering, Construction and Environmental Programs. The conference was an awesome success with more than 1,900 attendees, including SAME President Maj. Gen. Tim Byers, F.SAME, USAF, and Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, P.E., F.SAME, USA. Read more about the conference on pages 80-81 of this issue of TME. As your Executive Director, I cannot do a good job by staying in Alexandria, Va. Attending our regional conferences, the conferences of our strategic partners and planning for the future helps SAME continue its journey from good to great. I look forward to continuing my travels and will perhaps be in your area in the near future. Let me know where I can be of assistance to you or your Post. Robert D. Wolff, Ph.D., P.E., F.SAME SAME Executive Director 77
ENGINEERS IN ACTION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
ENGINEERS IN ACTION
Army Environmental Engineering The engineers of the U.S. Army, be they civilian or uniformed, are undertaking a diverse range of missions to restore and protect the environment.
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A. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Philip Secrist, USA, observes environmental remediation efforts at the Lipari Landfill in Mantua Township, N.J. The landfill has been identified as the worst toxic dump in the United States and was ranked at the top of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund eligibility list. B. Four 81-mm World War II-era mortar rounds found at Camp Butner, N.C., in October were detonated as part of the ongoing Camp Butner Formerly Used Defense Sites project. Camp Butner is a 40,000-acre area that was used as a World War II U.S. Army infantry training site. C. Justin Callahan, of the USACE Baltimore District, uses a Real Time Kinematic GPS to locate the dune vegetation survey area being staked out by colleague Trevor Cyran. USACE personnel traveled to Ocean City, Md., in June to perform survey and assessment work as part of the Atlantic Coast of Maryland Shoreline Protection Project. D. A USACE New York District crew drops bags of mollusk shells into the water in order to create an artificial oyster reef off Governors Island near Lower Manhattan in October. The artificial oyster reef, one of six planned throughout the New York and New Jersey Harbor Estuary, is part of an experiment to determine the possibility of developing a thriving,
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E The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
IN MEMORIAM SAME honors the brave engineers who have given their lives while supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Vincent W. Ashlock, 45, of Seaside, Calif., was assigned to the 890th Engineer Battalion, 168th Engineer Brigade, Lucedale, Miss. Pfc. Ryane G. Clark, 22, of New London, Minn., was assigned to the 27th Combat Engineer Battalion (Airborne), 20th Combat Engineer Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C. Sgt. Aaron B. Cruttenden, 25, of Mesa, Ariz., was assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.
healthy oyster population in the estuary. Oyster reefs provide habitat for other species, augment fish production and improve water quality. E. Chief Warrant Officer Warren Higginbotham, USA, Construction Engineer for the 245th Agribusiness Development Team (ADT), takes a measurement during a visit to a village near Gardez, Afghanistan, in early November. The ADT is working to improve agricultural production in the village by repairing and improving the detention pond, which would allow for a regulated flow of water to the village instead of the spring runoff. F. Erik Rourke, USACE Philadelphia District Project Manager, talks about the natural stream restoration concept during an event on Tacony Creek, near Philadelphia, Pa., on Oct. 2. USACE Philadelphia District awarded a Recovery Actfunded contract in late summer 2010 for the restoration of the creek’s ecosystem. G. Melissa Alvarez, USACE New York District Senior Project Biologist, shows community stakeholders and representatives of USACE’s local, state and federal partners the different varieties of plant life that are now found throughout the restored marsh island of Elders Point East, part of the ongoing restoration work in Jamaica Bay. H. Col. Secrist discusses remediation efforts at Lipari Landfill. USACE, as one of EPA’s partners on the remediation efforts at the landfill, continually monitors remediation progress of the 15-acre site.
Staff Sgt. Jordan B. Emrick, 26, of Hoyleton, Ill., was assigned to the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Senior Airman Daniel J. Johnson, 23, of Schiller Park, Ill., was assigned to the 30th Civil Engineer Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Spc. Dale J. Kridlo, 33, Hughestown, Pa., was assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C. Sgt. Jason J. McCluskey, 26, of McAlester, Okla., was assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C. Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., was assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C. Sgt. 1st Class James E. Thode, 45, of Kirtland, N.M., was assigned to the 1457th Engineer Battalion, 204th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Salt Lake City, Utah. Spc. Blake D. Whipple, 21, of Williamsville, N.Y., was assigned to the 7th Engineering Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, Ill., was assigned to the 863rd Engineer Battalion, Darien, Ill.
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SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE FOR DOD ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS The SAME 2010 Small Business Conference for DOD Engineering, Construction and Environmental Programs was held Dec. 6-8 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. With more than 1,800 attendees, nearly 200 exhibitors and an extensive program of speakers, educational sessions and networking opportunities, this year’s SBC was the largest since the event was initiated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the 1980s. The three-day event was chock full of opportunities for small business owners to learn from and interact with the program chiefs and officials responsible for small business contracting throughout the Department of Defense and the federal government. This year’s conference included program briefings from eight USACE Division Commanders, and provided critical information on small business contracting with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment and others. Personnel from the U.S. Small Business Administration were on site to
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provide detailed information on the various federal small and disadvantaged business categories and their relevance to bidding on and winning contracts with the federal government. On the floor of the exhibit hall, attendees had a chance to shake the hands and bend the ears of the conference speakers and panelists, network with other small and large businesses, and stop by the SAME pavilion to update their memberships, purchase booths and sponsorships for upcoming conferences and learn how to get involved in the SAME Small Business Council. Check out the SAME page on Flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/militaryengineers) for more photos from this year’s conference, visit Bricks and Clicks (www.same.org/blog) for additional conference coverage and mark your calendars: The 2011 SAME Small Business Conference will be held Nov. 28-30 at the Gaylord National at National Harbor, Md., just outside Washington, D.C. Visit www.same.org/SBConference for details, and we will see you there!
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
The SAME Small Business Awards were presented to the following organizations and individuals during an awards breakfast on Dec. 8: Alvin E. Brown of TolTest Inc. and Jennifer P. Fogg of ASSET Group Inc. (Small Business Industry Advocate Award); Grace Elizalde of AFCEE and Constance Payne-Logan of SBA (Small Business Government Advocate Award); TolTest Inc. (Large Business Award); and Custom Mechanical Systems Inc. (Small Business Award). Visit Bricks and Clicks for photos and more information on the award winners.
SAVE THE DATE SAME 2011 SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE FOR DOD ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS NOV. 28-30, 2011• NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. The Military Engineer • No. 669
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SOCIETY NEWS
ENGINEERS IN ACTION
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
SOCIETY NEWS PENINSULA ENGINEER CONFERENCE FEB. 14-17, 2011, SEOUL, KOREA
Attendee registration is now open at www.same.org/PEC. Join leaders serving the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and Combined Forces Command (CFC) at the 2011 Peninsula Engineer Conference (PEC), hosted by SAME. The conference features a keynote address and discussions by top military leaders providing the latest updates on the transformation of the U.S. Korea Command and the Korea Relocation Plan (KRP). For the U.S. and Korean militaries, the 2011 PEC will offer two days of briefings on military engineer operations, construction and facilities management. The 2011 PEC also features business opportunity briefings from the USACE Far East District, the U.S. Department of Commerce and Army Installation Command–Korea, and networking with government officials from CFC, USFK and the Far East District, and their Korean counterparts. Sponsorships opportunities are shaped for budgets of all sizes and range from Titanium ($5,000) to Bronze ($800) and engineer dinner table sponsors ($500). For conference details, visit the PEC website at www.same.org/PEC.
PUBLISHERS STATEMENT
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SAME AWARDS AND MEDALS NOMINATIONS DUE JAN. 31
Jan. 31, 2011 is the deadline to submit nominations for SAME’s prestigious awards and medals. Online nominations forms and instructions are on the SAME website at www.same.org/awards.
FELLOWS CLASS OF 2011
Please join SAME in welcoming the following individuals who will be inducted into the SAME Academy of Fellows, at the Academy of Fellows Investiture March 24. The event begins with a luncheon for all SAME fellows. The investiture takes place later that afternoon, followed by the Golden Eagle Awards Dinner. Event registration is open at www.same. org/GoldenEagle. Cdr. Joseph A. Angell, P.E., USN (Ret.) Curtis L. Bagnall, P.E. Capt. Richard Beseler, P.E., USCG (Ret.) Col. Scott K. Borges, P.E., USAF (Ret.) Col. John R. Cawthorne, UFAF (Ret.) Stephen M. Crane, P.E. Judith Cooper Lt. Col. Ronald V. Descheneaux, USAF (Ret.) Capt. Walter L. Dillinger, P.E., USN (Ret.) Col. Janice L. Dombi, USA Capt. Michael J. Donohoe, USCG (Ret.) Jennifer P. Fogg Kathleen L. Gardner, P.E. Judith A Hackett, P.E. Richard Hergenroeder, P.E. Col. Michael W. Hutchison, USAF Paul W. Klotz Timothy N. Kyper, P.E. Lee C. Lennard, P.E. Marilyn W. Lewis, P.E. Angie M. McCullough CMSgt Kenneth E. Miller, USAF (Ret.) John Moossazadeh, P.E. Col. Robert E. Moriarty, P.E., USAF Hattie W. Peterson Roxanne L. Pillar, P.E. Capt. Ben D. Pina, P.E., CCM., USN Col. David Press, USA Col. John W. Schuman, USAF (Ret.) John E. Shaler, P.E. Melissa A. Smith Steven Tayanipour, P.E. Capt. Julius C. Washington, P.E., USN
50-YEAR MEMBERS
SAME recognizes the following SAME members who, in 2010, celebrated their 50-year member mark. Congratulations, and thank you for your support. Col. Frank M. Akiyama, P.E., USA (Ret.) Frank A. Anderson Jr. Col. Jimmy D. Baggett, P.E., USAR, F.SAME Lt. Col. Raymond R. Barrows Jr., P.E., USA (Ret.) Capt. Warren M. Bell, P.E., CEC, USN (Ret.) Capt. E.H. Belton, CEC, USN (Ret.) David P. Beurket John T. Cunningham III, P.E. Joseph A. DiFiore Capt. Thomas H. Emsley, P.E., CEC, USN (Ret.) Lt. Col. Romeo H. Freer Jr., P.E., USAF (Ret.) Capt. William R. Gibson, P.E. USNR (Ret.) Joseph D. Goldreich, P.E. Lt. Gen. Ernest Graves Jr., P.E., USA Col. David S. Haworth III, P.E., USA (Ret.) John F. Hubert, P.E. Edmund W. Hulseberg John R. Jacobsen, P.E., USN (Ret.) C. Marvin Jensen, P.E., F.SAME Herbert D. Kelley Jr., P.E., PSM Philip McCallister, P.E., P.C., F.SAME, F. ASCE Capt. James E. McNeill, P.E., USN Edmond Megerian, P.E. Cdr. Russell Myers Jr., P.E., USN (Ret.) Lt. Col. Thomas W. O’Dea, P.E., USA (Ret.) Col. James W. Peck, P.E., USA (Ret.) Lt. Col. Donald G. Peters, P.E., USA (Ret.) Francis C. Pierce, P.E., F.SAME Capt. Robert E. Quinn Jr., P.E., USN (Ret.), F.SAME Allan J. Savitz, P.E. Col. William T. Stockhausen, P.E., USA (Ret.) Mark J. Tytka Lt. Col. Edward B. B. Wenners, P.E., USA (Ret.), F.SAME Thomas M. Wood Lt. Col. Donald E. Wuerz, P.E., PLS, USA (Ret.), F.SAME James Yallaly
STREAMER SUBMISSIONS DUE FEB. 1
All Streamer submissions are due to SAME HQ Tuesday, Feb. 1. SAME Posts interested in applying for a Streamer award can visit www.same.org/streamerawards to view recent changes to awards criteria and submission processes and to download updated submission documents.
The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
TIVE
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERAN ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
Supporting veteran-owned small businesses is an important part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) mission. One in seven veterans is selfemployed or a small business owner. The leadership and management skills veterans have learned during their active duty and reserve service are ideally suited for success as an entrepreneur. SBA has numerous programs that support veteran small business ownership, some of which are highlighted here. Loans Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. SBA’s two largest loan programs, 7(a) and 504, offer effective financing opportunities for veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners. In FY 2010, SBA supported more than 4,800 loans totaling over $1.25 billion to veterans through these two loan programs.
The Patriot Express Loan Pilot Program offers low-interest loans to members of the veteran and military community. Since it was created in 2007, SBA has approved 6,510 Patriot Express loans supporting more than $500 million in small business lending to veterans, reservists and their spouses. Entrepreneurship Education for Veterans Wanting to Start or Grow Their Business. SBA’s Veteran Business Outreach Center Program (VBOC) offers outreach, counseling, training, online assistance and coordinated access to local SBA and other entrepreneurial assistance programs. Over the past year, SBA doubled the VBOC Program from eight to 16 locations. The Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a partnership between SBA and Syracuse University, delivers entrepreneurship training through a one-year “boot camp” for
service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who want to start or grow small businesses. EBV is designed to open the door to business ownership for our veterans. The EBV program is expanding to a total of seven business schools at universities around the country: Syracuse University, University of Connecticut, UCLA, Florida State University, Texas A&M University, Purdue University and Louisiana State University. (See “SBA Expands Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Vets,” in this issue.) Operation Endure & Grow is a new program that expands on the SBA and Syracuse University “boot camp” and will provide high-quality training, networking and mentoring to support Reservists and U.S. military family members. SBA expects 550 individuals to participate in 11 eight-week online training cycles and courses during a 24-month period. Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) is a second
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SMALL BUSINESS NEWS new program under the partnership between SBA and Syracuse University that will deliver high-quality training, networking and mentoring in seven locations to 1,400 women veterans during a 36-month period. The program consists of a three-day, off-site training program, online training and network support structures. Expanding Opportunities for Veterans to Compete for and Win Federal Contracts. The Small Business Jobs Act established a level playing field, between service-disabled veterans and other groups of small business owners in the contracting arena. Parity will increase government contracting opportunities for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), helping achieve the governmentwide 3 percent SDVOSB goal. The Small Business Jobs Act established the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, which will be launched in 2011.
SBA is expanding its outreach to service-disabled veterans with a new online contracting tutorial to help veterans and
military spouses who own small businesses
identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities. The Office of Veteran’s Business Development provided SDVOSB procurement training to more than 4,000 SBVOSB’s in 2010 to help achieve the 3 percent SDVOSB goal. Continuing to Strengthen Support for Veteran Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. SBA’s Veterans Outreach Initiative provided small business ownership guidance and assistance to more than 140,000 veterans and reservists in 2010. This program was recently expanded to 30 SBA district offices. SBA chairs the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development focused on improving and expanding opportunities for veteran business owners. These efforts include increasing access to
capital, improving business development opportunities, and meeting federal contracting goals for veteran-owned small businesses service-disabled veteranowned small businesses. Also, of note is the fact the at the Recovery Act provided $1.67 billion in contracting dollars to service-disabled veteran owned businesses, exceeding the 3 percent contracting goal for SDVOSB. (Contributed by SBA)
SBA EXPANDS ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP FOR VETS
With thousands of service men and women returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Syracuse University are expanding their Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) to a seventh school, Louisiana State University, and launching two new entrepreneurship programs for women veterans and National Guard and Reserve members and their families.
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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SMALL BUSINESS NEWS According to SBA, nearly one quarter of veterans indicate they are interested in starting or buying their own small business, and that percentage is even higher among women veterans. With that in mind, the growing partnership between SBA and Syracuse University provides training on how to start and grow a small business to veterans, with programs targeted to service-disabled veterans, women, National Guard and Reserve members and their families of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009, SBA partnered with Syracuse University, providing a three-year cooperative agreement providing funding totaling $450,000, to support the university’s year-long EBV program on six campuses. Now in the second year of the partnership, with SBA’s support, the “boot camp” is expanding to a seventh campus, E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University. The other five campuses are: the University of Connecticut School of Business, Mays Business School at Texas
A&M, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Florida State University’s College of Business, and the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. Created and delivered by a network of some of the best business schools in the country, it is designed to leverage the skills, resources and infrastructure of higher education to offer experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to veterans. Last year, 129 service-disabled veterans participated in the program. Since the program’s inception in 2009, more than 320 wounded warriors have graduated and more than 150 businesses have been launched by graduates. Additionally, SBA is also providing $2.6 million through a cooperative agreement over three years for two new programs supporting veteran entrepreneurs. The first, Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE), focuses on training, networking and mentorship for women veterans. The three-day, off-
site training program, online training and network support structures will be delivered in several locations around the nation, and anticipates serving up to 1,400 female veterans over a 36-month period. The second new program, Operation Endure & Grow, targets National Guard and Reserve members, their families and business partners. The goal of this program is to mitigate the economic hardship of deployed members and their families. The eight-week online course will focus on the fundamentals of launching and/ or growing a small business for those who will sustain the business when the service member is deployed, injured or killed. Initially 550 individuals are expected to participate. In total V-WISE and Operation Endure & Grow will serve over 1,950 individuals and their families. The expansion of SBA’s partnership with Syracuse University builds on more than $1.25 billion in loan guarantees for veterans in its flagship 7(a) and 504 programs, and through its Patriot Express
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SMALL BUSINESS NEWS loan pilot initiative. In three years Patriot Express has supported nearly $550 million in loans to more than 6,500 veterans and spouses looking to establish or expand their small businesses. SBA reaches out to veterans through its 68 local SBA district offices, 16 Veterans Business Outreach Centers nationwide, and its partnership with 1,000 Small Business Development Centers and some 12,000 SCORE – Counselors to America’s Small Businesses volunteers. SBA has numerous programs creating government contracting opportunities for vet-owned small businesses. For more information visit www.sba. gov/vets and www.sba.gov/reservists. (Contributed by Dennis Byrne, SBA)
HIGHER LOAN SIZES POSSIBLE BY SMALL BUSINESS JOBS ACT
On Oct. 8, 2010, the U.S. Small Business Administration finished implementation of another major element of the Small Business Jobs Act: increasing maximum
sizes in several of its loan programs. The changes are permanent for general small business loans under SBA’s 7(a) guaranteed loan program, fixed asset loans through the 504 Certified Development Company program, Microloans, and International Trade, Export Working Capital and Export Express loans. A temporary increase for SBA Express loans is good for one year. Under the Jobs Act provisions, SBA has permanently increased 7(a) and 504 limits from $2 million to $5 million, and for manufacturers and certain energy-related projects seeking 504 loans, to $5.5 million. The maximum for International Trade and Export Working Capital loans also has been increased from $2 million to $5 million. SBA also permanently increased microloan limits from $35,000 to $50,000, helping larger entrepreneurs with startup costs and small business owners in underserved communities. It also raised the limit on Export Express loans, from
$250,000 to $500,000, and made the program permanent. SBA Express loan limits have been raised from $350,000 to $1 million for one year. These loans offer a streamlined application process with reduced paperwork and approval often in a matter of days. Unlike traditional 7(a) loans, SBA Express loans carry a 50 percent guarantee and can be used as revolving lines of credit—to help restock inventories and support larger revenue sales—which are particularly critical for small businesses as they emerge out of the recession. SBA has already put in place the alternate size standard that expands eligibility for SBA-backed loans that was included in the Jobs Act, increasing the alternate size standard to include those small businesses with less than $15 million in net worth and $5 million in average net income. The bill provided the agency with enough funding to support an estimated $14 billion in lending to small businesses with the extension of higher guarantees
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The Military Engineer • January-February • 2011
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SMALL BUSINESS NEWS and reduced fees in the top two loan programs, first implemented as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Jobs Act also includes additional resources to help increase lending to small businesses, including the State Small Business Credit Initiative announced today by the Department of Treasury that will support $15 billion in lending through local programs and the Small Business Lending Fund, which will provide capital to local, community banks to increase their lending to small businesses. Additionally, the new law contains $12 billion in tax credits targeted to small businesses, including higher deductions for investing in new machines and equipment, zero capital gains for those who buy and hold small business stocks for five years, and a doubling of the maximum deduction for startups to $10,000. It also allows self-employed Americans to completely deduct health insurance costs for themselves and their families. (contributed by SBA)
Q
Where can I find additional assistance in the Department of Defense (DOD) marketplace?
A
Several resources are available to assist you in the DOD marketplace: • Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (www.dla.mil/db/procurem.htm) are located in most states to provide small business concerns with information on how to do business with DOD. Partially funded by DOD they provide training and counseling on marketing, financial and contracting issues at minimal or no cost. • Small Business Specialists are located at each DOD buying activity and can provide assistance on how to market to DOD. • The DefenseLink website, www.defenselink.mil, provides links to the home pages of every DOD activity. This information can be invaluable in researching the DOD marketplace and identifying your target market. (excerpt from www.sba.gov)
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ON
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Environmental Impact Statement—The Step Before BY DAVID A. SPIVEY Reprinted from: The Military Engineer Vol. 65, No. 425—May-June 1973
Editor’s Note: The following article, “Environmental Impact Statement— The Step Before,” by David A. Spivey, was written less than four years following the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which continues to guide environmental compliance for federal agencies today. As mentioned by the author, NEPA also established the Council on Environmental Quality, which works closely with the president to develop and coordinate environmental programs for the government. For the purpose of this historical piece, the text herein is reprinted as published in the November-December 1984 issue of The Military Engineer. A national policy of protection and enhancement of man’s environment was established by the signing of Public Law 91-190, the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). It declares that the continuing policy of the Federal Government is to use all practicable means and measures to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans. One much discussed section, 102(2) (c) of NEPA, requires federal agencies to prepare a detailed report of the environmental consequences before taking any major action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. The object of such a report is to require in the decision-making process a thorough consideration of the envi-
The Military Engineer • No. 669
ronmental aspects of proposed actions. The two aspects of the environmental impact statement requirement are first that federal actions must be assessed as to their effect on the quality of the human environment and, second, if it is found that the environment will be significantly affected, a formal written impact statement must be submitted to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). For environmental considerations to be a part of the concept phase of a project, it is essential that such consequences be assessed early in the planning. Failure to assess the project early may result in commitments of resources, purchase of land, or design work that will be wasted when other more environmentally sound possibilities are found. No formal guidance on how to make the assessment of environmental effects has been issued by CEQ. But to be done properly, in addition to the ecological and environmental aspects, man’s aesthetic and social well-being and human interest must be examined. Emphasis should be given to alternative plans and an evaluation of each in light of all factors. Ultimately, each assessment must answer two questions for the decision maker: Will the acquisition, construction, and operation of the facility have a significant effect on the environment? Will the effect of this project on the environment be controversial? If the answer to either of these questions is “yes,” then a detailed impact statement complying with the requirements of the NEPA and using CEQ guidelines for its preparation must be submitted. Significant effects both detrimental and beneficial should be included. Even if they are in balances, or the net effect is expected to be beneficial, an environmental impact statement must be prepared. Also, a documented assessment is still needed for projects which are not major action or
are non-controversial to show that the environmental consequences were adequately considered and that the decision not to prepare an environmental impact statement was not arbitrary or capricious.
INDICATORS FOR IMPACT ASSESSMENT
In making an assessment, it if first necessary to identify changes that would be caused by the implementation of various alternative measures. These changes may be in the amount of critical pollutants in the area, the aesthetic characteristics, the economic base, the life patterns, or the culture of a region. To determine the changes produced by a specific action, it is necessary to relate the alternatives to basic conditions which describe the existing quality of the area. Any changes may then be translated into the indicators of ecology, environmental quality, aesthetics, and human interest. (See Table.) It is important to specify the impacted areas and determine whether the projected actions will have local, regional, or national effects. Ecology. Many of man’s actions affect nature by altering the relationships that exist between the various organisms and their environment, and may cause temporary or permanent changes in processes and components such as the growth, reproduction, maintenance, and relationships of organisms or in the entire ecosystem. It is possible to determine the effect of ecological changes by studying the species and populations of terrestrial and aquatic life, their habitats and communities, and the interdependence upon other factors of the ecosystem. Environmental quality involves the preservation or enhancement of the natural resources—land, water, and air. The treatment and disposal of waste is essential for health. Because toxic compounds, infections, or irritating agencies affect the public health and general 89
welfare of society, their consideration in an impact assessment is of utmost importance. Thorough study should be given to water, air, land, and noise pollution in assessing environmental quality. Aesthetics pertain to the quality or condition of the environment as perceived by individuals. It includes the presence or absence of color, odor, and tastes, and the appearance. Individuals vary in their responses to external stimuli in the environment, thus it is important to analyze each parameter included in aesthetics and to make comparisons with alternatives. The specific parameters consider are land, air, water, biota, man-made objects, and composition. Human Interest. People’s lives are also affected by environmental change, specifically their life necessities, emotional reactions, and general enjoyment of life. Man is included in the environment and any changes affecting him must be evaluated along with possible alternatives. Social well-being involves the equitable distribution of assets both real and psychic and the maintenance of activities and relationships of individuals and groups in society. Some human factors, vulnerable to environmental changes, which may be assessed are education, scientific pursuits, historical and cultural interests, the mood and general atmosphere of a locality, and life patterns.
IMPACT EVALUATION METHOD
After the various impacts have been defined, they are evaluated to determine the significance of the change—its magnitude, its positive or negative direction, the individuals or groups concerned, and its importance in the entire system. When the procedure of impact identification and evaluation is completed and the desired information needed for the assessment of alternatives is obtained, the number of changes in each category have still to be correlated to obtain a general overview. 90
Engineers responsible for preparing impact assessments have therefore developed an Impact Matrix for transforming all the changes and their significance into carious indices which can be used to evaluate each alternative. The matrix consists of a list of the general indicators representing the four objectives on the left side of the matrix and across the top each alternative to be evaluated. For proper balance, one alternative is “No Action” which is evaluated just as rigorously as the others. Opposite each indicator (impact factor) a symbol is placed under each alternative representing a “subtotal” of impact and significance. The value placed in each of the columns in the matrix is determined by judgment. The subtotal symbols are as follows: + Indicates that the major direction of the impacts of the indicator is positive or beneficial. — Indicates that the major direction of the impacts of the indicator is adverse or negative. 0 Indicates that there is no major direction of the impacts of the indicator. +/— Indicates that there are two significant directions of the impacts of the indicator, positive and negative.
These qualitative values indicate only a general direction of the indicator for the particular alternative considered. A negative entry should be viewed as a danger signal indicating possible problems or adverse impacts that could result from the proposed action. For this reason, matrix entries are not comparable and cannot be totaled to obtain a single index. The matrix represents the systematic approach needed, but it is not the final product. Each major factor has to be discussed in proper detail.
CONCLUSION
Once the assessment has been made and the factors evaluated for each alternative, the decision maker selects the alternative to be used in light of all factors, economics, engineering, policy, and environment. Once the course of action is established, the assessment provides the information upon which the decision maker concludes to make or not to make an impact statement. To reach the proper conclusion, he must have an environmental assessment— the step before.
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