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Environmental Division
Air Emissions
•Our mission is to protect, conserve, and maintain the air resources of the area in which we live with the primary goal of protecting human health. We accomplish our mission by implementing the standards developed for the U.S. Army in Germany as well as the appropriate local and federal requirements of our host nation. •We face new challenges in protecting and maintaining good air quality. In addition to the traditional industrial and automotive air pollutants, we now also worry about acid rain, toxic air pollutants, greenhouse gases, global warming, regional haze, and the depletion of the earth's upper-level ozone layer which protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. •The environmental division identifies criteria and regulations required to be met by the USAG Wiesbaden regarding air emissions from DoD-owned or operated facilities and equipment. The use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Halon and the emissions from heating plants, carpentry shops, spray painting facilities, fuel transfer facilities, incinerators, and non-tactical DoD motor vehicles are managed by the environmental division. Asbestos
•Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals exploited commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their asbestiform habit, long, thin fibrous crystals. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses, including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Long exposure to high concentrations of asbestos fibers is more likely to cause health problems, as asbestos exists in the ambient air at low levels, which itself does not cause health problems. •In 2003 the European Union banned all use of asbestos and extraction, manufacture, and processing of asbestos products. •Asbestos was popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century because of its sound absorption, average tensile strength, and its resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibers are often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats. Asbestos was used in some products for its heat resistance, and in the past was used on electric oven and hotplate wiring for its electrical insulation at elevated temperature, and in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals. Cultural Resources
•The primary goal of cultural resource management is to protect and preserve historically significant features. As part of its mission in the European theater, U.S. military forces are committed to the protection of the people, the land and the heritage of the nations which serve them as hosts. Cultural resources are an integral part of a nation's heritage. With proper attention, the places, objects, and records associated with national heritage, and the ideas that they embody, can be conserved and defended for the future.
•Cultural resources include prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, historic sites and monuments, pictographs, petroglyphs, historic mining sites, intaglios, historic trails and roads, historic military sites, traditionally sacred and culturally important places, early settlements, historic buildings and structures, and historic artifacts.
•The Installation Commander is responsible for preserving and protecting buildings, structures, sites, and objects of historical, archaeological, or cultural value on U.S. Army-controlled property. The Wiesbaden Military Community is located within a historically rich region of Germany but has relatively few cultural resources identified by the German Federal Assets Office (FAO) in its installations and training area.
•The USAG Wiesbaden Environmental Division regularly consults the host nation cultural preservation offices and has identified cultural resources at several installations.
Drinking Water
Drinking water is one of the most rigorously tested resources that we use. Pumped from deep wells, the drinking water at USAG Wiesbaden is tested for more than 150 different parameters such as inorganics, metals, organic compounds, pesticides, bacteria, radio nuclides, and asbestos, before it enters the water network. Within the installation, testing is conducted for several more parameters in accordance with the German Final Governing Standards. Annual drinking water results are available for each installation. Helpful general information about drinking water, water conservation tips, and water protection zone information are available. After drinking water has been used it becomes waste water. Waste water travels through the sewer systems. All the parts of the system, including the petroleum, oil, and lubricant separators, settlement tanks, and main sewer lines, have to meet stringent requirements. Environmental Management System
•An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a management approach that is based on the International Organization for Standards (ISO) series for Environmental Management (ISO14000) and which has been required for implementation at all appropriate Army facilities by Executive Order as well as Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Army (DA) Policies and Memoranda.
•General guidance for the development of the EMS was taken from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 Standard, "Environmental Management Systems—Specifications with Guidance for Use." The ISO 14001 standard is based on the “Plan, Do, Check, Act” process.
•The EMS has been developed to assist all units within the garrison’s footprint to meet these requirements. The main activities within the EMS program are:
–Determining the activities and operations conducted within the units which cause the most significant environmental impacts;
–Setting objectives and targets for minimizing those impacts; and,
–Ensuring environmental “Continual Improvement” through adjusting the environmental goals of the garrison with changing mission requirements.
•An EMS, as a well-defined management structure, is designed to address the impacts of an organization’s activities, products and services on the environment. Army installations and organizations must analyze how their mission impacts the environment and take responsibility for reducing or eliminating those impacts. Until recently, the Army has always used a compliance-based approach to environmental management. Now with the development of an EMS, the Army is able to proactively approach environmental issues and thus:
–Minimize environmental liabilities and expenses;
–Ensure “Continual Improvement” for activities having potential impact on the environment;
–Provide more effective targeting of scarce environmental management resources; and,
–Strengthen the working relationship within the community and with the Host Nation - improved public image.
The US Army Garrison Wiesbaden Command Policy Letter 28, Environmental Management Systemis a commitment of the USAG Wiesbaden concerning pollution prevention, compliance with legal and other environmental requirements, and continual improvement of the garrison’s environmental performance. The environmental policy shall be communicated during all training sessions on environmental issues. |
Hazardous Substances
•Providing a safe and healthy environment in which civilians, servicemen, nationals and contractors work is a matter of the highest priority to the USAG Wiesbaden. Our employees and the people who live in areas surrounding us, should be able to go about their daily activities knowing that hazardous materials on our base are managed and handled safely, with competence and with the utmost concern for our health and a commitment to protect our environment.
•Hazardous Materials
–Hazardous materials or chemicals are those substances regulated by federal, state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances.
–The Hazardous Materials (HM) management program developed by the Garrison covers the storage and handling of the hazardous materials (HM) which are stored and used at facilities throughout the USAG Wiesbaden community. Among the most common HM stored and used are flammable and combustible liquids such as solvents and other petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL), compressed gases, and corrosives such as battery acid.
–The Hazardous Materials Management Plan
•Hazardous Waste
–Hazardous waste (HW) are any wastes that are classified according to a range of established properties, such as flammability, oxidizability, or toxicity. Paint products, health & beauty items, household cleaners and pesticides are typical examples. When illegally disposed of in the municipal solid waste stream or otherwise improperly managed, these materials have the potential to contaminate our environment.
–HW management is an important environmental issue throughout the USAG Wiesbaden footprint. The numerous HW generators at the US Army Wiesbaden include shops, motor pools, maintenance areas, auto craft shops, and various other tenant support organizations. The most common HW generated on the garrison are used POL products, POL-contaminated solids (e.g., oily rags, contaminated dry sweep, used oil filters, and waste oil cans), used batteries, used antifreeze, waste paint and paint-related material, waste solvents, waste fuel, photographic wastes, and waste aerosol cans.
In order to protect public health and the environment in the area of HW, the Army incorporates a variety of measures into its program. Army installations provide proper training for key individuals addressing local HW standard operating procedures (SOP) and pertinent federal, state and local regulations regarding HW. Management of HW requires significant Army resources. Each Army installation carefully plans how hazardous waste is managed, to include maintaining an annual inventory of HW that is generated, treated, stored, disposed, or transported off site. Hazardous waste management regulations are addressed in Chapter 5 of Army Regulation 200-1, "Environmental Protection and Enhancement".Lead-Based Paint
•Lead is a highly toxic metal that produces a range of adverse health affects particularly in young children. There are many ways in which humans are exposed to lead: through deteriorating paint and dust, air drinking water, food, and contaminated soil. Airborne lead enters the body when you breathe or swallow lead particles or dust once it has settled. Lead can leach into drinking water from certain types of plumbing materials (lead pipes, copper pipes with lead solder, and brass faucets) and can also be found on walls, woodwork, and the outside of your home in the form of lead-based paint. Lead can be deposited on floors, windowsills, eating and playing surfaces, or in the dirt outside the home.
•The Lead Hazard Management Plan addresses lead based paint management requirements specific to USAG Wiesbaden. The plan is designed to define the scope of the management issues on the Garrison level.
Medical Waste
•Medical Waste occurs throughout the USAG Wiesbaden in the medical, dental, and veterinary clinics and hospitals that serve our community.
•Types of medical waste that may be found within these practices include:
–Biohazard Waste
–Biohazard Sharps Waste
–Pathology Waste
–Chemotherapy Waste
•Medical Waste does not include chemical waste or mixtures of chemical and medical waste or broken glass not contaminated with biohazard, chemical, or radioactive waste.
Natural Resources
•The assessment of natural resources evaluates the management of plants, forests, wildlife, and threatened and endangered species.
•Various areas within the USAG Wiesbaden have been designated as protection/conservation areas.
•The primary goal of natural resource management is to minimize human impacts on the natural environment and to ensure the long-term protection of conservation and training areas as intact, naturally evolving ecosystems.
•The USAG Wiesbaden has many policies, guidelines, programs, and activities that support its natural resource mission.
•Included are a wide variety of programs and management activities, including habitat restoration, corrective and ongoing maintenance, removal of invasive plant species, and monitoring.
The USAG Wiesbaden also conducts resource management actions, such as geographic information systems (GIS), exotic species control, and watershed management. Noise
•The management of noise issues and noise-related complaints is reviewed in this program area and includes noise planning and mitigation.
•Noise complaints are infrequent. Any noise complaints that arise are handled on a case-by-case basis.
•A garrison-wide noise complaint program has been established as part of the Environmental Noise Management Program (ENMP). The purpose of this noise complaint program is to manage complaints in an efficient and timely manner and to provide the USAG Wiesbaden and the host nation community a system to document and resolve complaints involving noise.
Pesticides
•A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Though often misunderstood to refer only to insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides, fungicides, and various other substances used to control pests.
•Pests are living organisms that occur where they are not wanted or that cause damage to crops or humans or other animals. Examples include insects, mice and other animals, unwanted plants (weeds), fungi, and microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.
•Many house hold products contain pesticides; a few are : Cockroach sprays and baits; Insect repellents for personal use; Rat and other rodent poisons; Flea and tick sprays, powders, and pet collars; Kitchen, laundry, and bath disinfectants and sanitizers; Products that kill mold and mildew; Some lawn and garden products, such as weed killers; Some swimming pool chemicals;
•By their very nature, most pesticides create some risk of harm - Pesticides can cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms.
At the same time, pesticides are useful to society - Pesticides can kill potential disease-causing organisms and control insects, weeds, and other pests. •Biologically-based pesticides, such as pheromones and microbial pesticides, are becoming increasingly popular and often are safer than traditional chemical pesticides.
•A pest control "device" is any instrument or contrivance (other than a firearm) intended for trapping, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest.
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Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (POL)
•The management of petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) materials is a diverse activity that places demands on almost every active unit and operation throughout the USAG Wiesbaden. Mission requirements and routine operations demand storage and handling of large quantities of POLs, such as engine oil and hydraulic fluid, at many locations. Vehicle and equipment maintenance activities generate large quantities of used POL products, which have specific handling and disposal/recycling requirements.
•POL management include operation of POL facilities such as bulk storage tanks, above ground storage tanks, fuel distribution facilities, propane gas tanks and their components. Such facilities must be monitored and controlled to minimize the risk of any release into the environment
•Criteria to control and abate pollution resulting from the storage, transport, and distribution of petroleum products are described in various regulations.
•The USAG Wiesbaden Environmental Division provides assistance in developing site specific guidelines and training aids for Environmental Officers.
Solid Waste and Recycling
•The Solid Waste Program is responsible for the planning, management, and regulation of solid waste. Operations include recycling, waste reduction, and management of special wastes such as old tires, used oil, batteries, and mercury devices.
•Nearly everything we do leaves behind some kind of waste. The USAG Wiesbaden’s goals are to:
–Protect the population from the hazards of waste disposal
–Conserve energy and natural resources by recycling and recovery
–Reduce or eliminate waste, and
–Clean up waste, which may have spilled, leaked, or been improperly disposed of
•Because everyone shares responsibility for reducing and managing these wastes, the garrison's policies rely heavily on voluntary and educational programs. We promote and encourage the use of combined methods to manage solid waste.
•These methods include source reduction or waste prevention, which refers to any practice that reduces the amount or toxicity of waste generated and recycling, which conserves disposal capacity and preserves natural resources by preventing potentially useful materials from being thrown away.
•All solid waste collection and disposal at the garrison, including recycling, is performed by contractors. Oversight of the contractor is performed by the Department of Public Works.
•The DPW runs a Recycling Yard located at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, next to building #1035. Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 13:30 – 15:30. Phone: 337-9999. It provides collection for the following waste streams: Glass, Bulk Trash, Electronic Waste, Scrap Metal, Paper and Cardboard, Construction and Demolition Waste, Household Batteries, and Wood.
Qualified Recycling Program Handbook Trash Pick-Up Schedule WAAF Housing Trash Pick-Up Schedule Aukamm, Crestview, and Hainerberg Housing Spill Prevention and Response
•The living and working environment at the USAG Wiesbaden may be subject to major disruptions as a result of occurrences beyond the control of individuals. All members of our community should exercise good judgment in responding to these events as the situation necessitates.
•The USAG Wiesbaden Environmental Division maintains a Spill Prevention and Response Plan (SPRP) for the garrison. Any activity handling and storing any hazardous substances in regulated quantities must be trained and prepared to control any releases of a hazardous substances. Being aware of requirements and risks associated with the daily use of these hazardous substances will minimize disruption of military operations due to uncontrolled release of them.
•For Emergencies Call:
–USAG Wiesbaden Fire Department at 117 for on-base emergencies
–Wiesbaden Fire Department at 112 for off-base emergencies
–Both Fire Departments coordinate with the Environmental Division
–The Environmental Division can also be reached at Mil: 337-5582 Civ: (0611) 705-5582
Underground Storage Tanks
•An underground storage tank is any tank wholly or partially embedded in the ground, including underground piping, used to contain POL products or hazardous substances. Criteria to control and abate pollution resulting from POLs and hazardous substances are described in various regulations.
•In order to ensure that USTs are not leaking and components of them are working as specified, monitoring system have been installed on most USTs.
Waste Water
•Water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming, and other activities; and can potentially pollute groundwater sources.
•Proper treatment and reuse or disposal of domestic wastewater is essential for protecting one of our most vital resources - water.
•This Waste Water Management Program addresses guidelines to control and regulate the discharge of wastewaters into surface waters or to treatment plants. This includes, but is not limited to, domestic and industrial wastewater discharges, stormwater discharges, and pollutants from indirect discharges.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan |
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Contact Numbers
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Mission
The Environmental Division is dedicated to protecting and sustaining the environment in support of military operations and installation management through complying with environmental standards applicable to present operations; planning future activities in a manner to minimize environmental impacts; conserving the irreplaceable natural and cultural resources present on the installation; and maximizing pollution prevention initiatives.
About the Division
The Environmental Division Staff consists of Department of the Army Civilians, Local Nationals and Contractors. These professionals have educational and professional backgrounds in various fields.
Visit Us
Monday to Friday: 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Building 1059
Additional Resources
Environmental Officer (EO) Tools
Soldier's Field Card
General Purpose Checklist
U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Unit/Organization Environmental Self-Assessment
Regulations
Last Updated: 8/16/2011 12:10:18 PM