Volume 21, Issue 3 The Corps August 2020 Environment

Wildlife management ensures mission security, 30public safety

Environmental Operating Principle #3 Create mutually supporting economic and environmentally sustainable solutions. Wildlife management ensures 30 mission security, public safety The Corps Contents Advancing Army readiness through Arkansas Guard exceeds environmental Project helps restore ecosystem, Environment 4 enviromental compliance, stewardship 18 impact goals, reduces energy costs 32 maximizes benefits to wildlife, people Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite Commanding General Publisher Career program change requests Montana Guard restores environment Research center develops strategies W. Curry Graham 6 19 with advanced geophysics technology 34 for installation energy, water plans Director of Public Affairs Lara Beasley Executive Editor Project to improve harbor navigation Army Reserve leverages alternate water Huntsville Center mobilizes team, sourcing, bolsters mission readiness responds to nation’s call for action Gene Pawlik 7 20 37 Managing Editor David San Miguel Holistic USACE decision-making: Stormwater team helps protect post’s ERDC researchers develop forecast Editor 8 counting social, environmental benefits 22 natural water resources 42 models to aide in fight against COVID-19 The Corps Environment is an online quarterly news magazine published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the provisions of AR 360-1 to Reaching cultural success among mountains Entomologist warns of tick spread, Corps’ JALBTCX team monitors coastlines, provide information about USACE and 9 Fort Hunter Liggett protects historic sites, 23 threat 43 preps for 2020 hurricane season U.S. Army environmental initiatives, manages ever-changing training mission policies and technologies. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the U.S. Army Fort Belvoir supports Soldier training Twice the Life: Post repurposes textiles, Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense. 11 through environmental stewardship 24 increases waste diversion 46 awarded for environmental stewardship Inquiries can be addressed to U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, ATTN: CEHNC-PA, 5021 Bradford Drive East, Huntsville, AL 35816. Huntsville Center improves Army depot uses limited resources Knauss fellow, EWN include a perfect match Tele: (256) 895-1150. 14 HAZMAT management 25 to make impact 47 The Corps Environment’s editorial staff welcomes submissions with an environmental, sustainability or energy focus from USACE and Army units Memphis dive team protects Study offers Charleston potential Veteran’s transition from worldwide. endangered species solutions to reduce storm risks service leads to Corps career Send articles, photos, events, letters 15 27 48 or questions to the editor, at Corps- Environment-Magazine@usace. army.mil. California Army National Guard Corps district creates buzz Corps employee awarded for new Submission deadlines are indicated in red: 16 maintains historical integrity 28 around pollinator habitats 49 contracting process December 15 February March 15 May June 15 August September 15 November https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental.aspx

2 The Corps Environment 3 ENVIRONMENTE NVIROPOINTS Advancing Army readiness through environmental compliance, stewardship

By Amy L. Borman The theme of this issue ofThe Corps Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment is mutually supporting economic Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health and environmentally sustainable solutions, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #3. A particularly noteworthy example he Army’s Environment, Safety, highlighting EOP #3 is our current work on the and Occupational Health (ESOH) Program Comment for Army Inter-War Era community ensures that Soldiers are able to Historic Housing and Its Setting (1919-1940), carry out warfighting missions, and safeguards also referred to as the Program Comment. Tthe quality of life, health, and safety of our The Army has the largest housing mission Soldiers and their families. in the federal government, managing and As your Deputy Assistant Secretary of operating over 100,000 housing units for the Army for Environment, Safety, and Soldiers and their families. Of this total, the Occupational Health (DASA (ESOH)), Army has approximately 26,000 historic housing the Army ESOH Strategy 2025 provides units, over 3,200 of which are from the Inter- my framework and strategic approach to War Era. successfully respond to new missions and future The Program Comment, expected in threats. September 2020, will provide the Army with an Amy L. Borman Our community’s readiness is exemplified by alternative and programmatic means to comply Deputy Assistant the Army’s response to the COVID-19 global with its responsibilities under Section 106 of the Secretary of the Army pandemic. National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) for In March, during my first month as the regarding Army Inter-War Era housing and its Environment, Safety, and DASA (ESOH), our workplace and life as we setting (1919-1940). Occupational Health knew it changed dramatically. The Program Comment will address this The Army’s immediate support to the large class of historic property in a single COVID-19 response efforts serves as a programmatic NHPA compliance action, with testament to its ability to meet the challenges the ultimate intent of reducing health and safety of emergent threats. COVID-19 has affected risks for military families living in thousands the work we do in many ways: from protecting of historic Inter-War Era housing. It will also individual and community health, to the improve the quality of life in military family research, development and assessment of housing that was not previously possible due equipment and procedures, to sustaining the to the high cost of historic building materials readiness of our forces. and will address project-by-project NHPA In response to the pandemic, I have issued compliance that impacts military families by two Armywide policy memoranda providing delaying occupancy of historic housing. interim Army National Environmental Policy In addition to the Program Comment, this Act (NEPA) procedures to accomplish required office also anticipates that the revised final public engagements normally conducted at in- Army NEPA regulations are forthcoming. person public meetings — balancing this urgent Found at 32 CFR 651, the Army’s NEPA public health crisis and restrictions with the regulation is titled “Environmental Analysis of need to continue with the NEPA compliance Army Actions.” process to enable critical Army mission activities. See ENVIROPOINTS, page 5

4 The Corps Environment

E NVIROPOINTS The revision process began in 2016 underway include the Army’s efforts Strategy 2020 – 2028 in April 2020, and the draft final rule is now under final to address per- and poly-fluoroalkyl marking the first time in 10 years the review by the Office of Management and substances (PFAS). The inaugural Army issued a new SO&EH strategy. Budget. Army PFAS Working Group (APWG) The Army’s Environmental Quality Ultimately, revision of 32 CFR 651 Campaign Plan has been established Technology (EQT) program identifies, was critical to ensure modernization and includes associated lines of effort investigates, and facilitates the use of and readiness activities occur as planned intended to keep the Army enterprise environmental technology solutions with no significant delays due to the on track to mitigate use, investigate while reducing costs of material NEPA process. The revisions streamline past releases, and properly dispose of its production, maintenance, and operation. the Army’s internal NEPA procedures, PFAS-containing materials. Currently, the Army EQT program is particularly in terms of the revision Regarding munitions cleanup, the fostering innovation and collaboration and addition of many new Categorical Army has inculcated the Army 3Rs by promoting opportunities to work with Exclusions. (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosive industry, academia, and across DOD Other ongoing DASA-ESOH Safety Education program. The Army’s laboratories. priorities include conducting cleanup 3Rs explosives safety program is designed It continues to be a busy, yet programs to restore property that may to implement installation-specific Army productive, time for the Army ESOH contain environmental contamination 3Rs programs that educate military community. or military munitions from past personnel and civilians about the safety I look forward to the progress and Department of Defense use, enhancing actions to take should they encounter improvements we will make together as Army safety and occupational health or suspect they have encountered a the Army ESOH community. programs, and assuring that the Army munition. Collectively, these efforts bring addresses environmental considerations With respect to the enhancement the ESOH strategy, policies, and when acquiring new technology and of the Army’s safety and occupational programs full circle, placing Soldiers information systems. health programs, we published a and their family’s first, and prioritizing Important environmental milestone Army Safety, Occupational modernization and readiness. contamination cleanup efforts currently and Environmental Health (SO&EH) Environmental Operating Principles 1 Foster sustainability as a way of life throughout the organization. 2 Proactively consider environmental consequences of all Corps of Engineers activities and act accordingly.

3 Create mutually supporting economic and environmentally sustainable solutions. Continue to meet our corporate responsibility and accountability under the law for 4 activities undertaken by the Corps, which may impact human and natural environments.

Consider the environment in employing a risk management and systems approach 5 throughout the life cycles of projects and programs.

Leverage scientific, economic and social knowledge to understand the environmental 6 context and effects of Corps of Engineers actions in a collaborative manner.

Employ an open, transparent process that respects views of individuals and groups 7 interested in Corps activities.

Learn more about the EOPs at: www.usace.army.mil/Environmental-Operating-Principles

5 The Corps Environment Career Program Change Requests

By Karla Langland Army community of engineers, efforts and/or are in support or USACE, CP-18 Director scientists, and other construction- research roles. related occupational roles and helps Finally, it’s important to the CP-18 office determine the understand your career program alignment of a position description can fluctuate during your career o you believe you should to the career program. This as an Army civilian employee. be aligned to Career document can be found on the CP- The position description drives DProgram 18, but your employee 18 Army Career tracker website. the alignment of an employee record shows that you are not? What if you’re not certain what to a certain career program, not Career program offices have the career program you are aligned to? the employee’s formal education, authority to transition employees You can check a couple of different training or background. For from their current career program websites. First, you can check your example, you could be an into another. In fact, the CP-18 civilian career report on MyBiz+. environmental engineer by training office routinely receives monthly Second, you can check Army Career and apply for and be selected for requests from supervisors seeking Tracker. Your career program is a program management position. to transfer employees into the career prominently displayed on the front The specific program management program. These actions are enabled page of ACT after you log in. position you now occupy may be through the Civilian Human Why is it important to be aligned in another career program. It’s all Resources Agency’s web-based tool to the correct career program? about the duties and responsibilities that tracks hiring actions called Proper career program alignment required in the position description, Automated Nature of Action, or allows access to resources and not the individual’s background or AutoNOA. professional development tools, training. In order to request a transfer, such as training, certifications/ If you have any questions the supervisor must login to their licensure, mentorship and career about which career program AutoNOA account and nominate development opportunities. you are assigned to, or if you are the employee for the change. Employees cannot make this a supervisor and want specific Next, the CP-18 office will request, only supervisors with instructions on how to access receive the request and review the authorized AutoNOA accounts can AutoNOA, please drop us a note at: employee’s position description request a career program change. It [email protected]. against CP-18 business rules. is important that supervisors ensure mil. These rules list internal criteria employee position descriptions are that describes the roles within the related to building and construction

6 The Corps Environment Project to improve harbor navigation By Vince Little According to the report, larger vessels widening it to 3,000 feet with associated USACE, Norfolk District calling on the port now exceed maximum approach-area modifications and a anchorage dimensions – 47 feet below maximum designed swing area up to 3,600 mean lower low water and a length of feet, and dredging about 950,000 cubic 1,100 feet. Those ships can’t use the yards of material. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers anchorage at all, and typically go straight The project’s estimated cost is $25.3 study aimed at improving to dock unless there are weather issues. million, with the Corps covering 65% and navigationA and generating transportation The new anchorage would allow these the Port Authority of New York and New cost savings for deep-draft ships Jersey, its nonfederal sponsor, using New York and New Jersey picking up 35%. Harbor terminals reached a key “The signing of the chief ’s milestone April 23. report positions the project Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, chief for construction authorization of engineers and commanding in the next Water Resources general, U.S. Army Corps of Development Act, which is Engineers, signed a chief ’s report, in the works this year,” said recommending the New York and Richard Klein, chief of Norfolk New Jersey Harbor Anchorages District’s programs and civil Study for authorization by works branch. “Authorization Congress. is a very important step toward The USACE, Norfolk District project construction.” led the comprehensive study, but The chief ’s report will it was a joint effort that included undergo further review by the the Corps’ New York and Mobile assistant secretary of the Army districts. for Civil Works and Office of “This is a tremendous Management and Budget before achievement for USACE,” said formal submittal to Congress. Col. Patrick Kinsman, Norfolk The report’s signing also District commander. permits the preconstruction, He added that, more engineering and design phase, importantly, this collective team which shifts to New York worked tirelessly developing a (USACE Headquarters photo) District responsibility. That solution for our partners at the Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, chief of engineers and commanding covers project design and Port Authority of New York and general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, signs a chief ’s report for typically lasts up to three years. New Jersey to improve efficiencies the New York and New Jersey Harbor Anchorages Study while The project could save ports and reduce risk to port operations Maj. Gen. Scott Spellman, deputy commanding general for civil more than $320,000 in annual by providing anchorage space for and emergency operations, displays the study’s placemat. transportation costs, the report larger vessels that currently do not stated. It’s also expected to have it. larger vessels to anchor without going back create jobs, investment and economic “I’m so impressed with this effort, to the ocean, officials said. As future ships development. especially over the last two months,” he increase in size, they will have a reliable “The Port of New York and New Jersey said. “Given the Corps’ support to (the anchorage once it’s built. is pleased to continue our partnership Federal Emergency Management Agency) “It’s important the Corps continues with the Corps of Engineers to identify fighting COVID, we’re still delivering in to meet the nation’s needs in a timely improvements to waterway facilities such our important water resources program manner,” said Dan Hughes, Norfolk as the Gravesend Anchorage needed to simultaneously.” District’s planning resources section chief. support the port’s current and long-term The chief ’s signing culminates a two- “In New York and New Jersey Harbor, vision,” said Sam Ruda, Port Authority of year, multiagency, expedited effort to there is insufficient anchorage space to New York and New Jersey director. “Last complete the report. accommodate the largest ships coming year, the agency laid out a 30-year master “This is a result of successful execution into the port,” he said. “This creates plan to ensure we continue to lead as one as a region,” said Col. Thomas Asbery, transportation inefficiencies and leads of North America’s pre-eminent ports of commander, USACE New York District. to higher transportation costs of goods entry. Continuing to work with the Corps “Norfolk District did a phenomenal job coming into the U.S. on projects like this is a major part of that to lead the collaborative effort of multiple “The potential benefits are that the port plan. Corps districts, the Port Authority of New will be able to continue to receive larger “We thank the Corps of Engineers York and New Jersey, and many other vessels,” he said. and Gen. Semonite for their leadership stakeholders that resulted in an approved The study’s recommendations include: and support, and we look forward to chief ’s report in 18 months. It’s an honor deepening Gravesend Anchorage to working together on the next stage of this to be part of a great team.” a required depth of 50 feet MLLW, important program,” he said. 7 The Corps Environment Holistic USACE decision-making: counting social, environmental benefits By Elizabeth Murray & Trudy Estes documenting NED benefits. However, these because metrics are not available. Research U.S. Army Engineer Research and projects may also generate beneficial or in public health and safety is ongoing, but Development Center adverse effects that fall into the other three the OSE account encompasses many other Susan Durden accounts, and there is currently no unified “quality of life” benefits and impacts that Institute for Water Resources theory of value, and often no robust metrics could be considered in project planning: for measuring these benefits or impacts. income and employment; community For instance, although the EQ account cohesion; socially vulnerable populations; is used to evaluate benefits of aquatic and long term maintenance and .S. Army Corps of Engineers ecosystem restoration projects, as well as productivity of resources. employees attended a workshop environmental impacts of other types of Work remains to clearly define and Uat the USACE Institute for Water projects, the environmental value of such incorporate such factors in project Resources in Alexandria, Virginia, July projects can be challenging to decipher. analyses and align with evolving Corps of 24-25, 2019, to lay the foundation for The most common output used to Engineers planning policy. new cross-business During line research that the workshop, will facilitate employees improvements discussed in how the procedures and organization tools to identify, collectively evaluates quantify, and and plans civil works possibly monetize water resources changes to the development environment and projects. society to improve When the manner in formulating plans which the Corps for these projects, evaluates and plans various outputs are civil works projects. identified, described, Attendees quantified and/or identified new monetized during research and the planning phase, development in order to evaluate efforts focused on alternatives and the refinement or recommend a plan. creation of tools Such outputs The Corps organizes the evaluation of project effects into four accounts: national economic and techniques to are the foundation development, regional economic development, environmental quality and other social effects. allow the inclusion for any CW of OSE and EQ project’s engineering, design, construction, display changes in environmental quality considerations in project planning. operations and maintenance, authorization is the “habitat unit,” a representation of Based on the workshop outcomes, and budgeting decisions. habitat quality and quantity for a specific a research team has been formed to To date, the scope of outputs considered species or suite of species. investigate metrics addressing life safety during planning have been limited to HUs do not identify or assign values (including life loss and morbidity), those most directly relevant to the study or to the suite of other goods and services a community resilience, social vulnerability project authority, as defined by Congress. restored ecosystem may provide. and equity, as well as environmental quality USACE organizes the evaluation of As such, they’re useful in comparing metrics that can be applied across aquatic project effects into four accounts, per the alternatives within a project, but not for ecosystem restoration and non-AER Economic and Environmental Principles assigning value either within a project or project types. and Guidelines for Water and Related Land across projects. The research team will review and adapt Resources Implementation Studies (1983): EQ benefits associated with flood existing techniques where possible and national economic development, regional risk management and navigation project work with field teams to ensure practicality economic development, environmental alternatives are not formally considered and usability. quality and other social effects. in the evaluation; including them would An inclusive analysis of project effects NED is a well-developed concept provide a more complete, holistic analysis. is needed, and the use of such analysis backed by economic theory and supported Similarly, many factors that would in decision-making will better fulfill the with robust methods and tools. impact the OSE account are not currently Corps’ federal roles and responsibilities As a result, many Corps projects focus on considered in project analyses, in part across all of its business lines. 8 The Corps Environment Reaching cultural success among mountains Fort Hunter Liggett protects historic sites, manages ever-changing training mission By Kathy Alward According to Lisa Cipolla, the cultural resources Army Total Force Readiness was supported at U.S. Army Environmental Command program manager, “Resources include Native American Hunter Liggett in fiscal 2019 when a closed maneuver village sites, burial grounds, and pictographs; Spanish area was opened after the implementation of a pilot mission-era structures; 19th century mining camps; mitigation strategy for capping an archaeological site historic ranch sites and cemeteries; and historic Army to support heavy vehicle maneuver. he largest Army Reserve installation and the training sites.” As part of a programmatic agreement with the seventh largest of all U.S. Army installations by “The program is dedicated to supporting the California State Historic Preservation Office, the Tland, Fort Hunter Liggett is located in the Santa Lucia military mission by addressing compliance with post is able to continue opening more maneuver Mountains along the central coast of California. federal preservation laws, managing cultural resources area as additional survey, testing and mitigation are The post resembles 20% of the world’s terrain on in support of training, and seeking to protect our conducted. almost 165,000 acres of diverse and remote land that nation’s heritage through good stewardship practices,” “Thanks to the successful implementation of the serves as a valuable training environment for constantly she said. agreement and mitigation with Integrated Training changing mission requirements. The California-based installation serves as a strategic Area Management the amount of previously closed Committed to protecting its heritage in both current readiness platform for every branch of the military, maneuverable land has been opened up to increase and future missions without interruption to training, including Active, Reserve and National Guard units, training capabilities for further support of the Army Fort Hunter Liggett’s Cultural Resources Management state and federal agencies, and foreign allies. Total Force Readiness,” said Liz Clark, Hunter Liggett Program (CRMP) successfully manages historic The CRMP prioritizes cultural resource projects environmental division chief. properties that are up to 8,000 years old, with more within the post’s mission and coordinates with the The CRMP team monitored the capping of two than 700 recorded archaeological sites, three historic Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and archaeological sites in the Mission Road realignment properties listed on the National Register of Historic Security as well as the Directorate of Public Works construction project that successfully preserved the Places and an additional four historic private in- in all levels of planning for immediate and future integrity of the sites and allowed for improvement of holdings properties that are considered while planning missions for cultural resource compliance with historic the main road leading into the installation. Army actions. preservation laws. See HUNTER LIGGETT, page 11

(Photo by Tom Wilmer) Mission San Antonio is located in Southern Monterey County adjacent to Fort Hunter Liggett. 9 The Corps Environment 10 HUNTER LIGGETT continued from page 10 The team has evaluated 15 historical For many years, installation personnel have exhibited at an educational event. The structures that are more than 50 years old coordinated with members of the local CRMP team provided a talk on the Gil and assisted with renovation plans for a Salinan community to visit Stony Valley, an Adobe structure listed on the national historic hotel listed on the NRHP that ethnographically documented sacred place, register and met with the descendants of supports Soldiers and families on post. for ceremonial and educational purposes. the Gil family. The team also evaluated 26 Additionally in 2019, a database of The CRMP team also provided an archaeological sites in the maneuver detailed inventory was developed to interview for the local public radio station areas for NRHP-listing eligibility upgrade the condition of the existing covering the history of the hacienda, a and successfully implemented the archaeological collections, and more than historic building that was constructed programmatic agreement for off-road 9,000 artifacts were repackaged to meet by William R. Hearst that is of cultural heavy vehicle maneuvers at over 200 sites federal curation standards and catalogued significance and is used for community within the maneuver areas. into the inventory. events on the installation. Through collaboration with the U.S. The post’s cultural awareness and More information about the hacienda Army Corps of Engineers, Construction education are achieved through several can be found at www.kcbx.org/post/ and Engineering Research Laboratory, the methods, including assistance with issues-ideas-tour-historic-hearst-ranch- post was a test site for a Defense Legacy helicopter tours for visiting military headquarters. Grant, a project that is developing a new VIPs citing the installation’s landscape, CRMP shares their success stories method that will reduce time and costs in history and capabilities. Awareness and through several avenues to include conducting archaeological field studies. appreciation for its cultural history are participating in the Installation’s Integrated CRMP communicates with local also included in the newcomer’s welcome Strategic and Sustainability Planning Salinan tribal members regularly, because packet to new Soldiers and their families. and sharing with other Army Reserve Hunter Liggett is their ancestral homeland. Installation community relations was installations and readiness divisions.

(Photo by Cynthia McIntyre) Members of the Xolon Salinan tribe participate in a smudging purification ceremony before they visit the Stony Valley Arch at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. Bobby Sims, of Apple Valley, uses an eagle feather to waft the sage smoke onto Donna Haro, tribal headwoman, of Sprekels, California. 11 The Corps Environment Fort Belvoir supports Soldier training through environmental stewardship Story & photos by Lydia Shuart The management plan was created in team enhanced the shelter and food resources For 20 years, the garrison and partners U.S. Army Environmental Command partnership and with the guidance of the U.S. available to amphibians, birds and mammals have held an annual Earth Day event that Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia by thinning all vegetation over 12 feet tall to teaches school-aged children the importance Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. reestablish early-successional habitat. of harmony between natural resource Fort Belvoir’s Natural Resources Program This change made way for a helicopter conservation and the military mission. ort Belvoir’s Natural Resources team, headed by Keough, oversees the landing zone for Soldiers to use in touch-and- The Fort Belvoir NRP team held one Program has been very effective in garrison’s adherence to, and creation of, go landings and realistic high-capacity signal such event in 2019 to bring the team, a Fboth supporting the installation’s military conservation priorities in compliance with training. group of community volunteers, and Soldiers mission and in achieving land management laws and regulations. The team also provided adequate land together in planting 65 trees in a section of goals. During the plan’s implementation, the obstacles with felled pine logs by thinning the corridor that had previously been mowed Of the installation’s 8,500 acres, nearly NRP team found the installation’s geographic an overgrown pine stand for Soldiers’ land grass. 5,400 acres are forest with another 1,085 acres information system to be extremely out of navigation training. These actions resulted Fort Belvoir is a leader in the transferability of wetlands. date. GIS is used for mapping existing natural in high-quality habitat for amphibians and of their expertise and in promoting the Fort Belvoir also has 12 miles of shoreline resources, conservation actions, surveys and some PIF birds while also addressing military harmonious combination of conservation and along the western side of the Potomac River in training. training needs. mission readiness. Fairfax County, Virginia. Through innovative resourcing, the team “Management strategies, implemented Together with their partners and “The mission of Fort Belvoir’s Natural was able to update and upgrade the data to by teamwork, improve installation training stakeholders, they have been able to bring Resources Management Program is to manage produce high-quality layers and maps for the land to ensure a positive military training mission training and Army readiness together natural resources as an integral part of the INRMP. experience, while promoting stewardship and with the critical conservation of habitat and military mission using sound ecological Fort Belvoir has combined wildlife needs sustainability throughout the community,” said wildlife within their boundaries and beyond. principles to conserve biodiversity and natural with skills training on the installation. The Greg Fleming, natural resources specialist. resources,” said Dorothy Keough, conservation branch chief. Sizable tracts of publicly and privately owned land outside the post’s boundaries are under conservation management, which highlights the importance of conservation beyond its boundary. The diversity of the land provides the perfect environment for a diverse plant and animal population, including some 483 plant species the Virginia Natural Heritage Program considers rare. The installation is also home to eight federal- and state-listed endangered and threatened species, with many more under consideration. Recorded on-post are 43 mammal, 278 bird, 32 reptile, 27 amphibian, and 65 fish species. According to Partners in Flight (PIF), a cooperative network working collaboratively with partners to conserve migratory and resident birds and their habitats, many bird species of concern also call Fort Belvoir home. The 2018 Fort Belvoir Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan was updated to continue protecting five conservation areas on-post designated as Special Natural Areas between 1979 and 2016. This plan ensures that conservation does not inhibit the installation’s mission-essential training and support. These five areas make up a contiguous corridor for wildlife that connects The Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan ensures that conservation does not inhibit Fort the installation to off-post regional/state park Working side-by-side picking up debris along the river bank, Fort Belvoir personnel promote and teach area students the importance of environmental Belvoir’s mission-essential Soldier training and support. lands and National Wildlife Refuge habitats. stewardship. 12 The Corps Environment 13 (Photo by Melissa Malakos) A team from the Huntsville Center’s Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise train personnel on how to effectively and safely apply absorbent rolls to a simulated hazardous material spill at U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz in 2019. Huntsville Center improves HAZMAT management By Kathy Alward, EESOH-MIS application. documents have been reduced through U.S. Army Environmental Command “Through implementation of less paperwork and shorter timeframes. the EESOH-MIS, installations can Control of the quantity and nature effectively control necessary quantities of of hazardous material stored on the argely through concerted efforts to hazardous materials maintained on hand installation also ensures compliance with efficiently and effectively manage, to meet mission requirements while at pollution prevention requirements. track and report hazardous the same time protect the environment Additionally, the EM CX team met Lmaterials and hazardous waste, Army by minimizing excess ordering and with stakeholders to ensure the program installations worldwide are protecting the controlling hazardous constituents,” said was implemented to include training and environment and reducing costs. Diana Rochford, EESOH-MIS program effective communication requirements. Implemented with help and guidance manager from the EM CX, located in Stakeholders included Department of from the U.S. Army Engineering and Omaha, Nebraska. the Army G-4, the deputy chief of staff Support Center’s Environmental and Rochford added that implementation G-9, IMCOM Headquarters, the U.S. Munitions Center of Expertise, garrisons of this system allows the Army to reduce Army Sustainment Command, public are reaping the benefits of reducing the costs, reduce waste and increase readiness works directorates across the Army, tenant environmental impact of hazardous by ensuring all its installations and organizations, and shop stewards and materials and hazardous waste while still activities use it to effectively manage their safety and occupational health personnel satisfying regulatory requirements. hazardous material and hazardous waste. wherever hazardous material or hazardous The Huntsville, Alabama-based EM EESOH-MIS implementation adds waste are used. CX provided program management for value to the Environmental Quality The team’s efforts from 2017 through the U.S. Army Installation Management Program, because it retrieves data while still 2019 resulted in the transition of 10 Command as it sought to implement the complying with environmental reporting installations to the EESOH-MIS. Environmental, Safety and Occupational requirements, such as the Emergency This included 123 training sessions, Health – Management Information Planning and Community Right to Know six follow-up, nine pre-site and six data System worldwide. Act and Resource Conservation and collection site visits conducted. Previously, organizations used other Recovery Act. This also ensures safety Other achievements include the more costly user licenses, such as the data is now available to communicate creation of the Emergency Planning Hazardous Materials Management System, risks associated with hazardous material and Community Right-to-Know Act, or or other commercial database that charged to emergency responders and HAZMAT EPCRA, that helps communities plan annual fees to manage hazardous material handlers. for chemical emergencies and requires and hazardous waste data. Licensing costs The costs associated with the installations to report on the storage, use were also greatly reduced with the single preparation of HAZMAT disposal and release of hazardous substances. 14 The Corps Environment Memphis dive team protects endangered species Story & photo by Kathy Alward “Populations of the endangered fat threatened and endangered species status. U.S. Army Environmental Command pocketbook mussel have been found On July 11, 2018, the Corps officially throughout the basin,” he said. “Efforts to signed onto the conservation plan with the h protect the species while still maintaining U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure the authorized flood control project have that actions were not harmful to the overall he fat pocketbook mussel, or been the focus of the team’s efforts in the population of the species, and to develop Potamilus capax, is listed as a basin.” data documenting the overall population in Tfederally endangered species, with the Consultation efforts associated with the basin. largest population in the country historically the Endangered Species Act, Section 7, That conservation plan encompasses being found in the St. Francis River Basin and discussions between the Corps and two projects that have already saved time within the boundaries of the U.S. Army the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service brought and money, including a proposed clean out Corps of Engineers, Memphis District. to light the need for a system-wide of Ditch 10 located in Poinsett County in The Memphis-based dive team are perspective of the fat pocketbook mussel Arkansas and the Belle Fountain Ditch in highly trained and experienced biologists population within the basin. southeastern Missouri. who have assisted other Corps districts Section 7 is a mandate directing all Surveys were conducted at Ditch 10 such as Pittsburgh, Little Rock, Rock federal agencies to ensure the actions they and construction was approved to cleanout Island and Mobile to be sure their authorize, fund, or carry out do not put a 4-mile channel using timed searches to Endangered Species Act responsibilities in jeopardy the continued existence of a collect, measure and relocate the mussel are met regarding the potential impacts on species, or destroy or negatively modify species to a part of the stream that would threatened or endangered mussels. critical habitats. not be impacted by the construction. Cost “The Memphis District has been tasked Sampling conducted in the basin, savings for the Ditch 10 project were with maintaining a vast flood control primarily by the Corps, as well as the estimated at approximately $60,000 in the program within the basin that is responsible Arkansas Department of Transportation, survey effort, including at least two months’ for protecting life and property,” said Mark Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, time saved. Smith, supervisory biologist and dive team and other resource agencies, showed that The Belle Fountain Ditch project leader. “This includes a system of channels, the fat pocketbook mussel population involved replacing culverts, typically levees, pumping stations and other flood appeared to be stable. embedded structures that allow water to control structures that extends from the The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service flow under roads, railroads or trails, and hills of southeast Missouri to just north of developed a recovery plan, listing placing riprap, the rock or other material Helena, Arkansas, covering approximately requirements to document and remove the used to protect shoreline structures against 8,400 square miles. mussel species from its federally protected erosion around the new culverts.

The Memphis-based dive team of highly trained and experienced biologists assist other USACE districts to ensure their Endangered Species Act responsibilities are met regarding the potential impacts on threatened or endangered mussels. 15 The Corps Environment (Photo courtesy of California Army National Guard) Through its programmatic agreement process, the California Army National Guard was able to preserve and protect historic buildings such as the Soldier Bowl amphitheater that once featured celebrity entertainment for troops during World War II.

California Army National Guard maintains historical integrity By Lydia Shuart helicopter and airborne operations, land navigation, in order to formally determine resources’ legal status in When wildfires blazed across the state, the Guard to classify sites by regulatory status. U.S. Army Environmental Command large caliber weapons training, live-fire exercises, and regards to the listing criteria for the National Register and the California fire department were able to protect A Camp Roberts master digital database was also mounted and dismounted maneuvers. of Historic Places. This resolved the regulatory status the Soldier Bowl from fire damage, preserving its created to keep up-to-date information, summaries It is the only dedicated live impact area for all- of 56 archaeological sites and 294 buildings and historical legacy. and bibliographic data for all existing cultural caliber direct and indirect weapons systems, including structures in 2018–2019. In 2018, an on-site cultural resources specialist with resources reports. amp Roberts, the largest Army National a Combined Arms Collective Training Facility that “Compiling and submitting the supporting archaeological experience and extensive geographic The CRM program team has also established Guard training site in California, is located offers urban warfare simulation training. documentation for these resource evaluations was a information system experience was hired. He was working relationships with local Native American Con 42,361 acres that span both Monterey and San Luis Starting in 2018, Camp Roberts made great strides huge effort, but the resolution of their NRHP status able to establish comprehensive cultural sensitivity tribes — California has the most diverse Native Obispo counties. in revitalizing its Cultural Resources Management was worth it,” said John Sharp, the California Guard’s mapping in GIS that included updating and correcting American population in the U.S. — to consult and aid Active for the last 80 years, this training site must program with the California Guard’s full staff and cultural resources manager. archaeological site boundaries, depicting the NRHP in the survey of Native American cultural sites, a vital remain fully functional and strong in its operations, support. “The majority of these resources were not status (i.e., regulatory status) of all archaeological piece of stakeholder collaboration. while at the same time respect the natural and cultural Today, the program prioritizes site protection and determined to be historically significant, and the resources, and depicting sensitive areas requiring “Our CRM efforts on Camp Roberts are primarily environment. technology-enabled monitoring with the help of management of these buildings and a significant Native American consultation. aimed at directly supporting the activities focused on In fact, Camp Roberts has successfully instituted interagency cooperation. This revitalization began amount of acreage within the training lands can now This new program made way for integrating the the training and readiness of Guard Soldiers,” Sharp a comprehensive Cultural Resources Management with the execution of a new programmatic agreement become fairly automated and streamlined per the PA,” CRM GIS layers with natural resources, training added. “Our recent efforts related to both historical program to maintain the many historic and prehistoric (PA) to streamline the management of cultural he said. operations, historic land use, and proposed projects for buildings and archaeological sites have had the cultural and archaeological sites found there. resources in compliance with Section 106 of the This process has also allowed the Camp Roberts more viable data. ultimate effect of facilitating construction projects The installation serves as the West Coast overseas National Historic Preservation Act. That agreement staff to focus on protecting the few buildings To date about 35,000 acres have been surveyed and opening up new acres for training or construction deployment mobilization center. The site also serves as was executed in coordination with the California State that do have historical significance, i.e. the for archaeological resources. To survey the final according to the installation’s needs.” the training ground for the California Army National Historic Preservation Officer and National Guard Soldier Bowl amphitheater, that exhibits unique 5,000 acres (approximately 3,000 acres of “impact The CRM program ensures that the California Guard, Army, and active and reserve units from other Bureau, and is focused on tailoring the Guard’s NHPA regional architecture and which featured celebrity area” are exempt from the survey) funding has been Army National Guard and its partners have a military branches. compliance processes to save time, reduce costs and entertainment for troops during World War II. programmed into fiscal 2020. lasting pledge to preserve the integrity of significant Training areas there support a tactical array of obstacles, and better enable its training mission. The amphitheater has benefited from the recent The integrated, georeferenced map will establish cultural and historical resources at Camp Roberts, infantry, armor and artillery individual maneuvers The new PA enables Camp Roberts to submit its SHPO consultation, and is one of the few buildings on detailed spatial boundaries to facilitate training while simultaneously maintaining a tried and true and collective unit battle drills, including bivouac, backlog of evaluation reports to the California SHPO, Camp Roberts to be found culturally significant. movements and construction activity, and it will help commitment to mission readiness. 16 The Corps Environment 17 Arkansas Guard exceeds environmental impact goals, reduces energy costs By Lydia Shuart to make greener choices in their assessments in the nation. U.S. Army Environmental Command everyday operations. The installation did, however, But before implementing require some improvement in solid any new energy or solid waste waste management. he Arkansas Army National management plan, the staff must The environmental staff Guard is making great identify the current energy use and conducted a complete waste audit strides in renewable energy solid waste to efficiently focus on in 2018 that helped identify where Tsources across the state. where the plans and goals should be the installation’s weaknesses The Guard encompasses centered. were and enabled the staff to two major training sites where First, through $1 million of develop an Integrated Solid Waste momentous reductions in energy infrastructure funding provided in Management Plan to drive waste use have been made, the Camp 2019, the Guard was able to build diversion and reduction. Robinson Maneuver Training a new 360-kilowatt solar field at The installation was found to be Center and the Fort Chaffee Joint Camp Robinson. The solar field was generating 1,606 cubic yards of solid Maneuver Training Center. created with an additional megawatt waste per year, including municipal, Camp Robinson covers nearly expandability of power production construction and demolition solid 33,000 acres and accommodates should the center’s needs increase waste. the Professional Education Center, and funding becomes available. The installation’s recycling providing conferences, classes and The solar field is operational and program diverts 67% or 300.6 tons training for the nation’s full-time is projected to offset the Guard’s of solid waste annually, reducing Guard support personnel. current energy consumption by disposal costs and generating an The larger of the two training between 5% to 10%. All excess average revenue of $200,000 for the sites, the Fort Chaffee Center, power produced by the solar field is state each year. covers over 65,000 acres and rerouted to the public energy grid. In the hunt for sustainability includes specialized training Fort Chaffee is working on a and green procurement, the staff facilities like the Arrowhead/ similar solar field design. constantly monitors operational Rattlesnake Assault Strip, Carnis There, the Guard is looking and general cleaning supplies for Village and the Carnis Auburn for further redundancies in its possible green substitutions. Forward Operating Base. energy systems to ensure that there To reduce internal lab costs, the The Guard’s environmental are no training interruptions or staff has obtained a $4,600 internal staff oversees the environmental impediments. sampling kit to characterize impact of the two training sites, 54 In the natural gas capacity, a unknown compounds in-house. readiness centers and 862 buildings, second gas line has been connected Normally, each test costs around statewide. to the other side of the installation. $1,200 a sample, and with an “Reducing energy use has been a In the electrical capacity, it has average of a dozen samples required longstanding goal for the Guard’s tied into a second substation should each year, the kit will easily pay for environmental management system, anything happen to the initial itself within months. and over the past two years, the substation. According to Lt. Col. Brian environmental staff documented a Between 2008 and 2018, the Mason, the state Guard’s public nearly 7% reduction, a significant Guard’s energy use dropped from affairs officer, the environmental milestone for that program,” said 66.4 kBTU/square foot to 54 team’s efforts solidifies our Darrell Daniels, Environmental kBTU/square foot, a significant position in the communities as a Programs branch chief. decline for an installation that great neighbor who cares about The state Guard’s energy goals encompasses 5 million square feet being more than just a good include but are not limited to of floor space. environmental steward. energy independence, a goal that is During site inspections of the “This award,” he said, steadily coming to fruition. Environmental Performance “demonstrates our exemplary It has been developing and Assessment System, the installation efforts in environmental science, implementing several plans to earned 49 positive findings overall, sustainability, innovation, green reduce energy consumption, reduce making it the most positive EPAS remediation and practices, solid waste, increase recycling, and assessment ever, and one of the best preservation and protection.” 18 The Corps Environment Montana Guard restores environment with advanced geophysics technology By Kathy Alward private lands that were former training He estimates that the team has saved U.S. Army Environmental Command areas,” he said. “So current land use is a over $80,000 at just one of the five sites key risk factor when setting remediation now being targeted for cleanup using this targets.” technology. The Guard is using advanced geophysics When funding became available in he Montana Army National Guard to detect UXO located below ground with fiscal 2018, five UXO remediation sites in remediation team leads cleanup increased accuracy, helping eliminate the Montana proceeded with cleanup under Tprojects to restore legacy training sites guesswork in excavation while reducing the oversite of the U.S. Army Corps of throughout the state. remediation times and costs. Engineers: Scratchgravel Hills Artillery These sites have been contaminated Advanced geophysics equipment Range, Livingston Target Range, Dawson with munitions or munitions constituents confirms the shape of anomalies with County Local Training Range, Lost and may include unexploded ordnance, or digital data, which helps the project crews Horse Rifle Range and Frying Pan Basin. UXO, that did not detonate decades earlier positively identify UXO and eliminate During these cleanup actions, the Guard and are still capable of exploding. fragmentation, metallic rocks and non- worked to establish relationships with “The Guard has historically used local UXO anomalies from their digs. stakeholders, including state regulators and training areas to train its Soldiers, but The number of anomalies can be public and private landowners with whom sometimes these areas were not cleaned up reduced by 80% using this technology. they negotiate for land access. completely after use, especially rounds that “While this technology has a cost to In addition, the Montana Guard entered subsurface soil.” said Virgil Kaiser, it, it ultimately slashes the time spent ensures their interests are being met by remediation specialist, Montana Army at a project site, reduces the number of overseeing contractors hired by the Corps National Guard. anomalies to investigate, and reduces the to write cleanup plans and reports and to “These sites can pose a risk to people potential time residents are evacuated perform remediation fieldwork. who recreate on public lands or build on during UXO excavation,” Kaiser said. See MONTANA, page 21

(Montana Army National Guard courtesy photo) An advanced geophysics metal mapper 2x2 collects dynamic data during the remedial cleanup phase at the Scratchgravel Hill cleanup site.

19 The Corps Environment Army Reserve leverages alternate water sourcing, bolsters mission readiness Story & photo by Ashley Bradford Reserve-funded installations. Both sites realized great success by U.S. Army Reserve These solutions aim to avoid complex collecting a combined 35,000 gallons of Sustainability and Resiliency Division new technology just for the sake of water (April 2017-May 2019) and met innovation and instead focus on providing 95% of their vehicle wash demand. sustainable systems that make existing The systems were also found to be easy installation systems and personnel more to maintain and were well-received by the hen you think of the U.S. efficient and effective. maintenance personnel who regularly used Army Reserve, it’s unlikely the One of the technologies at the top of the systems. Wfirst thought that comes to mind is leading the program’s solutions list for the past four After the success of the two pilot innovators in alternative water sourcing. years is rainwater harvesting systems. systems, the Army Reserve decided to Yet, it’s true — the Army Reserve is In 2016, the Army Reserve began use rainwater harvesting systems as an committed to leveraging new technologies researching ways to offset non-potable alternative potable water source at Fort and innovative applications to reduce water needs. Buchanan, Puerto Rico, an installation that environmental impacts while bolstering It found that using repurposed rainwater has seen its fair share of natural disasters. mission readiness and resilience. to wash vehicles was a great place to With no water back-up system in place, From rainwater harvesting systems to start and pilot systems were subsequently plans for a series of rainwater harvesting exploring atmospheric water generation installed at Reserve centers in Savannah, systems were developed there but were and ground water recharging, the Army Georgia, and Grand Prairie, Texas. interrupted by Hurricane Maria. Reserve’s Energy and Water Program strives Because water requires minimum See RAINWATER, page 21 to blaze a sustainable path into the future. filtration and only low-dose treatments of While governed by various federal and chlorine to use in non-potable applications, Army requirements and regulations, the it’s considered a fairly low-risk use of water program takes it a step further with a rainwater harvesting. holistic strategic approach. The Reserve component not only aspires to meet those demands, but it implements the best-fitting solutions with wide applications at its centers and Army

One of five innovative rainwater harvesting systems installed at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. The system treats collected rainwater to drinking standards and is equipped with solar panels to power its filtration system.

20 The Corps Environment MONTANA continued from page 19

Encompassing 41.34 acres near Helena, During the remediation process for were completed in 2018 and a feasibility and previously used for training from the 10.4-acre, privately owned, Dawson study is now being initiated to develop the 1950s until 1984, Scratchgravel Hills County Local Training Area Munitions and analyze remedial alternatives at the Artillery Range has publicly accessible Response Site, it was determined that Helena North Hills, a site that consists trails owned by the Bureau of Land lead could be a soil and water hazard, of privately owned open ranch land and Management. Previous investigations and grenades used for training from 1950 state-owned land that is at times open to there discovered mortar and high to 1998 could pose a UXO hazard. the public. explosive items that could harm the Future cleanup will include removal The Helena location is immediately public. of surface fragments and legacy berms adjacent to another site that underwent Surface and subsurface munitions contaminated with lead and recovery of extensive UXO remediation. are being detected using advanced grenade material to a depth of 18 inches Live-fire training with tanks, mortars, geophysics as required by the 2018 below ground surface. and towed artillery was conducted in proposed plan for cleanup. In addition, future cleanup efforts at this area from approximately 1948 to the A dramatic improvement was seen the Lost Horse Rifle Range munitions mid-1950s. by using advanced geophysics instead response site are slated. The expanded use of advanced of conventional restoration actions at Primarily used as pasture land today, geophysics technology serves to protect Livingston Target Range Munitions the 4.5 acres of privately owned land was human health and the environment, Response Site, 28 acres near the town used from the end of WWII until the while saving time and funding. of Livingston that supported munitions 1970s as a small arms target range. In addition, by employing this training in the 1930s. The team is the There, the primary goal is to remove equipment at multiple Guard sites, it will face-to-face liaison between the Corps lead contamination by excavating and facilitate validation and nationwide use and landowners who were reluctant to properly disposing of the target berm. on UXO sites undergoing remediation. grant access to the land. Remedial Investigation activities

RAINWATER continued from page 20

Devastated by the category 5 finding technologies that can also be like atmospheric water generation hurricane during September 2017, the applied to our tactical applications,” said potentially coming into play,” he said. Carribean island suffered extensive Trey Lewis, a contract employee with “This technology produces potable water damage and lost consistent water service from the ambient air surrounding the for a month. generator. It’s portable, works in various Post-hurricane recovery efforts proved These solutions aim environments, and could be a game more than ever that resilient alternative to avoid complex changer for disaster response by allowing water sources were desperately needed. rapid production of water at any location, In 2018, an innovative new rainwater new technology just regardless of proximity to surface water.” harvesting system, designed to treat As far as enhancing the way the Army collected rainwater to drinking standards, for the sake of innovation Reserve manages water infrastructure, was installed at the Fort Buchanan Lewis said there are lessons to be learned welcome center. To push rainwater and instead focus on from energy microgrids and leveraging a through the system’s advanced filtration similar setup for water. and help power the system’s automation providing sustainable “Just like with energy, there’s an and telemetry, the system is equipped systems that make opportunity to build on legacy water with solar panels, enabling it to operate structures and layer microsystems within despite disruptions to the electrical grid. existing installation them,” he said. “These microsystems Additional systems were installed at enable the management and distribution four other facilities, and there are plans systems and personnel of water to become more cost effective, for three more rainwater harvesting increase efficiency and bolster our systems to be installed by the end of the more efficient and resilience as we harden our Army summer. Reserve centers and Reserve-funded Beyond low-risk and low-impact effective. installations. With all these solutions at applications, the Army Reserve our fingertips to explore, it’s going to be Installation Management Directorate Pacific Northwest National Laboratory exciting as the technology continues to looks forward to embedding more who works as the Army Reserve’s water evolve, and the Army Reserve is at the cutting-edge solutions that have the program coordinator. forefront.” potential to change the way critical “In the Army’s push to multi-domain For more information about the missions are conducted. operations and our new construct to Army Reserve’s Energy and Water “As we look to the technology of enhance the agility of the warfighter, program, visit https://www.usar.army. tomorrow, there’s always a benefit to that’s where we can see solutions mil/Sustainability/.

21 The Corps Environment Stormwater team helps protect post’s natural water resources By Kathy Alward U.S. Army Environmental Command

ort Belvoir, located in Fairfax County, Virginia, on 8,500 acres Fwithin the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds, is home to three refuges that conserve 1,750 acres and help protect the integrity of the watersheds. The Fort Belvoir stormwater team is the heart and soul of the post’s natural water resources conservation effort. “The stormwater team uses an iterative management approach to reduce risks, maintain compliance, and continually improve processes and programs,” said Sybille Vega, industrial stormwater program manager. According to Felix Mariani, environmental chief, Fort Belvoir’s goal is to remain a world-class installation, while maintaining a new standard of excellence in sustainable federal urban design and development. The stormwater team from the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Compliance Branch ensures that stormwater structures are well maintained, making Fort Belvoir cleaner and more attractive for all of its residents. Team personnel educate the community on the importance of keeping stormwater clean to ensure the preservation of natural (Photo by Wilamena Harback) water resources at public events such as Sybille Vega, industrial stormwater program manager, and an associate take turns helping Earth Day and Safety Day. each other dress out in HAZMAT suits during a training exercise for hazardous materials Fort Belvoir operates under the spill response. Master Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan that outlines practices and storm, has reduced nutrient and sediment The team published approximately 20 controls used to protect the integrity loads from the area, and prevents stormwater education articles in The Fort of stormwater discharges and satisfy stormwater damage that would result in Belvoir Eagle, and produced 20 fact sheets compliance requirements stated in both costly repairs to buildings that are eligible on best management practices required to the installation’s individual industrial to be listed on the National Register of maintain compliance with ISW and MS4 stormwater major permit and the Historic Places. permits. municipal separate storm sewer system More than 2,100 linear feet of streams Extensive plan reviews are conducted general stormwater permit. have been restored through the efforts of by DPW-ED to ensure the most current Accomplishments include 17 new the stormwater team. standards for stormwater design are stormwater control practices brought on The team was responsible for eight incorporated into projects. line, including the historic district’s new cleanups, using about 300 volunteers to Additionally, team members work with regional pond. divert over 300 bags of trash from the the Virginia Department of Environmental The main purpose of the pond is to watershed to proper disposal systems. Quality to drastically decrease time needed alleviate flooding issues resulting from the Non-exposure conditions met at 16 to obtain plan approval, increase efficiency lack of stormwater management structures facilities were identified and documented by condensing the overall process, reduce in the historic district. to increase the potential to have the sites contracting costs, and keep stakeholders on The pond can withstand a 100-year removed from permitting requirements. track without their losing interest. 22 The Corps Environment Entomologist warns of tick spread, threat By Cathy Kropp or when they should be concerned. contact the local military medical U.S. Army Environmental Command One is to keep adults aware https:// treatment facility. go.usa.gov/xwg82 and the other is an Facility personnel will send the tick activity book for children https://go.usa. to the Human Tick Test Program at the gov/xwg8T. Army Public Health Center. n an alert from the International “If parents need something to If the tick is found on a pet, owners Society for Infectious Diseases, occupy their kids during ‘stay-at-home’ are instructed to contact their family IArmy Environmental Command’s restrictions, I recommend our Ticks veterinarian. entomologist learned of the spread of Make You Sick activity book,” said Dr. Miller said to submit a work order or lone star ticks and the threat they pose to Bill Miller, entomologist for the Army contact your integrated pest management unsuspecting populations. Environmental Command. coordinator if you find ticks in or near Named for the dot on their back and He recommends that those who live military housing. not for the state, the lone star tick is and/or work on Army installations If someone doesn’t know who the found at many southern posts and is should watch for these ticks, and if a tick installation pest manager is, they can moving into the northeast United States is found on their body, they should contact the U.S. Army Environmental region, including New York. Command at (210) 793-7893. Lone star ticks are considered “hunter” ticks. They typically seek out mammals, including humans, and crawl quickly toward them. Deer ticks are “questing” ticks. They climb onto grass and then attach themselves to mammals who happen to pass by. According to Cornell University, lone star ticks can run three times faster than deer ticks. Lone star ticks do not transmit Lyme disease, the most common illness caused by other ticks. However, they can carry several other serious bacterial and viral diseases and can cause an allergy to red meat. The tick can spread a bacterial disease called ehrlichiosis, which has similar symptoms to Lyme and can result in severe illness. It can spread tularemia, also caused by a bacterium that can cause fevers and skin ulcers. The tick can also carry Heartland virus. This is of great concern, as there is no vaccine for it yet. The Heartland virus causes a flu-like illness, including fever, headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, appetite loss and tiredness. Southern tick-associated rash illness is also known to be transmitted by bites from the lone star tick. Most Army installations already have a program in place that explains who or how tick bites should be reported. The Army Environmental Command disseminates information products on specific pests that can affect Army operations. Information on ticks is included on two posters the command developed to help organizations educate and inform (Illustration courtesy of Centers for Disease Control post residents, workers and visitors why and Prevention) 23 The Corps Environment Twice the Life Post repurposes textiles, increases waste diversion Story & photo by Ashley Bradford Textiles and conducting research for post commercial, high-traffic areas near U.S. Army Reserve collections, Fort Buchanan entered into a the post’s two main entrances. This Sustainment and Resiliency Division memorandum of understanding with the way, regardless of where entry is made, for-profit company in the spring of 2019. donations could be easily dropped off free of charge without having to drive to the other side of post. .S. Army Garrison “It’s been a real great Fort Buchanan, Puerto experience in terms of URico, is the only federal military relationship,” Fantauzzi said. installation on the island and, “Partnering with PR Textiles in fact, the only one in the enables us to easily provide Caribbean. a service for our community Its unique location, coupled while giving back to others and with a history of overcoming reducing waste.” natural disasters, makes for a Since September 2019, the strong, tight-knit community post has collected and diverted that takes care of each other and 2.6 tons of textiles. their resources. “Some of the items donated The Fort Buchanan are brand new with the price Directorate of Public Works is tags still attached,” Fantauzzi always seeking new sustainable added. “So being able to pass and resilient solutions to them on to someone else is bolster their community and huge. And for the other items environmental stewardship. that can be processed and Their newest initiative, a recycled, PR Textiles has the textile collection program, is shipping and export resources strengthening partnerships while that would otherwise be too diverting waste that would have costly for us to manage.” been sent to landfills. Looking ahead, the post’s “When evaluating ways to DPW Environmental Team, increase recycling, we determined under the leadership of Anibal there was an opportunity Negron, hopes to increase textile already on the island we could collections while also finding potentially leverage to create a more ways to recycle additional stream for clothing,” explained materials that pose a challenge Osvaldo Fantauzzi, Fort on the island. Buchanan’s pollution prevention “We have seen some program manager. interruption to textile “We reached out to PR collections with a recent Textiles Recycling, LLC, and earthquake and now the invited them to the installation coronavirus disease,” he said. to learn more about their “We’re hoping the disruptions operations,” he said. will minimize later into the “The company has collection year so we can continue to serve bins in place at municipalities, the local community through school districts, non-profit the program and better project and for-profit organizations, Collection bins are strategically placed at high-traffic areas near the consistent waste diversion. businesses and associations post’s two main entrances to encourage the public’s participation in “We’re also hoping to pursue across Puerto Rico to collect the textile recycling initiative. more ways to better recycle clothes, shoes and other textiles,” other streams like glass as it’s he explained. “Any clothing donated The MOU, drafted in its final form by difficult to recycle here,” he said. in new condition is reused, while other Maria M. Martinez, management analyst, “Through all the challenges we may material is shipped to the United States outlines the program’s parameters with the face, our DPW is strong and resilient,” to manufacture rags with post-consumer installation for the span of 36 months. Fantauzzi said. “We remain committed to recycled content.” PR Textiles provided four collection blending our mission with taking care of After initiating meetings with PR bins that were strategically placed in each other and our resources.” 24 The Corps Environment Army depot uses limited resources to make impact Story & photo by Lydia Shuart of sustainable actions and improvements. U.S. Army Environmental Command The depot recycles as much as possible to keep The Corpus Christi personnel in the recycling mindset, using the installation solid waste contractor and Defense Army Depot’s goal is Logistics Agency Disposition Services to recycle to meet the Army’s orpus Christi Army Depot successfully as many waste streams as possible. recycled 17 tons of metal and cardboard In 2018 and 2019, the depot established a readiness requirements Cmaterials on a monthly basis in 2018-2019. means of increasing their recycling practices of It also improved the corrosion prevention metal and cardboard waste by 40%, diverting 15 no matter what the process by successfully using environmentally tons of mixed metals and 2 tons of cardboard to preferred chemicals. recycling per month. mission, during war and Established in 1961 and located on the Naval The Environmental Compliance Program Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, the depot is staff make it almost effortless for personnel to peacetime. an industrial Army installation responsible for recycle the waste by providing readily accessable “We will always answer providing depot-level maintenance of rotary receptacles that they pick up and store. aircraft for the Department of Defense as well as The nature of the depot’s industrial processes our nation’s call. Our most North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations. dictates that most parts must go through a process It operates under an Army Working Capital Fund called passivation to prevent corrosion, typically vision is mission first, and has an annual revenue of more than $800 using hazardous chemicals. million. As part of a toxic chemical reduction program, people always! We Employing over 5,500 personnel and a test was conducted there to replace nitric acid contractors, the installation sits on 158 acres and in the process with an environmentally preferred accept that mission with houses more than 70 buildings on 2.3 million product. great pride.” square feet of industrial space. Considered the industry standard, nitric acid The depot ensures the Army’s aviation readiness is commonly used on products in the aircraft and through overhaul, repair, modification, retrofit, auto industry that require corrosion prevention. Col. Gail E. Atkins testing, recapitalization and modernization of The depot replaced nitric acid with citric acid as Former commander helicopters, engines and components, including an easy-to-use organic and safe alternative. Corpus Christi Army Depot worldwide on-site field maintenance teams, Found in oranges and other citrus fruits, more analytical crash investigations and chemical than 99% of the citric acid sold in the U.S. is material process facilities. used in food and beverage products, cleansers and According to its former commander, Col. disinfectants. Gail E. Atkins, the depot’s goal is to meet the In addition, when formulated correctly, Army’s readiness requirements no matter what the citric acid provides excellent performance at mission, during war and peacetime. considerable cost savings. “We will always answer our nation’s call,” she The depot, in a partnership with AMCOM said. “Our vision is mission first, people always! staff, conducted tests on the use of citric acid in the We accept that mission with great pride.” corrosion prevention process at its plating shop. Atkins relinquished command to Col. Joseph That solution proved too acidic to treat in H. Parker during the depot’s first-ever virtual the pre-treatment process, but the wastewater change of command ceremony held May 29. treatment team believed they could neutralize the As an Army Working Capital Fund entity, and base in another process that created the alkaline an International Organization for Standardization- waste, requiring the use of sulfuric acid to bring certified industrial operation, the Corpus Christi the pH in line for disposal in pre-treatment Depot efficiently uses time and resources while systems. maintaining high-quality manufacturing, The team sought to determine whether the environmental and safety standards. citric acid could replace sulfuric acid in the process. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command After several tests had provided positive results, supports the Depot Environmental Management the team was able to make two separate processes Kolda Elementary School principal, Josie Alvarez, looks on while Corpus Christi Army Depot employees from the Environmental Program’s System in the identification and implementation “greener” as a result of the chemical change. Compliance Division and presenters from the local area teach students about environmental stewardship during the school’s Earth Day festivities. 25 The Corps Environment 26 governments a baseline for important Study offers Charleston potential conversations about the peninsula’s future, as well as an actionable and feasible way ahead. solutions to reduce storm risks The peninsula is no stranger to coastal storms and flooding. By Jackie Pennoyer In general, the plan recommends three In the last few years, the peninsula USACE, Charleston District measures: a perimeter storm surge wall, has experienced some of its highest-ever an offshore wave attenuation structure recorded tides. Sea levels have risen a foot and some additional nonstructural since 1890, and estimates show sea levels floodproofing. will continue to rise through the end of the ollowing months of analysis and Combined, these measures make century. statewide coordination, a team of up what is known in the federal civil During these severe storms, much of Fengineers from the U.S. Army Corps of works process as the National Economic the medical and critical infrastructure are Engineers recently drafted a report on the Development, or NED, Plan. at risk to significant damages. Charleston, South Carolina, peninsula’s At this stage of the federal study, all The Corps is committed to developing coastal storm risks and developed a feasible measures remain conceptual only. the best solution for the peninsula and plan to mitigate the risks. The report opened for public comment urges the public to review the report, The Charleston Peninsula Coastal through June 19, but due to the ongoing engage with the team and provide Flood Risk Management Study, or simply public health crisis, the study team feedback. the Charleston Peninsula Study, is part of a extended the comment period from 30 to Comments and suggestions from the broader federal initiative — fueled by local 60 days, established virtual office hours public inform future aspects of the study collaboration — to proactively reduce the and created an interactive website to allow and are a vital part of the Corps process. risks and damages caused by severe coastal viewers to engage with modeling used to To access the report, visit www.sac. storm events in communities along the east inform the study’s analysis. usace.army.mil/charlestonpeninsulastudy coast. Initially requested by the city of or pick up a hard copy outside the This spring, the three-year federal study Charleston and later funded through Charleston District headquarters office. recently crossed an important milestone: congressional emergency supplemental Community members can also engage selection of a tentative coastal flood risk funding, the study and its findings are one with the members of the study team reduction strategy for the peninsula, the component of an overall, comprehensive one-on-one during virtual office hours study’s defined area. flooding strategy for the city. More specific or access various engineering models on On April 20, the study team released its details, such as designs, layouts and exact the interactive website at https://arcg. blueprint of proposed measures in a draft placements, occur in later phases of the is/0HHiSf. report. The report also covered the study’s study and require additional authorization To submit feedback, complete the assessment of environmental impacts, as and funding from Congress. digital feedback form or mail comments required by the National Environmental Still, the draft report findings give to the Charleston District Planning and Policy Act. the community, local, state and federal Environmental Office.

27 The Corps Environment Corps district creates buzz around pollinator habitats Story & photos by Mark Thompson for one of every three bites of food we Disorder and the future of pollinators such To learn more about planting a pollinator USACE, Pittsburgh District eat, and annually contribute $15 billion of as honeybees can look bleak. plot, visit the website at https://www.fws. agricultural value. But Reilly believes you don’t have to gov/midwest/news/PollinatorGarden. “It’s important to provide these hives not own millions of acres to produce a positive html. just for our pollinators, but for bees that are impact for pollinators. She says you can To find out about the Corps’ Pollinator ees, birds, beetles and butterflies: all around us that we do not know about,” start in your backyard and create your own Protection Plan visit https://corpslakes. what do they have in common? said Stacy E. Lewis, Tygart Lake project site pollinator plot. erdc.dren.mil/employees/pollinator/pdfs/ B All of them, including an assortment of resource manager. “Take portions of your yard and don’t USACE-Pollinator-Strategy.pdf. other species, play a vital role as the invisible “Honeybees are essential to our crops and mow it,” Reilly said. “Let the things that engine powering the world’s food economy, everyday lives. They keep nature in check,” would naturally grow there and purposefully pollinating plants and keeping nature in she said. “Here at Tygart, we’re trying to plant species that pollinators need.” check. foster an environmental awareness to the You may not notice them now, but you community, students and visitors through would notice if they were gone. And their our interpretive displays and numbers are declining. ranger programming.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, It’s not just the well-known honeybee that Pittsburgh District is working to change that. performs the crucial role of pollinator. Corps employees wear a lot of hats - John Chopp, district wildlife biologist, most of them are hard. But when you visit explained that pollinators come from several a couple of district recreation sites, you species and do their work in many places. can find a few park rangers sporting their “A variety of animals serve as pollinators, headgear covered in a veil of netting. including bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, The U.S. Senate designated a week in moths, bats, beetles and birds,” Chopp said. June as “National Pollinator Week” in 2007, “Pollinators are crucial members of various an initiative designed to raise awareness of ecosystems, from farmland to wilderness to the importance of pollinators and the threats urban environments. There are an estimated they face. several hundred thousand flowering Since 2014, the Corps has worked to plant species, many of which depend on enhance pollinator habitats across more than pollinators to reproduce.” 12 million acres of land and waters. An “invisible gem of the Earth” is how Pollinator plots can be found at the Rose Reilly, wildlife biologist, Pittsburgh Pittsburgh District’s Shenango River Lake District, describes honeybees and other and Tygart Lake sites, featuring exhibits pollinators. She says we do not notice their designed to educate the public about contribution to our economy and quality of the importance of those species while life. encouraging proactive conservation practices. “The pollinators are really critical to our Tygart Lake hosts a range of pollinator whole economy and food security,” Reilly plants, including magnolia trees, cherry trees, said. “You wouldn’t even have a tomato dogwood trees, persimmons, crab apple trees, without a pollinator.” butterfly bushes and lilies. This assortment According to Reilly, climate change, loss of flora attracts and sustains active pollinator of habitat, human activity and improper populations. use of insecticides have resulted in sharp An invisible gem, honeybees are critical to the nation’s economy and food security, Tygart’s interpretative honeybee display reductions in honeybees and native responsible for one of every three bites of food eaten and annually contributing $15 allows visitors to get an up-close look at pollinators during the past three decades. billion of agricultural value. Tygart Lake Corps employees work with the buzzing residents living in their interpretative honeybee nature’s most important pollinator. Combine this decline with the onset display. The display allows visitors to get an up-close look at nature’s most important pollinator inside the Commercial honeybees are responsible of conditions such as Colony Collapse visitors center and out. 28 The Corps Environment 29 By Mark Schauer Wildlife management U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground s a natural laboratory for testing virtually every piece of equipment in the ground combat arsenal, U.S. Army Yuma ProvingA Ground has a vested interest in responsible stewardship of the land. ensures mission Though located in one of the nation’s most extreme desert climates, the proving ground is still home to a vast diversity of wildlife, including the Sonoran pronghorn, desert tortoises and bighorn sheep. Yuma’s environmental stewardship efforts have earned plaudits from within the Army and from agencies like the Arizona Department of Game and Fish. Officials there are quick to note that the success of the security, public safety installation’s wildlife management program is in large part thanks to the steadfast support of area hunters and sportsmen. “We get so much support from groups like the Yuma Rod and Gun Club and Arizona Bighorn Sheep Society for construction of wildlife water catchments and monitoring animal populations,” said Daniel Steward, Yuma wildlife biologist. He added that “a lot of these things rely on volunteer labor to accomplish, and it is our sportsmen who reliably help get these projects done.” Generations of Yuma-area sportsmen have hunted the proving ground’s ranges for game such as mule deer, bighorn sheep, quail, rabbit, coyote and dove — with over 1,200 square miles of land area, there is enough room to allow safe access to hunters. “We have an obligation to have public use of some of the installation where it is not hindering our mission,” Steward said. “The mission is always first.” Still, Yuma’s mission of virtually testing every piece of equipment a Soldier is likely to shoot, drive or wear means that safety and security considerations make access here less liberal than on other public lands. Developmental testing at Yuma is at the forefront of Army modernization priorities, particularly in the area of long-range precision fires of artillery. “We have restricted access because at Yuma Proving Ground we are shooting things we have never shot before,” Steward said. “We have safety buffer zones we must observe for our tests,” he explained. “Periodically, if we have a test with a large safety buffer zone, we may have to close down specific hunting units.” The proving ground’s hunting areas are divided into these small “units” to ensure that any such closure is surgically targeted, not a wide swath of land well beyond the needs of hunter safety and mission security. “It’s kind of a balance between safety and security when we establish these hunting areas,” Steward said. “They are in places that avoid our busy impact areas and where people can be relatively safe without being a security issue for our testing.” Steward says that the goodwill of Yuma’s hunting population is invaluable in preserving and perpetuating the installation’s wildlife. “Hunters have been helpful to our program,” he said. “They help be our eyes and ears on the range. “Under the North American model of wildlife management, fees that our sportsmen pay in large part fund all wildlife conservation efforts nationwide,” he said. 30 The Corps Environment 31 Project helps restore ecosystem, maximizes benefits to wildlife, people Story & photo by Vanessa Villarreal non-government organizations, academia, and state and local USACE, Chicago District agencies would assist ecosystem restoration objectives. Participants also indicated a strong desire for a unified vision for the region that captures the big picture. The vision for this plan was developed collaboratively by s the nation’s environmental engineer, the U.S. the Corps and a number of environmental stakeholders in Army Corps of Engineers manages one of the Chicagoland area. theA largest federal environmental missions – constructing “The beauty of the plan is that there are a lot of groups sustainable facilities; regulating waterways; managing natural already working on ecosystem restoration initiatives in the resources; cleaning up contaminated sites from past military area,” Hoxsie said. “What we wanted to accomplish with activities; and restoring degraded ecosystems. this effort was to bring all of these existing visions together Through the implementation of 33 ecosystem restoration in order to demonstrate the need for investments in future and protection projects totaling over 4,200 acres and 7.5 work and to identify opportunities for projects to collaborate miles of aquatic habitat, the Corps’ Chicago District has on.” proven project execution experience under the Continuing Gene Fleming, chief of the Environmental Formulation Authorities Program and Great Lakes Fishery & Ecosystem and Analysis Section, said ecosystem protection and Restoration authorities. restoration are vital because they help save existing valuable While these figures demonstrate the success of former habitats and restores habitats that provide communities of projects, a planning effort is happening now that will be plants, animals and microorganisms interacting with their more focused on identifying opportunities and funding to environment. implement more projects in the future. And it’s called the He added that a healthy environment provides us with Ecosystem Restoration Master Plan. food, fuel and timber; contributes to the purification of On Dec. 10, 2019, the district held a vision workshop the air and water; helps mitigate climate change; restores to introduce the Chicago District’s initiative to develop a wildlife populations; prevents the loss of species, including strategic plan for future ecosystem restoration investments threatened and endangered species; and more. in the Chicagoland area of northeast Illinois and northwest “Additionally, it creates jobs and provides a quality of life Indiana to its partners and stakeholders. for the millions of people that enjoy the outdoors, including The meeting was used to facilitate feedback from people that enjoy their nature walks through restored stakeholders on draft objectives for a vision document which habitats, wildlife watchers that seek out areas that support will outline the purpose and need for funding, and the the migratory and resident birds, and all those that want to strategy for efficiently and effectively implementing future catch largemouth bass. Ecosystem restoration is important,” projects. he said. Attendees included the McHenry County Conservation On Feb. 25, 2020, a virtual follow-up meeting was held District, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chicago to discuss due-outs and progress since the December 2019 Wilderness and Openlands. summit. “We shared success and lessons learned, and developed The district also informed its stakeholders that the district a unified message regarding the importance of continuing boundaries have expanded and will require developing a lot to implement ecosystem restoration projects in the of new relationships and bringing other groups up to speed. Chicagoland area,” said Alex Hoxsie, USACE planner and “But it will ultimately help us generate an even better landscape architect. picture of all the good work that is going on in the larger Participants were asked to provide feedback on the region that includes the entire western shore of Lake benefits of restoration projects, identify opportunities Michigan,” Hoxsie said. and risks in implementing restoration projects, and how He said that, since the early 1800s, the district’s regional to best utilize a crowd source mapping tool to improve boundary has seen a 2,508% increase in developed land, collaboration. 75% reduction in forests, 95% reduction in prairies, and 55% “This mapping tool will create a central repository for decrease in wetlands. partners to share information about their completed projects “Coordinated planning of ecosystem restoration efforts and plans for the future,” Hoxsie said. “By showing where will help create unified results across county, state and all of these groups have done work, are doing work, and regional boundaries to maximize benefits to wildlife and The Chicago District’s coordinated planning of ecosystem restoration plan to do work in the future, we hope to be able to identify people,” he said. “We’ve had successful meetings so far with efforts will help create unified results across county, state and opportunities for collaboration and guide future effort.” some great dialogue and I look forward to seeing what we regional boundaries, maximizing benefits to wildlife and people. During the interactive exercises, participants indicated come up with next.” that collaboration between community groups, 32 The Corps Environment 33 (USACE courtesy photo) Research center develops strategies Members of ERDC’s Applied Research Planning and Support Center have taken a leading role in developing Installation Energy and Water Plans for Army installations and the National Guard. for installation energy, water plans 34 The Corps Environment 35 By U.S. Army Engineering The finalized projects, along with of operations for a duration set by Research and Development Center a proposed schedule, lead to an the senior commander or higher implementation plan that outlines headquarters. When the duration steps the installation can refer to when has not been stipulated, the goal is to making water and energy decisions. sustain energy and water for a minimum he U.S. Army Engineering The IEWP process, which often refers of 14 days. Research and Development to installation status reports involving For water, CMS may be achieved by TCenter is the research organization of mission capacity (ISR-MC), provides a demonstrating sufficient on-site water the U.S Army Corps of Engineers. standard platform for evaluating Army resources (such as groundwater or a Relatively new to ERDC, the installation energy and water security reservoir) or by water storage. Applied Research Planning and posture. Energy may be achieved by the use of Support Center provides support for backup generators with sufficient fuel both water and energy planning. or a combination of renewable Part of its mission is to provide energy sources with generator a full spectrum of planning The central backups. support that meets tomorrow’s Assured access is defined as needs in part through leveraging the capability of an installation technology, including the approach is to focus to maintain a dependable supply development of useful techniques of water and energy during and tools to improve water and on achieving increased normal and emergency-response energy planning analyses and operations. resiliency. security, resilience, Assured access can be This research center has taken achieved, for example, by having a leading role in developing a combination of groundwater Installation Energy and Water readiness, and mission access and municipal water, or by Plans for Army installations and having an alternative means of the National Guard. assurance across Army power to a system. The process was launched Infrastructure condition in response to Army Directive refers to the condition of the 2020-03, requiring installations installations. infrastructure supporting the to evaluate and improve water and supply of energy and water, and energy resiliency measures while whether or not their distribution also acknowledging the need for networks are flexible and critical military activities to continue These ISR-MC reports are forwarded redundant in order to reliably meet even if there is a disruption of standard as directed by the Department of the mission requirements. energy and water services. Army Installation Management – For example, a facility may have The central approach is to focus on Operations Directorate (Real Property sufficient water resources, but if the achieving increased security, resilience, and Asset Management Division) pipes are in poor condition, they readiness, and mission assurance across for eventual G9 final approval and may fail, consequently affecting its Army installations. incorporation in the following fiscal availability to meet water needs, The first step of the process is to year’s data collection. including firefighting. determine the baseline condition. ISR data is treated as For Official System operation is defined as It consists of analyzing and Use Only, or FOUO, and can only be the installation’s capacity for trained determinating the installation’s released to non-Army agencies by the personnel to conduct required energy existing water and energy resources, ISR program manager. and water security system planning, infrastructure, uses, deficiencies and ISR-MC informs Army decision- operations and sustainment activities. needs as are identified and obtained making, breaking up resiliency into four This also includes training and exercises via data requests, biweekly web/ attributes which are evaluated on the to address resource cutoffs. telemeetings and workshops. ability to support mission requirements, In summary, the IEWP process Shortcomings in the areas of critical including critical mission sustainment, requires a strong understanding of the mission sustainment, infrastructure assured access, infrastructure condition, Army ISR-MC analysis. condition, assured access to resource and system operation, each of which Development of the ISR-MC supply, and system operation are then must be in good standing for resiliency multi-criteria decision analysis, or addressed by proposing solutions/ to be properly demonstrated. MCDA, allows scores to be adjusted projects that will improve these Critical mission sustainment, or (unofficially) or estimated/simulated deficiencies. CMS, refers to the installation’s or when needed. These projects may include capital facility’s ability to continue the mission It also allows the user to determine if improvement projects to provide more even if its energy or water services are proposed projects address the deficient energy or water, to improve installation disrupted. areas of the ISR-MC analysis, and resilience, or might focus on policy The goal of the IEWP and the provides useful MCDA capabilities to changes or even conservation projects. ISR-MC is to achieve continuity rank projects and determine order.

36 The Corps Environment Huntsville Center mobilizes team, responds to nation’s call for action By David San Miguel site-adaptable designs, engineering and construction deliverables and U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville artifacts that would help our districts and divisions execute faster when they get to these facilities,” Doss said. “The idea is to help FEMA and the state and local governments get ahead of the hospital bed shortage.” He added that his team of about 30-40 engineers and architects orking hand-in-hand with the U.S. Army Corps of worked around-the-clock putting these concepts, sketches and designs Engineers’ geographic districts and divisions, the Federal together, and drafting equipment lists, schedules and performance work WEmergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and statements – all the things that engineers and constructors need to hit Human Services, the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, the ground running. Huntsville, is focusing its skill and expertise on supporting the nation’s “Time is of the essence,” he said. efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The Medical Facilities MCX has the capability and experience in According to Albert “Chip” Marin III, programs director, it’s medical facilities design and outfitting needed to support the Corps in particularly noteworthy that the Huntsville Center is a medical support its efforts to establish alternate care facilities, and works closely with its team that includes the Corps’ Medical Facilities Mandatory Center stakeholders and partners to ensure that projects executed meet mission of Expertise and Standardization, and owns the technical experts requirements. who determine whether or not new construction designs meet code “Most of what we do is cutting-edge technology,” Marin said. “We requirements for medical facilities. are creating solutions for challenges that may not have existed before.” It’s an expertise that drew the attention of federal, state and local To develop these deliverables, Doss put together a team of officials who anticipated the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the construction experts and medical design, architect and code criteria expected mass shortage of hospital bed space to treat those infected. experts and fleshed out the concepts, including sketches, functional Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, chief of engineers and commanding layouts, performance work statements, equipment lists, etc. general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, recognized early on “We worked closely with FEMA, HHS (Department of Health and that the urgency of the response would largely be driven by this rapid Human Services), the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) spread. as well as the Corps’ geographic districts and divisions to support Mobilized under the National Response Framework and Stafford ACF projects across the country,” he said. And like the rest of the Act, the Corps was given mission assignments from FEMA to Corps enterprise, most of the work was done virtually through Skype, execute planning for expanding hospital capacity, first in New York teleconferences, WebEx and everything else. and then elsewhere if called upon. Doss said this entailed working every day, seven-days-a-week until During a Pentagon brief about COVID-19, Semonite had all the districts and divisions got the deliverables they needed to turn already acknowledged that the race against the virus was “an concepts into reality. unbelievably complicated problem” that needed a simple solution, “Our goal was to get ahead of it and try to get these concepts laid and he reached out to the Huntsville Center to look into out for hotels, dorms and arenas – facilities we thought could be good adapting existing facilities to address that challenge. fits and that would already have a lot of the infrastructure,” he said. “We received a request from the chief directly because we had “But our main goal was to help the districts’ assessment teams.” the Medical Center of Expertise, and we leveraged the whole Doss immediately put a core team together, and contacted Tony enterprise and pulled in the medical support teams from the Travia, chief of the Medical Facilities MCX, tasking him to join Corps’ Little Rock and Mobile Districts,” said Wade Doss, Semonite and meet with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to discuss Huntsville Center engineering director. these concepts to address the hospital bed shortage. Doss said experts from the USACE Engineering Research Travia said he had just gotten off self-isolation from a temporary and Development Center were a growing part of that team. duty assignment in Germany. As the Corps’ “go-to” enterprise for innovative solutions, “But I had already formulated what information we might need the center brought in its subject-matter experts and technical to deliver, reaching out and engaging partners outside the Corps, engineering professionals to quickly develop strategies and tapping into the command surgeon’s expertise and HHS to gather what concepts to help the Corps’ geographic districts and divisions information it already had about alternate care facilities. (Photo by Stephen Baack) rapidly convert hotels, dorms, convention centers and large, “By the time I boarded the plane, we probably had the 80% solution As part of the Huntsville Center’s collective response to the COVID-19 effort, arena-type facilities into ICU-capable, or as they’ve come to be of what became the first hotel-to-healthcare concept, and started Jelani Ingram, acting chief of the Architecture Branch, conducts a site assessment to known, alternate care facilities. working the arena,” he said. determine whether it’s suitable for conversion into an alternate care facility. “Our mission was to come up with some conceptual See COVID-19 RESPONSE, page 39 37 The Corps Environment 38 (Photo by Stephen Baack) Huntsville Center’s acting chief of the Architecture Branch, Jelani Ingram, center, runs through a site assessment checklist with members of the USACE, Mobile District at a facility in Jacksonville, Alabama, April 8.

COVID-19 RESPONSE continued from page 38 By mid-March, the MCX was fully requirements, air filtration and handling conditions including architectural, engaged and actively developing concepts capacities, safety features for emergency site, MEP (mechanical, electrical and to convert arenas and hotels into alternate response and egress, staging of ambulances, plumbing) systems, fire protection, ADA care facilities. and parking availability. (American Disability Act) accessibility, Travia recalled some of the challenges Another consideration is the time it all building infrastructure, and that it the team had to overcome. would take to convert the facility for health met minimum code requirements,” he “Our standard mission is to perform care use. Normally, such conversions take explained. “There were certain conditions group design review and construction between five days and two weeks, varying that a building had to meet before a full-on support for medical treatment facilities,” he from site-to-site based on the level of assessment would be done.” said. “This is typically for new construction, patient care, number of patient beds, and Based on this checklist, these buildings though sometimes that may consist of the extent of work required. could quickly be eliminated based on a additions or alterations.” Doss explained how the Huntsville “GO/NO GO” evaluation. He explained that these particular team developed facility assessment “If a structure did not have a fire FEMA mission assignments entailed checklists that field engineers could take suppression system, it would automatically converting facilities not normally configured with them to determine whether those be considered a NO GO and eliminated,” for the treatment of hospital patients. facilities identified by FEMA and state and he said. “Every district has those core local government could be converted into Ingram admits, however, that in the competencies – engineering, architecture viable alternate care facilities. case of an arena, such restrictions could be and environmental – permitting “We try to draft our deliverables around relaxed because they often encompass large disciplines,” Travia said. “But districts may several scenarios,” he said, “COVID-19 open spaces and normally do not have only execute a medical project once in a and non-COVID patients. We’re working sprinkler systems. decade and may not have the time to build with local health officials to make it “In such cases, other means to sprinkler that experience from scratch. That’s why site-adaptable. It all depends on the local the space would need to be explored,” he we help assess the medically unique aspects officials: the mayor, the governor, local said. of the project – what is required to convert health officials wherever you’re at in the “Other factors that could quickly sites into facilities capable of delivering country to see what they need.” eliminate a building/site were no ADA healthcare, so the districts can focus on Jelani A. Ingram, Huntsville Center’s accessibility routes for handicap and what they do best.” acting branch chief of architecture, said patient gurneys, elevators too small to Specifically, site assessments the MCX initially developed a checklist of fit a gurney, exposed asbestos, and if help determine whether health care items that a building/site needed to have utilities were in need of extensive repair or requirements can be met based on the in order for it to be considered a viable site replacement that required long lead times number of patients a site would support, for an ACF. on replacement parts,” Ingram said. the proximity to nearby hospitals, utility “The checklist focused on all building See ALTERNATE CARE, page 40 39 ALTERNATE CARE continued from page 39 The hospital and city members are conditioning) system, power requirements, administrative support, storage, portable responsible for providing the Corps and if there was back-up power to help run bathroom and shower facilities, and with potential buildings/sites for ACF potential medical equipment.” medical support areas. This information conversion. They decide if they want That assessment included looking at the was packaged and handed over to our the ACF to accommodate COVID or number of restrooms to accommodate staff partner and then briefed to the requesting non-COVID patients (most chose non- and patients, and whether the facilities had governor. COVID because it was less taxing on their a full kitchen and laundry room that could “The process was pretty seamless. Once resources). be utilized. a site was chosen, the Corps was given 30 “Our team would look at each site “We found that abandoned or days to design, construct and hand over identifying first the NO GO markers,” repurposed hospital spaces were the an ACF to FEMA and local officials,” he Ingram added. “Then, when those were best locations because the medical said. “The Huntsville Center was critical eliminated, we would look at proximity to infrastructure was already in place,” Ingram to getting out early facility checklists, local hospitals because being able to staff said. “There would be nurse call, back-up performance work statements, business these ACFs with healthcare providers was power, critical power outlets, clean and rules, points of contacts, and early design going to stretch hospital resources. So, it dirty zones, private bathroom and showers, studies that the district could use and adapt was determined that ACF sites needed to full kitchens, laundry, proper nurse stations, on the ground.” be within at least a 10-mile radius of the pharmacy, sterile storage, elevators for Ingram explained that throughout the hospital.” gurneys, ADA access, hazardous waste process, safety was paramount. Since Huntsville Center is not bound disposal and security checkpoints. These “When we first started the assessments by regional location and provides technical facilities could be quickly re-commissioned we tried to keep six feet apart based on and engineering support to all the Corps and brought back online.” CDC recommendations and guidelines geographic districts, the Mobile District The team assessed arenas, abandoned from our safety department,” he said. asked for support in its efforts with and repurposed hospital spaces, hotels, city “As things got worse, we moved to all statewide assessments. meeting centers, and convention centers, personnel wearing masks because trying “They looked to us to cover the trying to accommodate a wide range of to maintain six feet in large groups was northern part of Alabama,” he said. options for the areas. proving difficult, especially when trying “We conducted our assessment in “We had 48 hours, a day to assess two to communicate to everyone or moving Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Calhoun or three sites and a day to package the through small spaces.” County (Anniston, Oxford). Once a site report that covered all major disciplines Through it all, Ingram says it was a very was chosen, the team would go in and ranging from architectural/site, mechanical, humbling and awesome experience to be photograph the site taking notice of open electrical and fire protection and get it on calls with General Semonite and to floor space, access points for patients, staff back to the Mobile District,” Ingram said. hear him discuss the impact of the work we and equipment. The team would assess “We would design and lay out the space had done for the COVID response. the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air showing patient beds/cots, nurse station, See ASSESSMENTS, page 41

(Photo by Stephen Baack) Paul Mccarty, second from left, a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, joined with his counterparts with the Mobile District to evaluate potential sites for alternate care facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 40 ASSESSMENTS continued from page 40 “I was personally awestruck when on the ground in New York,” she added. Miami had different rules and regulations our commander informed us that our “But, by the end of March nobody was than the fire department in Chicago. work had made it all the way to brief the going anywhere. It was all virtual.” “You’re dealing with different codes at president and his COVID response team,” Pommerenck explained that each different facilities, different populations Ingram said. “Most of all, I was proud of district has engineers, but what they don’t of patients,” she said. “It’s a lot of work my team of architects and engineers that have is the medical expertise to build or for the district, so what we were trying to worked tirelessly to get this information change a non-medical facility to be used as do was get them off to a good start and out to our people on the ground. This an alternate care facility. provide them with guidelines for a solid would not have been possible without “So, they don’t need us to tell them how foundation. their hard work and dedication to the to build or convert the facility,” she said. “Travia and his team from the Medical mission and our country.” “We simply provided them with all the Center of Expertise conducted the site As the COVID-19 response efforts things they needed to think about when assessments and could reach out to us to continued nationwide, Huntsville Center they were conducting a site assessment.” answer any construction and or contract did more than innovate the assessment of A lot of the site assessment team’s administration questions,” she said. ACF sites. questions centered on some sort of medical “So about 40 people, between the As the chief of Huntsville Center’s unique aspect. MCX, our construction and contract Systems-Cost Division, Amanda “We would take that question, administration division, and a few from the Pommerenck led her team to help develop deliberate and write out our response,” architecture branch comprised the response a site assessment checklist that geographic Pommerenck said. “We would try to work team,” Pommerenck said. “It was a big districts and divisions could use in that response into our planning document group, and we did a good job of delineating searching for suitable sites. and provide them with more information everyone’s role. “This was like a planning mission so that we could better inform the next “As of now, we’ve conducted over assignment where we put together a basic team doing a site assessment. 1,155 site assessments and have helped how is this mission going to work and “I get having plans for a conventional Corps districts construct 38 alternate care what are the site assessments going to look hospital or medical facility, but there are no facilities,” she said. like,” she said. real plans for an arena,” she explained. “You Pommerenck added that though things “We came up with this process called had to be adaptive - I mean it’s a hospital are tapering down, the team is prepared for the binder – not a physical binder, but like treating COVID, non-COVID patients - any kind of resurgence of the virus. an email detailing what health care facility what kind of facility does the community “We made a final update to the and what various scenarios that we might need to address.” binder where we took all the requests for be looking at,” Pommerenck said. “It was Pommerenck added that these information, the lessons learned - what like building in the lessons learned as we considerations had to be taken into we’re calling a playbook - that will be went through the process. account and worked through authorities posted onto the Corps website,” she said. “Travia and one or two other folks were on the ground, i.e. the fire department of “So, if we should have a resurgence in the fall, it’s not necessarily going to be the same folks in leadership, so we wanted to have a short and sweet document that says this is how or what we consider an alternate care facility. Here are the other agencies involved, Health and Human Services, FEMA, health facilities, planning agencies, etc. “This is the down-and-dirty playbook where all the documents can be found, points of contact and lessons learned,” she added. Mission aside, Pommerenck admits that throughout the whole ordeal, there were times she felt overwhelmed. “It was such a negative event - the sickness. I have a doctor friend in Chicago, who in the midst of all this, would share some of the horrible things that were happening to her patients,” she said. “And I found myself getting emotional about how important this mission was, how proud I was of the team and how at a minute’s (Photo by Stephen Baack) notice we all just helped each other. I felt Savannah Grosch, a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support proud to be part of the solution – all the Center, Huntsville, takes notes during a site assessment in Jacksonville, Alabama, April 8. lives that we affected and perhaps saved.” 41 ERDC researchers develop forecast models to aide in fight against COVID-19 By Dr. Brandon Lafferty broader USACE team to advise federal, wasn’t enough to complete the assessment,” and Holly Kuzmitski state and local partners on decisions related Trump said. “That would [have been] a U.S. Army Engineer to COVID-19 courses of action. fatal assumption, because not all beds are Research and Development Center These forecasts were used to help decide available for COVID-19.” where and when to construct alternate care The C-MAT also provided support to facilities. FEMA’s Region 1 as part of their Data Another extensive modeling effort, Analytics Team. ince mid-March, the U.S. led by the EL’s Dr. Benjamin Trump, has Due to the closely integrated Army Engineer Research and translated the ERDC SEIR model and relationship between FEMA Region 1 SDevelopment Center has been engaged population-specific data in Guam, the and the USACE New England District, in the national effort to the C-MAT modeling combat the COVID-19 efforts influenced a range pandemic by delivering a of decision-making in that suite of tools to support particular region. U.S. Army Corps of The team helped by Engineers and Federal assessing the number Emergency Management of COVID-19 patients Agency decision-makers. in the region, and then In response to the projecting everything pandemic, members of from hospital beds to the COVID-19 Model mortuary equipment & Analysis Team, or needs. The team even C-MAT, worked 16-18 helped FEMA Region hours a day for several 1 predict how many months to develop, additional ventilators operationalize and deliver they would need from the a capability that provides national stockpile. the most accurate and The C-MAT was timely projections possible also at the forefront of and to ground predictive providing reopening modeling solidly on the guidance to FEMA best available data. Region 1 and USACE Dr. Larry Lynch, district commanders with ERDC Information ERDC researchers developed a three-step process for assessing regionally the USACE Placemat. Technology Laboratory, adjusted COVID-19 outcomes. The process includes epidemiological modeling This tool took has served as the ERDC to determine the exposure rate, an analysis of population health outcomes and guidance from the White COVID-19 Fusion Cell institutional requirements for efficient management of the virus. House COVID-19 task Lead, coordinating all of force and added practical ERDC’s COVID-19-related activities, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana tools and benchmarks for decision-makers while ERDC Environmental Laboratory Islands and American Samoa in support to use when reopening their facilities. Senior Research Scientist Dr. Todd of the USACE Pacific Ocean Division ERDC Director Dr. David Pittman Bridges has led ERDC’s 40-person and the U.S. Army Pacific Command, the recently described how he felt about the C-MAT. Army component of the U.S. Indo-Pacific teams’ work. As a result of their efforts, the C-MAT Command. “I’m so proud of all of our modeling developed an epidemiological model The C-MAT used the ERDC SEIR teams’ efforts,” he said. “The models’ to provide forecasts of the COVID-19 and population-specific data for the islands effectiveness demonstrates how the power spread. and developed a three-step process for of ERDC can help our nation solve The ERDC Susceptible Exposed assessing regionally adjusted COVID-19 even unprecedented challenges, like the Infected Recovered, or SEIR, model outcomes. COVID-19 pandemic. (https://esmov.erdc.dren.mil) was In addition to the ERDC SEIR and “Our modelers have brought developed in a matter of weeks to help population health data, the team accounted tremendous resources to bear on this fight predict the disease’s spread and provide the for institutional abilities and infrastructural for our federal, state and local partners, foundation for ERDC’s approach. resources available for a local coronavirus and their collaborative efforts will go down The model forecasts are provided to outbreak. in history as an outstanding example of the Corps’ Geospatial Taskforce, which “Determining how many beds, staff, interagency cooperation,” he said. then summarizes outputs in order for the ventilators and so forth are on Guam 42 The Corps Environment Corps’ JALBTCX team monitors coastlines, preps for 2020 hurricane season By JoAnne Castagna, Ed.D. land and water. USACE, New York District This data is acquired along the nation’s coastlines approximately every five years. The last time JALBTCX flew over the coasts of New York and New Jersey was in 2017, and it is next scheduled to fly again in 2022. n a hotel conference room on Long Island, New The New York District wanted to get this York, a team of experts are processing computer data information sooner, and when it learned that JALBTCX Iand information, displaying it onto a large monitor. had a small pocket of time available, the district “It’s a beautiful thing. On the screen they are able to coastal team quickly worked to take advantage of this observe the condition of the New York and New Jersey opportunity. coastlines almost in real-time,” said Jeffrey Cusano, “They wanted to understand the current coastal geospatial coordinator, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers condition and how it compared to the 2017 condition (USACE), New York District. to see what work needs to be done now to improve the The team is the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry condition of the coasts. This work may involve such Technical Center of Expertise, or JALBTCX. things as sand replenishment and environmental work,” Recently, Cusano and other members of the New Cusano said. “They also wanted to see if the work they York District seized the opportunity to use this team to already performed is functioning well.” obtain cutting-edge survey data of the coastlines. Over a two-week period in late January, the Not only did the team get the data to them fast, but JALBTCX team flew over portions of the New York and the Corps is already using it to monitor and improve New Jersey coasts collecting data. its coastal projects, as we enter the Atlantic hurricane Working closely with JALBTCX, they designed season. flight plans that would produce good data coverage over Earlier this year, USACE, New York District tapped New York District’s coastal projects. the JALBTCX for their expertise. Approximately 157 miles of coast were flown, Based out of Mobile, Alabama as part of USACE, including a stretch of coast from Manasquan Inlet to Mobile District, the JALBTCX team performs Sandy Hook, New Jersey; a portion of Staten Island, operations, research and development in various airborne New York; and, another stretch on Long Island from geospatial technologies to support the coastal mapping Rockaway Inlet to the tip of Montauk Point, New York. and charting requirements for the Corps. To capture the best data, the flight crew flew The Center also partners with other federal and primarily during daylight hours at or near low tide at an non-federal agencies, including industry and academia altitude of 1,300 feet above ground level and at an air to further develop these technologies to meet their speed of 140 knots. respective programs. They flew overnight operations only in the vicinity of One of those programs is the National Coastal John F. Kennedy International Airport to accommodate Mapping Program whose mission is to acquire regional, existing airspace restrictions. high-resolution, high-accuracy elevation and imagery The survey aircraft operated out of the Long Island data along the nation’s shorelines on a recurring basis. MacArthur Airport, in Ronkonkoma, New York. To obtain this data, JALBTCX uses an aircraft Nearby, in Islip, New York, the JALBTCX team (USACE courtesy photo) equipped with government-owned state-of-the-art stood up a flight operations and data production center Col. Thomas Asbery, former district commander, USACE, New York District, joins members of the JALBTCX team in front of their aircraft at Long Island MacArthur Airport in airborne remote sensing platforms. in a hotel conference room. Ronkonkoma, New York. These platforms comprise a lidar sensor with both There, the team stored its equipment, conducted topographic and bathymetric capabilities, and two twice-daily flight operations meetings, and networked To perform this analysis, the team used a newly- damage and sand loss that requires repairs. It also shows was helpful and enabled one particular coastal project to additional aerial mapping cameras. a series of computers that were used to download data acquired 2020 continuous digital elevation dataset, us how we are progressing with ongoing coastal projects, move along faster. The lidar’s topographic capability measures the from each flight, process and quality control the data, comparing it with their dataset from the last time they of which we have done many in the last three years. “Because of this new data, we were able to expedite elevation of the coastline’s beach and dune systems, and develop it into data products the district could use. flew in 2017. Suzana Rice, senior coastal engineer with the New the pre-construction engineering and design phase of and its bathymetric capability measures the seafloor “They used these sensors to gather a swath of Results will reveal where erosion or loss of sand York District added that the data is a great tool to the Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point Project,” she said. elevations. information all along the beach that included between occurred and where deposition or accumulation of sand monitor and understand our coastlines, and to compare Rice stated that this data is also being used to cost The lidar sensor provides highly-detailed and 1,000 and 2,000 meters of the nearshore and onshore occurred along the two state coastlines between 2017 data from previous years to use during the 2020 Atlantic effectively create the plans and specifications for the accurate elevation measurements both on land and area,” Cusano said. and the present. hurricane season. Fire Island Inlet to the Moriches Inlet Emergency under the water, while two additional cameras provide In addition, the JALBTCX team will soon provide According to Cusano, “we now have valuable She said that the timeliness of the data, having been Stabilization Project. detailed images and spectral information from the same the district with what is called a change analysis. information that shows us where there may be storm delivered only in 10 business days after the last flight, See JALBTCX, page 45 43 The Corps Environment 44 JALBTCX continued from page 44 When plans and specifications are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric District, please visit: https://coast. created, the team needs to have an idea of Administration’s Digital Coast website, a noaa.gov/dataviewer/#/lidar/search/ how much sand will be needed to replenish multiyear archive of survey data acquired where:ID=9000. the beach. along U.S. coasts by partners in the federal “In my opinion, this data is a win for Without this JALBTCX data, mapping community and some state everybody,” Cusano added. “It helps the traditional surveying techniques would agencies. Army Corps monitor and cost-effectively have to be conducted at additional cost and A person is able to search for a specific improve our coastal projects and it helps our project delays. coastal area, learn about available data, agency educate the public about their coasts This data is also being used to perform customize exactly what they want to view and the work we are doing for them as we environmental work on some coastal - using the multiple layers of information begin a new Atlantic hurricane season. projects. available, and save the information in the “This all would not have been possible Robert Smith, senior biologist, New format they can use for their intended if the Corps’ coastal team didn’t have the York District said, “the data is being used purpose. drive to pursue this valuable data,” he said. to design and track changes to habitats To view the dataset the JALBTCX “They saw the opportunity and they took we built for endangered species, such as gathered recently for the New York it.” the piping plover, an endangered bird that nests along the shore in the summer. We built habitats for the plovers for it to nest and forage.” Not only is this data valuable to Corps’ projects, it also serves to educate the public about existing projects. “This past fall we had a number of nor’easters that caused coastal damage. Because of this, residents contacted us seeking information about damages and if rebuilding was needed,” Cusano said. “We were able to use the data to better respond to their inquiries.” This data is also available to the public and other agencies. The JALBTCX team posts the data on

New York District Coastal Projects

The New York and New Jersey coastal projects being executed by USACE, New York District and benefiting from the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise, include: • Manasquan to Sandy Hook, New Jersey Project • South Shore of Staten Island, New York Project • East Rockaway to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay, New York Project • Jones Inlet to East Rockaway Inlet Long Beach, New York Project • Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, New York Project and its sub project the Fire Island Inlet to Moriches Inlet Emergency Stabilization Project To learn more about these projects visit: https://www.nan. usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil- (USACE courtesy photo) Works/. Col. Thomas Asbery, former district commander, USACE, New York District, tours the interior of the JALBTCX aircraft. 45 The Corps Environment Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center awarded for environmental stewardship By Michelle Gonzalez Kandy Williams, deputy chief of of a hospital’s waste stream may be Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center Environmental Health. “Everything is now generated from surgical services. digital. Kimbrough’s efforts in reducing waste Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center “We could not have recycled that in the operating room was through received the 2020 Partner for Change amount of X-ray films without the reprocessing single-use devices. Award from Practice Greenhealth in incredible support from U.S. Army Public “They saved an estimated $4,327 recognition of successful programs to Health Center and Disposition Services through their medical device reprocessing reduce an organization’s environmental at the Defense Logistics Agency.” program,” said Williams. impact. Additional achievements in reducing “By sending these items to the Based at Fort Meade, Maryland, this is environmental impact include recycling reprocessing facility it prevents them from the third time the center has received the 35% of total waste where the minimum going into the waste stream,” she said. award that recognizes health care facilities is 15%, and recycling 60,000 pounds of Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s that continuously improve and expand cardboard. leading health care community dedicated upon programs to eliminate mercury, Williams also noted that the close to transforming health care worldwide so reduce and recycle waste, source products coordination with other sections within that it reduces its environmental footprint, sustainably, and more. Kimbrough made recycling 30 tons of becomes a community anchor for Kimbrough’s efforts in reducing waste cardboard possible. sustainability, and a leader in the global include recycling over 10 years of X-ray “Logistics and housekeeping are the movement for environmental health and films that weighed 4,707 lbs., or more than biggest reasons we were able to recycle so justice. two tons. much cardboard,” she said. “We had to make sure we were doing Generally, between 20% and 30% it properly so personally identifiable information was not at risk,” said

46 The Corps Environment Employee Spotlights Knauss fellow, EWN initiative a perfect match By Holly Kuzmitski brought to the table in planning U.S. Army Engineer Research and discussions,” he said. Development Center “Historically, when we try to prioritize natural infrastructure projects, we encounter several challenges when attempting to o Samuel Fielding, the U.S. Army achieve a favorable benefits-to-cost Corps of Engineers’ Engineering ratio, which is what’s needed for TWith Nature initiative seemed like a these projects to be implemented,” perfect fit. King said. “To do this, we must As a prospective John A. Knauss find better ways to quantify all of Marine fellow, Fielding was searching the benefits derived from natural for a host organization where he could infrastructure projects. utilize his interdisciplinary education in “Having this ability would make economics, international relations and natural infrastructure projects biology. more competitive with traditional His doctorate research was focused on infrastructure,” he said. the economics of coastal adaptation and Fielding is investigating a the socioeconomics of coastal hazards business case project for resilience within flood insurance markets. with Margaret Kurth, a research The graduate student’s expertise engineer who has worked six years sounded like an ideal match for the Corps’ with the ERDC’s Environmental

EWN initiative to Dr. Jeff King as well. Laboratory’s Risk and Decision As EWN deputy national lead, King Science Team. was looking for a scholar from the National “For this project, we’re Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s thinking in terms of projects Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy that achieve Corps-specific Fellowship Program with a special skillset missions to create the most actionable to take EWN projects to the next level. information possible for the agency,” she Samuel Fielding King described how Fielding became said. involved with various EWN efforts “We’re moving the needle on what NOAA’s National Sea Grant Office and since February 2020; the Knauss fellow resilience means for the organization,” manager of the Knauss Marine Policy is contributing state-of-the-practice Kurth said. Fellowship, agrees. knowledge accrued from his doctorate “We just published a paper on what “I am very excited for Sam and the research. sorts of resilience benefits we could get work that he is doing at the Corps of “Sam has been looking at ways we can from coastal natural and nature-based Engineers, making a difference and justify natural infrastructure and natural features,” she said. “The next step is to moving the needle forward on ecosystem- and nature-based feature projects, because quantify it as a project benefit so it can be based management,” she said. the usual justification methods haven’t incorporated into the Corps of Engineers’ “The NOAA Sea Grant Knauss been working for us,” King said. practice alongside other costs and benefits.” Marine Policy Fellowship was established “We need to identify new strategies She feels that if the Corps is not able specifically to engage graduate and very that accurately quantify the economic, to quantify costs and benefits of innovative recent graduate students in marine and environmental and social benefits these projects, internal mechanisms for these coastal policy-making,” she said. “I hope projects offer,” he said. “We’re getting projects won’t exist. that Sam can gain meaningful connections so much more from them in coastal Kurth stresses the necessity of having with individuals inside and outside the environments than we do from traditional measurements and the resources to monitor Corps.” or ‘hardened’ infrastructure, such as levees and foster innovation. Kennedy sees value in positioning a and sea walls.” From Fielding’s perspective, the NOAA Knauss Fellow within the Corps Fielding has seen the benefits natural opportunity to work on these projects has and other agencies. infrastructure and natural and nature- been wonderful. “By offering opportunities outside of based features deliver, including protection “In doctorate work, the research is very NOAA, we not only provide a wide range from storms, water quality improvements, theoretical,” he said. “It’s great to see how of opportunities for our fellows; many aesthetics, better fish and wildlife habitats, professionals deliver in a real-world setting times, fellows or alumni work together to and better fishing opportunities for - I’m exposed to high-level thinkers, develop these long-standing partnerships communities. and I’ve learned something new every day.” for the successful protection of our coastal “These are real benefits not typically Maddie Kennedy, a program analyst for spaces,” she said. 47 The Corps Environment Employee Spotlights

Veteran’s transition from service leads to Corps career By Ferdinand Detres Jr. most dangerous places in Iraq USACE, Omaha District and Schnetzer recalls losing many of his fellow Soldiers there during an attack on April 4, 2004. any servicemembers who “We were involved in a retire or separate from the really bad ambush and lost a Mmilitary continue to serve their country lot of good guys,” Schnetzer as Department of Defense employees said. because they possess specialized training Afterwards, he recalls and experiences highly sought after by the attending a memorial federal civilian workforce. service back at the Michael Schnetzer, a former sergeant compound. in the U.S. Army, is one of those When the command servicemembers who transitioned from the sergeant major was doing military into a federal career with the U.S. a roll call and called out Army Corps of Engineers. the names of those who Schnetzer enlisted in the military right had fallen,” he said. “There after graduating high school in 2000. was a dead silence.” After graduating basic training at Fort A 21-gun salute Sill, Oklahoma, and advanced individual followed. training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, “It was one of the as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, he was hardest things to sit assigned to his first permanent duty through,” he said. “After station with the 1st Brigade, 2-5 Cavalry that, I refused to attend Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort another memorial Hood, Texas. service. During the Iraq war the military “I’m your began implementing stop-loss and stereotypical guy who stop-movement orders on many gets uncomfortable servicemembers. showing sad emotions, Stop-loss was an involuntary so I rather avoid those extension of a servicemember’s enlistment emotions if I can,” he contract, allowing the military to retain said. servicemembers past their initial expiration During his second of term of service, or ETS date. deployment in September 2006, Stop-movement orders during that Schnetzer was more experienced and able Michael Schnetzer time prevented servicemembers from to mentor many of the younger Soldiers relocating to other military bases known as who were on their first deployment. After his second tour in 2008, a permanent change of station. “I shared many stories with the Schnetzer opted out of the Army and Both of his deployments came down incoming troops as well as adjusting began an internship at the Oahe Dam, on stop-loss and stop-movement orders, training to meet new requirements,” North Dakota. preventing him from a PCS to Schofield Schnetzer added. After his internship, the former Barracks, Hawaii, and Germany. He admits that things were a little wheeled vehicle mechanic and Soldier Schnetzer recalled his first deployment different from his initial deployment to the applied for a job with the U.S. Army in 2004 with the 1st Cavalry Division Persian Gulf. Corps of Engineers, Omaha District as a while stationed at Forward Operating Base Non-commissioned officers, or powerhouse mechanic. War Eagle near Sadr City, Iraq. NCOs, conducted the training and there Nine years later, Schnetzer is a senior “It was early in the U.S. involvement weren’t a lot of amenities, he said. Today, mechanic at Gavins Point Dam near with Iraq, so 90% of the battalion had never deployments include changed tactics and Yankton, South Dakota. deployed except the senior leadership who more comforts of home. He attributes much of his success to served in the Gulf War,” Schnetzer said. “The second deployment was a cake what he learned in the military. “Our FOB (forward operating base) walk,” Schnetzer said. “We were stationed “Discipline, integrity, work ethic and was attacked daily by mortar rounds and at Camp Victory where we had a large PX team cohesion,” Schnetzer said. “A hard RPGs (rocket propelled grenades),” he said. (post exchange), Burger King, Popeye’s work ethic along with team cohesion is At the time, Sadr city was one of the chicken and a large bazaar.” needed if you desire to excel.” 48 The Corps Environment Employee Spotlights

Employee awarded for new contracting process

By Ferdinand Detres Jr. “This was the USACE, Omaha District first time ever that Omaha District has utilized a PSL approach and the 25-year employee of the U.S. first time in the Army Corps of Engineers, history of the OmahaA District, was awarded the U.S. Army Corps Omaha-Lincoln Federal Executive of Engineers that Association 2019, Federal Employee this acquisition Leadership Award in the Managerial/ approach has Supervisor/Leader of the Year category. been utilized for Lee M. McCormick, civil branch chief, small projects,” formally received notification of the award Gruber said. earlier this month for his efforts during McCormick’s the 2019 flooding of the Missouri River new approach Basin recovery operations. shortened the The catastrophic flood hit parts of Iowa, advertisement Nebraska and Missouri causing damage and award to more than 500 miles of levees on the periods for Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn rivers. contracts - a After the flood, McCormick process that volunteered with the Omaha District usually took System Restoration Team as the months took acquisition lead. us a couple “McCormick led a team of military weeks or days. and civilian personnel to successfully “The execute a myriad of contracts to support phenomenal critical life, health and safety needs of our success local area,” said Ginger Gruber, chief of of these contracting, USACE, Omaha District. contracts Due to an unforeseen emergency also served situation that followed the flooding, to enhance McCormick needed to expeditiously the public train several contracting specialists in image of the emergency contracting procedures. U.S. Army “Lee immediately stood up the team Corps of and implemented on-the-job training Engineers over a weekend to ensure the entire team during a was trained, operating consistently and time of efficiently,” Gruber said. extreme “We had to act immediately in doing public scrutiny,” Gruber said. emergency contracts,” McCormick said. “Due to its success, it has since been Lee McCormick “Interstate 29 was shut down and many mimicked across USACE,” he said. “Lee’s small towns became islands as they role in launching and perfecting this became flooded with water all around.” process cannot be understated.” not one person can do all this alone,” McCormick’s team, in collaboration McCormick did not wish to take all McCormick said. with the project delivery team, developed the credit without thanking the many “I’d tell people not to only focus on and gained expedited approval of $151 people that made a team effort in the your job requirements. Focus on the million from the Omaha District’s success of the mission and offering impact of what you’re doing and how that Acquisition Plan for Prequalification of words of advice for those wishing to be affects the community, and put that first,” Sources List, providing flood response to successful. he said. “Put how to make the world a over 30 levee repair contracts. “It was definitely a collaborative effort, better place in everything you do.”

49 The Corps Environment