KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- This Earth Day, Holston Army Ammunition Plant has a little more to celebrate in its efforts to protect the planet.
On February 26, 2014, Holston AAP achieved International Organizational Standard (ISO) 50001:2011 registration for the site's energy management system.
According to Ben Rogers, energy management engineer for the HSAAP operating contractor BAE Systems, this registration not only distinguishes Holston as a leader in the developing field of energy management, but it also encourages continuous improvement and signifies a commitment to responsible stewardship of the environment's natural energy resources.
"The 50001 standard covers a wide variety of activities," Rogers explained. "The main elements that are different from the [quality and environmental] standards cover energy baselines, energy reviews, and significant energy uses."
Holston AAP also maintains ISO registration for its quality management and environmental management systems, with energy management being the latest addition to the site's ISO achievements.
According to Rogers, the site's energy management system requires Holston to "look back over [HSAAP's] energy use and consumption for the last few years…and determine what drives [the plant's] energy use and consumption."
Rogers explained that Holston's main sources of energy include coal, electricity, natural gas, and purchased steam.
"Once you understand what drives your energy use and consumption you can identify your Significant Energy Uses (SEUs)," Rogers continued. "SEUs are what you most need to monitor and control in order to make your energy use more efficient and effective."
To achieve certification with the international standard, Rogers worked closely with the government staff's environmental engineers in order to review the full lifecycle of the plant's energy.
Mike Vestal, environmental engineer for the Holston government staff, added, "Anytime you improve energy management, you improve your effect on the environment. The more energy-efficient Holston is, the more 'green' Holston is."
Vestal also emphasized the importance of employees' stewardship role, stating, "We [the employees] are responsible for protecting our environment. Understanding our energy sources and consumption will allow us to be better environmental stewards."
The International Organizational Standard requires organizations to establish and implement procedures for continuous improvement. These procedures outline processes for finding, correcting, and reviewing deficiencies in various organizational systems. ISO registration denotes compliance with these procedures and the ability to maintain and continuously improve a company's management system.
Holston is a government-owned, contractor- operated facility located in Kingsport, Tenn. BAE Systems is the current operating contractor. Since 1942, Holston has produced chemical explosives in support of our service members and currently produces explosive fills for every type of ordnance used by the Department of Defense.
Holston is a subordinate installation of the Joint Munitions Command. JMC operates a nationwide network of conventional ammunition manufacturing plants and storage depots, and provides on-site ammunition experts to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed. JMC's customers are U.S. forces of all military services, other U.S. government agencies and allied nations.
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