Fort A.P. Hill Environmental Restoration Team wins Army award

By Mr Michael Meisberger (AP Hill)February 2, 2012

Environmental programs increase environmental quality and enhance the Army mission.
Fort A.P. Hill won the Secretary of Army Environmental Award in the team category for Environmental Restoration for the successful execution of an installation-wide Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program. The team implemente... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Fort A.P. Hill environmental restoration team garnered top honors in the Army for implementing an innovative program saving the government millions of dollars through the Environmental Protection Agency Facility Lead Agreement Program.

Fort A.P. Hill won the Secretary of Army Environmental Award in the team category for Environmental Restoration for the successful execution of an installation-wide Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program.

Terry Banks, Environmental and Natural Resources Division chief, and Sergio Sergi, environmental engineer and compliance branch chief, implemented an innovative approach by partnering with EPA Region III through the Facility Lead Program at closed landfills, wash points, fire training areas, and wastewater treatment plants across the 75,794-acre post, which borders Caroline and Essex counties.

"This award illustrates Fort A.P. Hill's proactive approach which enabled the installation to partner with both regulators and stakeholders to reduce costs and to protect human health and the environment," Banks said.

The post leads as the first in the Department of Defense and the only Army installation to participate in the EPA Region III Facility Lead Agreement program. Region III includes Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

The Facility Lead Agreement program allowed the post to expedite a management and investigative approach while scheduling and conducting cleanup activities.

Fort A.P. Hill is a Regional Collective Training Capability Center that provides realistic joint and combined arms training support to America's Defense forces. The program increased and enhanced beneficial reuse of the identified sites for mission-related training and operations resulting in the availability of an estimated 300 acres for recreational and mission-related activities.

Due to Fort A.P. Hill's innovative approach, the team saved about $1.5 million in cleanup costs compared to a typical EPA cleanup costing. In addition, the team would save approximately $2 million over 10 years in long-term monitoring and maintenance requirements.

In addition to the cost-savings, the time to reach clean-up objectives was cut in half as compared to a typical cleanup. Radford Ammunition Plant utilized lessons learned from Fort A.P. Hill's program, resulting in cost and time savings.

The Secretary of Army Environmental Award recognizes and rewards excellence for the development, management and transferability of environmental programs that increase environmental quality, enhance the mission and help make the Army sustainable. Other winners include: Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, and U.S. Army Installation Management Command garrisons Fort Hood, Fort Stewart, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii.