Yongsan shows environmental practices through seminar

By Cpl. Samuel Han (IMCOM)September 19, 2012

Yongsan shows environmental practices through seminar
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Yongsan shows environmental practices through seminar
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea -- Students from Hankuk University Environmental Engineering School were invited to tour U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan as a part of the Green Neighbor Initiative outreach program, Sep. 13. Through the program, students were given the opportunity to learn about the environmental practices being used by the U.S. Army and see real-life applications of the knowledge they had acquired through their schooling.

"We're sharing our environmental practices and the way we manage our environmental programs on post and on the peninsula," William Rogers, chief of the Environmental Division for USAG Yongsan, said. "We're hoping that the students take away information that can help them in their pursuits for future education and careers."

Upon their arrival on garrison, students were welcomed by Paul Stuart, deputy to the garrison commander for USAG Yongsan.

"We are glad to have you here on our garrison," Stuart said. "Taking care of the environment is a priority for us, and we wanted to show you that through the tour."

Following the brief introduction of the garrison, Rogers gave a presentation of the environmental values and procedures being conducted on USAG Yongsan. Rogers outlined the 18 different environmental media areas, including hazardous waste, storm water, and underground tanks, being managed by USAG Yongsan. The presentation helped students understand that USAG Yongsan was committed to environmental stewardship on the lands entrusted to the Garrison.

After the presentation, students had lunch at the Hartell House before starting their field tour of the facilities and environmental procedures used by the garrison. The tour began at the Yongsan Fire Department where they observed a mock spill response. By examining the procedures conducted through the mock spill, students were given an understanding of the Army's programs for responding to situations that may harm the environment. This helped students see the practical applications of the Army's commitment to taking care of the environment.

Students were then shown how hazardous materials and waste were processed on USAG Yongsan. Students were also shown the procedures and equipment used to treat soils that had been impacted by petroleum. These exemplified the robust environmental programs being implemented by the Army to properly take care of and improve the environment.

"I think today's visit was great." Pae Hyun Park, one of the engineer students from Hankuk University said. "It was quite impressive to see how U.S. Soldiers were trying not to damage the environment. I want to keep studying this area and contribute in developing these types of technologies.

This tour was the second environmental awareness seminar hosted on USAG Yongsan as a part of the Green Neighbor Initiative outreach program series. The last seminar was held in February 2012.

Related Links:

IMCOM News on Army.mil

USAG Yongsan on Facebook

USAG Yongsan on Flickr

USAG Yongsan on Twitter

USAG Yongsan on YouTube

U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan Homepage