KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- Each employee at Holston Army Ammunition Plant knows that the natural environment is a top priority for British Aerospace Electronic Systems--HSAAP's operating contractor--and the Army.
From the plant's lofty, mountainous backdrop down to the shallow banks of the Holston River, employees are encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
But employees' environmental efforts go beyond everyday garbage sorting. HSAAP proactively addresses known and unknown environmental hazards involved in explosives production by employing a comprehensive and effective Environmental Management System.
Through adherence to the International Organizational Standard14001 guidelines, HSAAP performs routine inspections, executes regular audits, and administers corrective actions to comply with Environmental Protection Agency and Tennessee Department of Energy and Conservation regulatory requirements and to continually improve environmental stewardship.
According to Bob Winstead, environmental manager for BAE Systems, environmental responsibility begins with employee orientation. Incoming employees and temporary contractors receive an overview of HSAAP's environmental program before beginning work, and each employee receives refresher training on an annual basis. In fact, the recertification audit team commended HSAAP for this training program specifically.
"The audit team made particular mention of a few of our proficiencies, including our training program's content and tracking, BAE and HSAAP's Energy Management Program, and BAE's online Environmental Management System," Winstead said.
BAE achieved ISO 14001 registration in 2006, three years ahead of the Army's deadline, A full re-registration audit occurs every three years, and this year marks the second successful third-party re-registration audit for BAE.
"I am particularly proud of two things that the entire Holston Team has achieved in the last six years," Winstead said. "First is the upgrade of the steam plant to reduce emissions and to meet future facility needs. The second is the Research Department Explosive wastewater reduction project. Both BAE and the Army have demonstrated a serious commitment to environmental protection and compliance."
Holston Army Ammunition Plant is a government-owned, contractor- operated facility located in Kingsport, Tenn. Since 1942, HSAAP has produced chemical explosives to support the servicemembers and currently produces explosive fills for every type of ordnance used by the United States Department of Defense.
HSAAP is a subordinate installation of the Joint Munitions Command.
From its headquarters at the Rock Island Arsenal, 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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