WASHINGTON — A diverse group of individuals, teams, and large and small installations competed for recognition in six installation categories and three individual/team categories in the Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards Program covering fiscal years 2020 through 2022.
The winners include two Army National Guard camps in Minnesota and Iowa, a number of National Guard industrial facilities in Texas, sustainability programs at two National Guard locations in South Dakota and Minnesota, an ammunition plant in Missouri, an archeologist in New Mexico, and a working group based in Washington, D.C. Three went on to claim awards in the Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards Program.
Camp Ripley of the Minnesota Army National Guard won the Natural Resources Conservation award for large installations at the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense competitions. One of the significant accomplishments recognized was their work with the Nature Conservancy and University of Minnesota in Duluth to map natural resources features identifying areas of resiliency that could aid in regional response to climate change. Camp Ripley’s Natural Resources staff also hosts an annual internship program with Central Lakes College that provides students with experience conducting wildlife monitoring surveys and vegetation management. Additionally, a new forestry viewer has been launched on Camp Ripley’s GIS platform, incorporating all past and present timber harvest data, native species, wildlife data, training requirements, and more, all developed in-house with ESRI tools.
Iowa Army National Guard’s Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center captured the Cultural Resources Management award for small installations at both the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense competitions. One of Camp Dodge’s most important and recognizable features is the Work Progress Administration-built limestone perimeter fence and gatehouse, comprising 99 stone pillars, which was the focus of an ambitious restoration effort completed in 2022. The wall restoration included re-tucking all stonework by hand and using water jets to remove the old grout so that the new could be hand-troweled in place. The new grout was specially mixed, following extensive testing, to achieve a smooth consistency and color-matching to the original material. Camp Dodge’s cultural resource staff was successful in leveraging Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Funds to offset federal expenses for this project.
Mr. Bill Godby, archeologist at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, took home the Army's team/individual award for Cultural Resources Management. Mr. Godby has been instrumental in redefining archaeological understandings of the people who lived in the Tularosa Basin more than 2,000 years ago. WSMR’s partnership with the University of New Mexico has led to expanded pottery typologies and subtypes in addition to analysis of motif designs, agricultural strategies, and adobe construction methods. This is just one of many accomplishments recognized by this award.
VIEW ORIGINAL
Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Missouri received the Environmental Restoration award for multiple innovative optimization projects that will decrease the time and cost of remediation there. One example is the thermal remediation system that will heat soil, groundwater and non-aqueous phase liquids within the waste pits to the boiling point of water to more effectively extract and treat the contamination at one site. The performance, costs and lessons learned from the various LCAAP’s optimization efforts were disseminated to other DoD installations.
The Army's Environmental Quality award for an industrial installation was won by the Texas Army National Guard for their work at 24 Field Maintenance Shops, two combined support maintenance shops, six-unit training equipment sites, one maneuver area training equipment site, and five TXARNG-hosted Air Force Reserve Command locations. Over the past two years, the TXARNG has expanded their commitment to environmental quality, ramping up an Integrated Pest Management Program that has enhanced operations, reduced chemical use, slashed costs, and protected the TXARNG’s critical equipment. The training, assessments, and actions conducted by the IPMP align with the Texas Military Department’s Environmental Directive, and directly protect human health; reduce environmental impacts created with pesticide use and removal of invasive species; prevent pollution through education, mechanical and cultural practices; and meets state and federal regulatory requirements.
The South Dakota Army National Guard is recognized with the Army's Sustainability award for a non-industrial installation. Over the past two years, the managers and environmental officers at the SDARNG’s readiness centers and training sites have made great strides in improving waste diversion and recycling despite many logistical challenges. The SDARNG is on track to increase diversion rates by 5% each year for the next five years. The SDARNG’s Sustainability Program’s overall success with process improvement, training, and compliance is reflected in their last external Environmental Performance and Assessment System audit, which resulted in no significant findings or major risk concerns.
The Minnesota Army National Guard was also recognized for their Sustainability Team that focused their efforts on renewable energy, waste diversion and water protection at the 53,000-acre Camp Ripley Training Center and 1,500-acre Arden Hills Army Training Site. To protect water resources and the Mississippi River, the team is completing construction on three stormwater infiltration basins at Camp Ripley, adding to two already in operation. With this project, Camp Ripley will effectively capture 95% of all stormwater in the cantonment area. The basin construction is also part of the MNARNG’s greater plans for climate change resiliency. Large-scale rain events on par with 100-year storms are becoming more common, and these basins have been designed to meet this capacity while also providing for future new construction.
The Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition was awarded to the Acquisition and Logistics Heavy Metals Sub-Working Group at both the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense competitions. In 2018, the Army created a Heavy Metals Working Group to address long standing heavy metals life cycle issues. In January 2021, in response to hexavalent chromium issues related to equipment, parts and repair processes, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition and Logistics’ Environmental Support Office established an Acquisition and Logistics Heavy Metals Sub-Working Group. This group’s successes have resulted in an immediate hexavalent chromium exposure reduction to Army civilians and soldiers at depot and field level repair, have laid the groundwork for a healthier and more resilient Army future state, and provide a roadmap that can benefit the entire DoD.
Social Sharing