United States Army Garrison (USAG) Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division (ENV) sent a contingent of environmental subject matter experts to the 2023 Army Environmental and Range Readiness Training Symposium (AERRTS) held from May 2-4, 2023, at Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), Texas.
The goal of AERRTS is to foster communication and cooperation between the Army Environmental Program (AEP) and Sustainable Range Program (SRP) to ensure that the Army has readily available world-class training facilities and ranges that are created and maintained with minimal or beneficial effects on the environment. This year’s representatives from USAG APG DPW ENV included Ms. Lynda Hartzell, Ms. Christy Hornyak, Mr. Michael Lancos, Mr. Todd Beser, and Mr. Matthew Keenan.
Christy presented APG’s unique hazardous waste processing and disposal program. While reflecting on the first in-person AERRTS since the COVID pandemic, Christy said, “It was nice to meet colleagues in person who I had previously made connections with electronically. It was a great experience to speak to peers about how we manage our programs and help them think of new ways to solve their environmental management challenges”.
Lynda shared the successes of the eagle program at APG. Bald Eagles are federally protected, and Lynda specializes in ensuring the research, development, testing, and evaluation mission at APG can coexist with the over 300 eagles and over 70 active eagle nests on post. Todd presented APG’s Army Compatible Use Buffer program, which works to deter encroachment from non-compatible development around APG. The team toured the Fort Cavazos range areas and attended presentations from Army Headquarters and colleagues on topics including climate change resiliency, environmental compliance, efficiency during fiscal austerity, workforce development, and natural resource conservation.
Lynda summarized her experience at AERRTS by observing, “Every Army installation is unique in some way, but we all face similar challenges in balancing mission sustainment and environmental stewardship. Whether you’re from the environmental side or the range side, we are all here to support the Warfighter.”
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