Government » DOD P2 Partnership

Georgia DoD P2 Partnership

Plenary Session Minutes, Nov. 2-3, 2000

November 2, 2000

Work Team Meetings and Base Tour
Early in the afternoon, the Solid Waste and Recycling, Source Reduction, and Regulatory Integration work teams met. A summary of work team activities will be detailed below.

Following the work team meetings, partnership members toured the current renovation of Building 170, a former hospital located at Fort McPherson. Attendees learned of the green building practices being incorporated into the renovation project, including the use of alternative building products, reuse of deconstructed materials on-site, and recycling construction-related materials. The building will be the new home of the Army Environmental Policy Institute. Members also toured an officer's home that is currently being renovated. The home is on the National Historic Register.

November 3, 2000

Colonel Ellis, Commander, Fort McPherson, welcomed the group to Fort McPherson and expressed his support of environmental programs on base. Owen Nuttall, Environmental Staff, Fort McPherson, outlined logistics for the meeting, and Bob Donaghue, Assistance Division Director, P2AD, welcomed the partners and reiterated the importance and success of the Georgia Partnership.

The first presenters to the partnership represent different research arms of Georgia Tech. These presentations were intended to get bases thinking about research needs in the event that DoD dollars are available in the coming months to fund pollution prevention research and pilot projects (see discussion under Regional Partnership).

Tom Graver, Director of the Center for Environmentally Conscious Design Manufacturing spoke about tapping into Georgia Tech research capabilities on sustainability. Mr. Graver pointed out that though manufacturers (and other organizations like the military) know that reducing waste and energy use can reduce costs, few do well at quantifying the relationships between waste, energy use and dollars. Data needed to understand these interactions is hard to get -- and is often very old by the time anyone sees it. Thus many opportunities go undiscovered. Georgia Tech has launched its Dashboard Initiative to help industry see, in real time, opportunities for improving both economic and environmental performance. Then, once the dashboard makes opportunities apparent, it guides the implementation of changes and provides measurements of the results. This combination of timely information, quick action, and prompt feedback acts as a powerful engine for continuous improvement.

Anyone in the partnership with suggestions for research that is needed to evaluate technological pollution prevention solutions should contact Tom at 404-894-5676 or tom.graver@marc.gatech.edu. He will share those suggestions with various individuals at Georgia Tech to determine if a research project can be implemented.

The second presenter to the plenary was John Adams, formerly of the Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute's Energy and Environmental Management Center, currently at AEPI. John summarized EDI's MSE 2000 energy management system and its potential applicability for the military.

Executive Order 13123 established DoD's Energy Mission, setting targets of 35% energy reduction by 2010 (1985 base), 30% carbon reduction by 2010 (1990 base), and 35% energy reduction by 2010. Other provisions included: Energy Star building targets; greater use of renewables (on & off-site); sustainable building design and development; source energy resource and pollution issues; and greater emphasis on ESPCs (private sector financing). So far, the Army is on track with meeting these goals, yet it faces challenges. The Army uses about $750 million in energy in 1 billion square feet of facilities, and about $250 million in vehicles. Natural gas and electricity are predominantly used in facilities, with coal and oil use on the decline.

Mr. Adams noted that energy issues for the DoD were preparedness for price/supply problems, ESPCs, and sustainability of achievements. He outlined challenges to meeting energy goals such as Base Realignment and Closure, capital funding shortages, rising energy costs, and de-regulation. He then reviewed the Management System for Energy 2000 and its ability to assist facilities achieve its goals by emphasizing management, not capital investment. MSE 2000 establishes:

• Clear-cut responsibilities
• Documented processes
• Ongoing training
• Internal checks for compliance
• Corrective and preventive action
• Management reviews

Following the MSE 2000 discussion, representatives of the partnership work teams presented a summary of recent activities.

Tech Transfer Team Update
Over the last 6 months, the Tech Transfer Team has struggled with finding the best way to solicit information from the other Work Teams to transfer outside of the Partnership. It has also had difficulty in retaining team members. Much discussion was held regarding subsequent leadership of the team following the departure of Jancie Hatcher, and it was proposed that the most effective way that the GA DoD P2 Partnership could do tech transfer in the future was to disband the formal Tech Transfer Team, in favor of assigning Tech Transfer Team members to participate in other work teams and practice tech transfer from within.

The proposal to dissolve and disperse the Tech Transfer Team was presented to the Partnership, and was accepted as a good solution. Suggested follow up was to establish a mechanism for monthly/quarterly communication by the assigned tech transfer person within each work team. It was agreed that these individuals would participate in quarterly conference calls to discuss tech transfer activities/opportunities within the work teams.

Source Reduction Team Update
Due to job reassignments, six of the eight members are new to the Source Reduction Work Team and the P2 partnership.

The team met on July 12, 2000 at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany Georgia. Projects identified and discussed were:

• Small parts paint stripping - John Gates. MCLB is testing a non-hazardous paint stripper from POLY CHEM.
• Non-hazardous paint line cleaner, John Gates & Bill Vondersmith. MCLB is in an extended test using a waterborne cleaner ACRA STRIP 600 BG MOD produced by Poly Chem Corp to clean paint lines containing Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC).
• Case study of HMMS applications at MCLB, John Gates
• P2 assessment protocol to assist on-site teams in performing waste reduction assessments, Bill Vondersmith. Jim Reese from Robins AFB has provided an outline of basic steps for performing a Process Specific Opportunity Assessment (POSA) from the guidance issued by the Air Force Material Command. This outline meets the intent of this activity providing a simple guide for waste reduction assessment teams.
• Format for best practices database/handbook. Team members assigned to this activity are no longer on team - This has been put on hold

Also, Bill Vondersmith observed a successful demonstration of the subject POLY CHEM cleaner at Robins AFB on October 30, 2000. This demonstration involved cleaning paint lines and equipment containing aircraft topcoat and sealer.

At the November 2000 team meeting, representatives from the DEI-TEC Corporation gave a presentation on their renewable oil filter and service. DEI-TEC manufactures a renewable oil filter and provides a service that delivers clean filters and takes back dirty filters. The dirty filters are returned to DEI-TEC's facility where they are cleaned, reconditioned and put back in service. The presentation resulted in a significant team discussion with the vendor. Robins AFB is investigating use of this system, and P2AD working toward getting a pilot project started with the Georgia Building Authority fleet maintenance operation in Georgia using the DEI-TEC filter service.

The team is looking for ways to expand research for best practices and opportunities for improvement. It was suggested that the team concentrate on vehicle maintenance; painting and parts cleaning identified by the July 1998 work team survey of DoD facilities. It was decided that a second survey be sent requesting information on specific waste reduction improvements and areas where improvements are needed. The requested information will be confined to three areas identified in the earlier survey. Information provided by this survey will be used to develop best practices for dissemination to the partnership and identify candidates for further research. Bill Vondersmith agreed to send the survey via e-mail for a quick response.

The team agreed to continue to hold meeting on a quarterly basis or in conjunction with partnership plenary meeting or conferences as appropriate.

Regulatory Integration Team Update
This new team was formed in February 2000 with the mission of examining and prioritizing any upcoming and new regulatory requirements that affect Georgia's DoD bases, and evaluating pollution prevention measures that can be taken to ease compliance burdens. Benefits to the team include improved lines of communication between EPD/EPA and DoD, and networking with other bases to identify and address emerging regulatory issues that are of concern to DoD.

Recent team activities include:

• Survey identifying DoD's greatest concerns about regulatory impediments to pollution prevention.
  • First meeting: June 22, 2000
  • Reviewed survey responses, and decided that the two biggest areas of concern and uncertainty are TMDLs and stormwater permitting.
• Work team requested that representatives from EPD and possibly EPA meet with them to discuss these new regulations and answer questions about how they will be implemented. Meeting on Stormwater has been scheduled for November 14, and meeting on TMDLs to take place on January 18 (date not yet final). Both EPA and EPD will participate and have requested that specific questions be submitted prior to the meetings.

Future team activities include:

• Identify bases that are impacted by current TMDLs
  • Identify pollution prevention measures to reduce impact; share information regarding those mitigating efforts with EPD
• Continue to gauge priorities of the work team
• Evaluate additional topics for future DoD/P2AD/EPA/EPD meetings, such as VOC emissions trading in Georgia, and nonattainment issues.
• Evaluate additional topics that deal with regulatory interface and/or measures to ease compliance burdens, where P2AD can provide assistance, (other than arranging meetings with regulators), such as Environmental Management Systems and Environmental Cost Accounting

Solid Waste and Recycling Team Update

Recent team activities include:

• Held Sustainable Infrastructure/Green Building Training in July 2000. The one-day course was designed to acquaint DOD personnel with the principles of sustainable construction and the tools available for incorporating green building practices into military construction projects.
• Team Representative gave presentation at the Joint Services Pollution Prevention Conference in San Antonio on the benefits of a Joint Services Work Team tackling solid waste and recycling issues.
• Continued compiling data for the Georgia Tech carpet model.
• Provided assistance to Ft. McPherson on finding markets for materials from Building 170 (deconstruction project).
• Held meeting in conjunction with DoD breakout session at the annual Georgia Recycling Coalition Conference
  • Guest speakers discussed electronic recycling, programs to assist in recycling rechargeable batteries, EPA update on C&D, green building, and technology transfer.
  • Technical writer provided latest version of HHW chapter.
• Team Representative toured Anniston Army Depot's recycling program.

Future team activities include:

• Offer second Green Building/Sustainable Construction Course
• Continue work on Guide (primarily C&D chapter)
• Continue to seek partnership opportunities with local governments
• Work with EPA Region 4 on developing video tape that will document several successful base recycling programs in GA and AL

Regional DoD Partnership
Suzanne Burnes provided the partnership with an update on the Region 4 DoD P2 Partnership. The following points were presented:

• Over 50 people attended the last meeting of the Regional Partnership in San Antonio in August. Discussion included sustainability training.
• Need military representatives for Regional Partnership Steering Committee for NC and SC.
• Will begin distribution of quarterly Regional Partnership updates via email in January. Updates will also be posted at P2Rx and WRRC web sites.
• Currently developing content for P2 track at May Regional EPA-DoD Conference. Sending out survey for expertise database in January.

One topic that was discussed at length relating to the Regional Partnership was the pending $2 million in the DoD budget for Regional pollution prevention efforts. This funding has made it through appropriations and is currently being reprogrammed to the appropriate budget area. These funds, if approved, will likely be used for administration of a small grants program for Region 4 installations. Grants would be available for pollution prevention research and pilot projects, which would ordinarily be difficult to fund, and which would have transferability to other installations throughout the region and nation. The Regional Partnership Steering Committee would administer this grants program.

If approval for these funds were received, the grants program would likely be unrolled by Summer/Fall 2001. It is therefore important for all regional partners to be giving consideration now to potential applications for funding.

A discussion followed regarding the impact of the A-76 privatization process on pollution prevention programs at affected bases. It was concurred that this issue has regional impact and should be discussed at the next meeting of the Regional Partnership.