hazardous materials /
Pollution prevention
Program
Program Manager Contact Information:
Hazardous Materials / Pollution Prevention
Program Manager | 252-466-3631
The goals of the Hazardous Materials/Pollution Prevention Program (HMPPP) are to: 1) focus on pollution elimination, reduction, or control through best available technology, 2) develop and routinely update a thorough inventory of hazardous materials (HM), and 3) promote proper HM management.
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point employs pollution prevention (P2) strategies to reduce or eliminate the generation of pollution and therefore minimize or eliminate environmental and other life-cycle costs. The purpose of P2 is to reduce or eliminate pollution problems, rather than control them. The preventive approach minimizes pollution at the source through conservation of resources, replacement of HM by less hazardous or non-hazardous ones, waste reduction, and recycling. MCAS Cherry Point uses P2 as its preferred approach to environmental management and is integrating this practice into all Air Station activities.
MCAS Cherry Point strives to follow the Marine Corps mission to “promote greater investments in P2 solutions to meet environmental compliance requirements and minimize life cycle costs” by preventing pollution, protecting the environment, and conserving natural, historic, and cultural resources. Pollution prevention is a cross-cutting program that pertains to many other programs on various levels. Specific P2 requirements may apply to other environmental program areas.
Marine Corps policy requires that all Marine Corps installations and activities comply with all applicable environmental requirements, which may include Federal, state, local, Department of Defense (DoD), Department of the Navy (DON), Marine Corps, and MCAS Cherry Point rules, regulations, and requirements. Legal and other environmental requirements related to the HMPPP are maintained on the EM Portal.
A complete description of the responsibilities of the HMPPP is available on the EM Portal. Major components of the HMPPP include:
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Hazardous Materials Minimization Center implementation
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Pollution Prevention Plan maintenance
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Pollution Prevention Annual Data Summary (P2ADS) reporting
Hazardous Materials Minimization Center
A Hazardous Material Consolidation Program (HCP) was implemented to reduce HM inventory, reduce hazardous waste (HW) generation, and minimize environmental compliance costs. The program reduces the amount of HM used and HW generated by up-front control in procurement, supply, and use by employing the Marine Corps HCP policies. The Hazardous Materials Minimization Center (HAZMINCEN) controls the procurement, storage, stocking levels, and distribution of HM for Marine Aircraft Group (MAG)-14. The HAZMINCEN utilizes the Hazardous Material Management System (HMMS), a database providing inventory management which results in a reduced environmental reporting burden. This system tracks HM from cradle-to-grave.
Pollution Prevention Plan
MCAS Cherry Point has combined its Pollution Prevention Plan and its Solid Waste Management Plan into the Integrated Solid Waste and Pollution Prevention Plan (ISWPPP). The P2 portion of the ISWPPP is written in accordance with the requirements of the Marine Corps Pollution Prevention Planning Guide. The plan evaluates P2 efforts for the Air Station based on current areas of opportunity and new technologies, characterizes reductions achieved and savings due to previously implemented efforts, and defines new implementation plans to continue P2 progress.
Pollution Prevention Annual Data Summary
The P2ADS replaced both the solid waste and hazardous waste annual reports. P2ADS tracks the DON’s progress in meeting the DoD Measures of Merit (MoM) goals for solid waste and hazardous waste.
As this program plays a part in many other programs, the HMPPP Manager serves as a resource for other departments and divisions, providing guidance on P2 practices. All generators of waste should be educated to become more aware of their processes, the waste they generate, and proper disposal procedures. This awareness helps to reduce waste at the source. Waste pick-up services and landfill and transfer station operators need to be educated on the waste they are authorized to pick-up and dispose. Civilian and military personnel need to be educated on how to easily dispose of different types of waste in efforts to prevent pollution. Industrial and commercial generators need to be aware of the Air Station’s policy on P2 and implement such practices into their work procedures.
MCAS Cherry Point seeks partnerships with industries, regulators, universities, communities, and non-governmental organizations in order to share P2 technologies. Additionally, these partnerships serve to educate these organizations about P2 and compliance efforts of the Air Station.
The risk of negative environmental impacts from MCAS Cherry Point operations may be assessed by analyzing the practices that occur at the facility. Aspects are the characteristics of these practices that can cause an impact to the environment or other resources. It is Marine Corps policy that all Marine Corps installations identify and assess the environmental risk of the practices and aspects associated with each environmental program. Significant practices and/or aspects associated with this program include:
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HCP operation
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Fueling and fuel management/storage
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HM storage
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Pesticide/herbicide management and application
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Equipment operation/maintenance/disposal
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Paint booth
When necessary, objectives and targets (O&T) are developed in order to minimize the environmental risks posed by the facility’s practices and to track progress towards achieving environmental goals. Any O&Ts related to the HMPPP and their associated actions to improve performance are maintained on the EM Portal. Currently, there are no O&Ts associated with this program.
The HMPPP is evaluated under each annual internal Environmental Compliance Evaluation (ECE) and each triennial Benchmark ECE. Findings and corrective actions from these audits are maintained on the EM Portal.