Sustainability Division

U.S. Department of Defense P2 Partnership

History

In late 1997, the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P2AD) was approached by the U.S. Air Force’s Regional Environmental Office to see if we would be interested in forming a pollution prevention partnership with the Air Force. P² was very interested in this proposal, and suggested that the other military services be contacted to assess their interest as well. In Georgia, the military bases and installations represent one of the state’s largest “industrial” sectors and also one of its greatest economic resources. Collectively, they are the state’s largest employer, and also the state’s largest waste generator. All of these facts made the partnership an attractive one to P². Partnerships between state government and Department of Defense (DoD) facilities have been developed in Georgia and several other states as a result of a DoD proclamation that advances pollution prevention (P2) as the main tool to achieve environmental compliance.

After several preliminary meetings, the Georgia Department of Defense Pollution Prevention Partnership (Partnership) was established under a April 1, 1998 charter among the Region IV U.S. Department of Defense Regional Environmental Coordinator (REC), each military service REC, representatives of the military installations and commands located in Georgia, EPA Region 4, and P². The objective of the Partnership is to enhance military mission readiness, promote effective utilization of resources and to strengthen environmental stewardship in the state of Georgia.

Vision

The Partnership’s shared vision and purpose is to create a working partnership between Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Georgia National Guard installations and commands located in Georgia; EPA Region 4; and P² which recognizes and promotes pollution prevention as the standard way of conducting business in Georgia. The Partnership intends to develop and implement model P2 initiatives, build trust between the military installations and the state government, and refine business practices that focus on P2. Specific military installations participating include Moody and Robins AFB; Dobbins ARB; the Marine Corps Logistics Base; Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base; the Naval Supply Corps School; Naval Air Station; Lockheed Martin/Plant #6; Corps of Engineers; Air and Army National Guard and Reserves; and Army Forts Benning, McPherson, Gillem, Gordon, and Stewart.

Goals

  • Identify and promote P2 alternatives that enhance military mission readiness, maintain and exceed regulatory and compliance requirements, reduce demand and use of resources, and reduce the generation of pollutants;
  • Institutionalize P2 into all military activities;
  • Share successful P2 implementation, establish reduction goals, and use the GA P2AD Pollution Prevention Partners Program (P3) as a tool to benchmark P2 alternatives;
  • Prioritize P2 opportunities and document cost savings from waste reduction;
  • Promote inter-service and private sector technology transfer;
  • Develop outreach programs that promote good relations between the military and surrounding communities.

Structure

The Partnership is guided by a Steering Committee, which is made up of the DoD REC for Region IV, the Assistant Director of P², the other three DoD RECs, and a representative from U.S. EPA. Most of the Partnership participants also have at least one designated representative to one or more of four Work Teams. These Teams are the working level of the partnership; each has specific, on-going projects. Learn more about the Partnership’s four work teams by following these links: Solid Waste & Recycling, Source Reduction, and Regulatory Integration. The Teams each determine their own meeting schedule, although each generally meets quarterly. The entire Partnership meets in a plenary session twice per calendar year. Each plenary meeting provides guest speakers of interest, an update of the work teams’ activities, opportunities for networking, and a tour of the host base’s pollution prevention operations.

Military Forum

In mid-1999, Partnership participants were asked to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Partnership from their point of view. A number of different strengths were names, including the positive image projected by the Partnership, the efficient spread of P2 ideas through the structure of the Partnership, and the benefits of information sharing among the different services. Weaknesses identified included a lack of resources and time for participation in the Partnership, staff turnover at bases, and limited command support. To help increase command support and knowledge about the Partnership, a Georgia Military Leadership Forum was held in September 1999. Attendees included installation commanders and their environmental support staff, Partnership Work Team co-chairs, the RECs, and environmental staff from the GA Environmental Protection Division. A survey after the event indicated that commanders thought the forum increased their awareness of P2 and the Partnership.

Regional Partnership Efforts

Also in 1999, North Carolina’s Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, the Waste Reduction Resource Center, and the South Carolina Institute of Public Affairs joined together with P² to obtain EPA funding through the national P2Rx program. This grant was designed to fund initial organization of a regional DoD P2 Partnership with all the states in EPA Region 4. See the Regional DoD P2 Partnership page for more information on the activities of this regional effort.

More Information

For more information on pollution prevention activities at military bases, see our series of fact sheets, or visit the Defense Environmental Network Information Exchange (DENIX) website at http://www.denix.osd.mil.

Join the regional pollution prevention DoD Partnership listserve to network with other military and state personnel interested in P2.

See the Regional Partnership page for the Regional DoD P2 Best Management Practices Guide

New presentation on the updates to the NPDES construction stormwater permits (PPT, 181KB)

Partnership plenary session minutes from November 2000

Links to environmental and P2 information for military installations