GF-EV Compliance
Air Quality
Clean air is essential for public health, maintaining quality of life, and to operate and sustain Marine Corps installations. Pollution emitted into the atmosphere negatively affects air quality and can limit the ability of Marine Corps installations to conduct training in support of the military mission. Air quality at Marine Corps installations is affected by geography, weather conditions, and pollution sources on and off the installation. Marine Corps installations typically have many air emission sources (e.g., boilers, generators, vehicles, equipment, painting, and de-painting activities) that are subject to regulations.
The Clean Air Act was established to protect the quality of our Nation’s air resources and promote public health and quality of life. This Act and a combination of federal, state, and local implementing regulations improve air quality and prevent air pollution by establishing air emissions standards and controls.
HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Hazardous Waste Management: Many Marine Corps activities rely upon the use of hazardous materials (HM) and result in the generation of Hazardous Wastes (HW). Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) defines HW and establishes requirements for their management and minimization. Facilities that generate, transport, treat, store, or dispose of HW must obtain identification numbers from EPA. Such facilities are classified as “large quantity generators” or “small quantity generators” depending upon the amount of HW generated. All HW generators, unless exempted, must treat, store, or dispose of their HW at permitted facilities. Any facility generating more than specified amounts of HW or acutely HW (as defined by RCRA) must certify that it has a program to minimize waste generation. Marine Corps installations should have a HW minimization program as part of the Pollution Prevention (P2) Program. The Federal Facilities Compliance Act requires that federal facilities comply with all provisions of HW laws and regulations, and directs EPA, in consultation with DoD, to issue regulations on the application of the RCRA to military munitions. The Land Disposal Program Flexibility Act of 1996 exempts HW from RCRA regulations if it is treated to a point where it is no longer hazardous and then disposed of in a regulated industrial wastewater treatment facility, municipal sewage treatment plant, or is treated in a “zero discharge” facility.
Integrated Solid Waste Management: Per DoDI 4715.23, solid waste is garbage, refuse, sludge, and other discarded materials not excluded by federal law or regulations. Per OUSD (E) Memorandum of 16 March 2020, the DoD is committed to an Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) approach that effectively manages solid waste generation, reduction, diversion, and disposal while maintaining compliance with federal and DoD requirements. DoD’s ISWM approach involves examining the solid waste stream and current market opportunities to cost effectively minimize waste disposal. DoD has adopted the following solid waste management hierarchy: 1) source reduction, 2) sustainable procurement, 3) reuse, 4) donation, 5) recycling, 6) composting, and 7) waste-to-energy before incineration or landfilling.
To demonstrate a commitment to ISWM, DoD supports waste diversion, promotes reduction in waste generation, optimizes cost avoidance, and minimize environmental impacts from solid waste disposal.
Drinking Water
Drinking (or potable) water is a critical resource for Marine Corps installations and surrounding communities. The quality of drinking water drawn from surface and ground water sources depends on geography, local soil properties, and the effects of human activity. Contaminants of potential concern include microbial, inorganic, organic, and radioactive materials in source waters, and lead, copper, and disinfection byproducts in water distribution systems.
The Safe Drinking Water Act regulates the quality of drinking water provided by Marine Corps installations and other public water suppliers to protect consumers from harmful contaminants. Water conservation requirements are also applicable.
WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Maintenance of the environmental quality of surface and underground water resources is necessary to sustain their uses for drinking water supplies, aquatic and wildlife support, and recreational purposes. Water quality can be impacted by human activities. Primary sources of pollution include wastewater discharges, stormwater discharges, and stormwater runoff.
Water quality programs eliminate or mitigate impacts on our water resources. Primary legislative drivers for water quality programs at Marine Corps installations are the Clean Water Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and their associated implementing regulations.
Storage Tanks
Storage tanks are widely used to store petroleum products, hazardous substances (HS), and hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. Storage tanks include both underground and aboveground tanks. An underground storage tanks is one or combination of tanks that is used to contain an accumulation of regulated substances, and the volume of which (including the volume of connected underground pipes) is 10 percent or more beneath the surface of the ground. Regulated aboveground storage tanks are generally defined as bulk storage containers or oil-filled operational equipment, located on or above the surface of the ground, and have a capacity of 55-gallons or greater.
Storage tank design and operation are subject to Federal, state, and local regulations, manufacturer’s specifications, and industry standards. Generally, any type of storage tank must comply with Federal regulations; however, state and local interpretations may be more restrictive.
TOXICS (ASBESTOS, LEAD AND RADON)
Asbestos: Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are strong, extremely durable, and highly resistant to heat and most chemicals. In the past, asbestos was used extensively for thermal, acoustical, and decorative purposes, and is commonly found in boiler and pipe insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, appliances, and brake linings. Airborne asbestos fibers present a substantial health hazard, as the fibers can be inhaled and become lodged in lung tissue, where they cause scarring and inflammation, and can lead to various diseases, including lung cancer. Buildings constructed or remodeled between 1945 and 1978 are likely to contain asbestos.
Asbestos is regulated under several Federal statutes and State-level implementing regulations. Many state and local government asbestos standards are more stringent than the federal standards.
Lead: Lead is a naturally occurring metal that can cause serious health problems when ingested or inhaled. Although lead can be found in many environments, lead exposure is most common from human activities. Lead is used in batteries, radiation shielding, plumbing, and ammunition. Prior to 1996, lead compounds were commonly used in gasoline for cars. Prior to 1978, most paints had a high/unhealthy concentration of lead; buildings constructed or remodeled before 1978 are still likely to contain lead paint. Health/safety measures minimize exposure from lead in buildings, and environmental programs help cleanup and mitigate harmful levels of lead left from human activities at Marine Corps installations.
Radon: Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, radioactive, and carcinogenic gas resulting from uranium degradation in the earth. It may be found in indoor air and drinking water, especially when the water supply source is ground water. The Marine Corps follows the Navy Radon Assessment and Mitigation Program and sets an action level for radon at 4 pCi/L.