Environmental Management System

The Utah Army National Guard (UTARNG) has established and will maintain an Environmental Management System (eMS). The UTARNG's eMS provides for continuous improvement of its environmental performance using a plan, do, check, and act model. The eMS documents organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining environmental programs at UTARNG.

This eMS Manual describes the UTARNG's programs for environmental management and for conducting environmental management system audits. Implementing the programs in this document will fulfill the direction provided in the Environmental Policy (Section 2). This eMS is intended to comply with the standards promulgated by the international Organization for Standardization (ISO). Wording, definitions, requirements, expectations, and specifications from these references appear throughout this eMS Manual in an effort to improve consistency on conformance.

The Utah National Guard EMS Program‘s objective is to help units, facilities and soldiers maintain conformance with ISO 14001 Standards and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Some of the primary areas include:

  • Air Quality
  • Community Right to Know
  • Hazardous Materials and Waste Compliance
  • Noise
  • Pest Management
  • Recycling
  • EMS Significant Environmental Aspects and Impacts

Air Quality

Air Quality is a major issue in the State of Utah, particularly for counties along the Wasatch Front where air quality is a significant public health concern. The US EPA designated Salt Lake and Utah Counties non-attainment for PM10 (particulate matter, 10 micrometers or less) and Cache, Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Tooele, Salt Lake, and Utah counties as non-attainment for PM2.5 (particulate matter, 2.5 micrometers or less). In addition the US EPA designated Salt Lake County as non-attainment area for Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). Salt Lake and Utah Counties are maintenance areas of Ozone (O3).

The Utah National Guard (UTNG) is committed to complying with all federal and state environmental Air quality laws and regulations pertaining to air quality. Because many of our larger facilities are located in Salt Lake and Utah Counties, designated as non-attainment areas or maintenance areas, we take proactive measures to reduce emissions and comply with the law.

Community Right To Know/Emergency Planning

In line with its responsibilities under the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), UTARNG facilities which store more than 10,000 pounds of a hazardous substance (e.g., diesel fuel or gasoline) during a year or a lower threshold for certain extremely hazardous substances, annually report to their Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the state emergency response commission (SERC). In addition, Camp Williams annually reports releases of lead, a persistent biological toxin (PBT) (resulting from weapons training on Camp Williams training ranges), on the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) to the EPA. Storage of hazardous substances reported under EPCRA, like other hazardous substances which are not reported, is in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Recently, the UTARNG began using enhanced performance rounds (EPR) available for several different weapons which should significantly reduce TRI releases in future years.

Hazardous Materials/Waste Management

The UTARNG strives to maximize safety of its workers and its neighbors as well as minimize damage to the environment by properly procuring, handling, storing, transporting, and disposing of hazardous materials and wastes. The UTARNG hazardous material/waste management program consists of the following elements:

1) Material substitution of more hazardous materials with less hazardous materials (e.g., chlorinated solvents with solvents based on petroleum distillates) [Too.FMS_Stor.02 (Inland Technology solvent at Tooele FMS)].

2) Process modifications (e.g., cleaning parts with an aqueous-based parts washer instead of a solvent- based one) (AmF.FMS_P2.02 (Better Engineering jet pressure parts washer at American Fork FMS);

3) Waste stream segregation;

4) Inventory control;

5) Hazardous material recycling (e.g., using recycling solvent vats or sending used oil or antifreeze out for recycling instead of disposal) (Too.FMS_Stor.02; CpW.UTE_P2.04 (antifreeze and motor oil collection points at Camp Williams UTES);

6) Good housekeeping;

7) Proper storage practices (CpW.FM_Sto.01 (flammable storage cabinets at Camp Williams DPW Tickville shop).

Noise

The UTARNG has implemented a Noise Management Plan and incorporated Operational Controls to reduce the impacts associated with aircraft flights and Firing Range Operations.

Pesticide Management

All UTARNG pest management operations are in accordance with the UTARNG pest management plan [CpW.FM_Oth.01 (Pesticide tank at the Camp Williams DPW)] and are in accordance with DoD pest management regulations and all other local, state, and federal regulations. The UTARNG plan encourages personnel to use Integrated Pest Management methods which minimize the use of chemical pesticides. UTARNG personnel may use self-help pesticides (certain designated low risk chemicals) for their own personal areas. All other applications are conducted by certified pesticide applicators.

Recycling

The UTARNG currently diverts over 50% of non-hazardous solid waste from the landfill, including:

  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Scrap Metal

EMS Aspects and Impacts

The UTNG has identified and ranked Aspects and Impacts in accordance with the ISO 14001 Standards and has concluded that the three Significant Environmental Aspects are:

  • Noise
  • Non-Hazardous Solid Waste
  • Energy

Each SEI has associated Targets and Objectives to continually improve the UTARNG's EMS