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Shaw prepares for environmental inspection

  • Published
  • By Sam Johnson
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  An assessment team is coming to Shaw Aug. 21-25 to check the base's environmental health. The team is part of the environmental, safety, occupational health, compliance assessment and management program.

The team is composed of Air Combat Command personnel, personnel from other installations and contractors. An external ESOHCAMP assessment requires about a week to accomplish, using a team of about 25 experienced personnel and is conducted every three years. Internal assessments are done each year by base personnel.

According to Air Force Instruction 32-7045 and Air Combat Command instruction 90-801, ESOHCAMP is a comprehensive self-evaluation and program management system for achieving, maintaining and monitoring Air Force compliance with environmental, safety and occupational health laws and regulations through the use of formalized compliance evaluations and management action plans. It is intended to be a tool to help the installation commander identify and correct deficiencies before they result in violations or enforcement actions by regulatory agencies. ESOHCAMP goes beyond the assessment to assist in identifying and implementing solutions to the specific deficiencies and in managing the environmental, safety and occupational health programs more effectively.

Air Force officials said the primary objectives of the ESOHCAMP are to improve Air Force environmental, safety and occupational health management worldwide, build supporting financial programs and budgets for ESOH compliance requirements and ensure the major commands are effectively addressing past, present and future ESOH concerns.

New and more stringent regulations have been introduced since the last external assessment for Shaw. The 20th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight is responsible for overseeing all environmental progress for Shaw. The 20th Medical Group, Bio-environmental Section is responsible for overseeing occupational health issues and the 20th Fighter Wing Safety Office for overseeing safety issues.

The environmental flight encourages personnel to take part and talk among their team members, peers and supervisors and see what they can do to help Shaw excel in its environmental procedures and practices. All personnel on base are responsible for complying with all the regulations within these programs.

Areas that require special attention are hazardous waste and materials, air emissions, solid waste management to include recycling, storage tank management, chemical hazards, material safety data sheet program deficiency and occupational health management.

The ESOHCAMP team will inspect cultural resources management, natural resources management, pesticide management, petroleum, oils and lubricants, toxic substances, waste water management and water quality.

The team will also assess how well Shaw uses its three million environmental dollars allocated to those programs.

According to the environmental flight the ESOHCAMP is everyone's business, not just the environmental flight, safety office or bio-environmental section. Good environmental stewardship and practices are a part of everyday activities, not just once every three years. It is in place to protect human health and the environment.