The Department of Defense announced the 2023 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards winners, including one for the elimination of hexavalent chromium in military processes.
The left photo is an example of a current system cadmium/Cr6+ connector. The right photo is a connector which uses black zinc nickel as a possible alternative coating.The award for the “Environmental Excellence in Weapon Systems Acquisition” went to the Acquisition and Logistics-Heavy Metals Working Group in Washington, DC, which promulgated a new Army Acquisition Executive policy — Elimination of Hexavalent Chromium in Army Acquisition and Sustainment — to reduce and/or eliminate the use of hexavalent chromium in weapon systems and maintenance processes.
The awards recognize installations, teams, and individuals for their accomplishments in innovative and cost-effective environmental management strategies supporting mission readiness.
“Through its strong environmental programs, the department ensures the accessibility and long-term viability of its ranges and installations while safeguarding service members, their families, and neighboring communities in the U.S. and overseas,” says Brendan Owens, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations, and environment.
The award to the Acquisition and Logistics-Heavy Metals Working Group detailed their work:
Three magnesium housings coated with Tagnite, an alternative pretreatment to the legacy Cr6+ conversion coatings. It is not only a safer alternative but it also provides superior corrosion protection over the legacy process.Industry, DoD, and the U.S. Army have a history of incorporating hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) into weapon systems and associated repair processes due to its excellent corrosion resistance properties. Cr6+ is an excellent corrosion inhibitor that increases platform life expectancy under the harshest environmental conditions. However, Cr6+ is a known human carcinogen, and there are challenges with its long-term use due to the substance’s toxicity to humans and the environment. In 2018, the Army created a Heavy Metals Working Group (HMWG) to address long-standing heavy metals life-cycle issues. In January 2021, in response to HMWG Cr6+ issues related to equipment, parts, and repair processes, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) (ASA(ALT)) Environmental Support Office established an Acquisition and Logistics-Heavy Metals Working Group.
Examples of corrosion during ground vehicle parts inspections. The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities and Development Command researching Cr6+ ground vehicle product alternatives must work closely with the corrosion office to ensure that proposed replacement products effectively protect the equipment and soldiers in all environments.
Major Accomplishments in FY 2021-2022
- The Acquisition and Logistics-Heavy Metals Working Group promulgated a new Army Acquisition Executive policy to reduce and/or eliminate the use of Cr6+ in weapon systems and maintenance processes. The ASA(ALT) signed the policy, Elimination of Hexavalent Chromium in Army Acquisition and Sustainment, in March 2022. Understanding that there may not be a qualified alternative for every part by the elimination dates, the policy includes a structured waiver process. All waivers must be coordinated through Life Cycle Management Command before being routed for approval through the appropriate acquisition offices for sustainment community awareness. This approach ensures that sustainment processes with Cr6+ maintain environmental compliance and health protection procedures to protect field and depot soldiers and civilians.
- The Working Group implemented a process that clearly codes all system and spare parts with national stock number (NSN) designations for non-heavy metal and heavy metal-containing items. An NSN does not discriminate between chromated and non-chromated parts. The Working Group ensured that Cr6+ and Cr6+-free products with the same military specifications do not share the same NSN. Team members identified NSNs that included both Cr6+ and Cr6+-free products and then worked closely with Defense Logistics Agency personnel to create separate NSNs for Cr6+- free products.
- The Working Group researched and identified alternatives for heavy metal-containing items such as coatings, adhesives, primer, and pre-treatments and shared successes and setbacks across the Army.
- The Working Group qualified Cr6+-free alternative products and processes on current systems and implemented these at the depot and field level repair operations. These efforts result in an immediate reduction of Army civilian and soldier exposure to Cr6+.
- The Working Group revised Army Regulation 750-1, Army Material Maintenance Policy, and associated Department of the Army Pamphlets to expand the definition of field maintenance to include damage repair and corrosion prevention. This step ensures that Cr6+ and other heavy metals policies are applicable to all maintenance activities from depot to field level. These efforts ensure that potential Cr6+ worker exposure is clearly documented throughout the depot repair process.
Each year since 1962, the Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards have honored service members and civilians across DOD. The nominees’ achievements include significant strides to conserve our nation’s natural and cultural resources; protect human health; prevent or eliminate pollution at the source; clean up hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants, and munitions on DOD sites; and incorporate environmental requirements into weapon systems acquisition. DOD also leverages technology to develop innovative solutions to address existing and emerging human health and environmental challenges.
A diverse panel of 54 judges from federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector evaluated nominations from DOD Components to determine the winners.
In 2023, DOD selected the following eight winners from a total of 26 nominees:
- Natural Resources Conservation, Large Installation: Camp Ripley, Minnesota Army National Guard — Repaired more than 500 acres of maneuver damage in the past two years and maintained more than 1,000 acres of grasslands used for military training. This work was conducted with the seed collected on the installation.
- Environmental Quality, Industrial Installation: Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island, Florida — Collaborated with the base operating contractor to improve off-spec JP-5 management. Under new procedures, JP-5 recycled on-site has been determined not to be a waste stream, streamlining handling and management requirements. Process improvements saved $117,000 in the fiscal year 2022, an increased annual savings of $45,000 over FY21.
- Environmental Quality, Overseas Installation: Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea — Published a Hazardous Materials Management Program and Hazard Communication Execute Order that directed a full review of all hazardous materials, hazardous material-using processes, and all HAZCOM programs. As a result, Osan Air Base accounted for 100% of all 6,000 hazardous materials and disposed of 40,000 pounds of expired or unnecessary hazardous materials.
- Sustainability, Non-Industrial Installation: Kadena Air Base, Japan — Contracted a private energy company to implement a four-part Energy Savings Performance Contract to boost the installation’s mission-critical energy resiliency. This project will generate more than $153 million in guaranteed cost savings over the performance period. The keystone of the $85.7 million project is a new generator and microgrid utility system, enabling the Air Base to sustain operations and meet critical mission requirements effectively during utility disruptions.
- Sustainability, Individual/Team: 366th Environmental Management Team, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho — Overcame immediate water challenges derived from a rapid decline in its regional aquifer by employing mitigation measures, including utilizing 89 million gallons of reused water from the base wastewater treatment plant for irrigation use and aquifer recharge. The base also secured a 14-mile water pipeline project that will further reduce aquifer withdrawal.
- Environmental Restoration, Installation: Naval Base Point Loma, California — Completed corrective action at underground storage tank 105, where there was a release from a former 7,500-gallon diesel fuel UST near San Diego Bay, ending ongoing investigations since 1995. The corrective action consisted of injecting micron-scale activated carbon into saturated soil to serve as a permeable barrier to protect ecological receptors from petroleum migrating toward the bay.
- Cultural Resources Management, Small Installation: Iowa Army National Guard —Restored Camp Dodge’s Works Progress Administration-built limestone perimeter fence and gatehouse. Camp Dodge’s Cultural Resources Management program reused stone from the existing fence to rebuild damaged stone pillars; mixed new grout to have the same look as the original materials; and replaced fence light fixtures with historic-looking fixtures that imitated the appearance of gas lights.
- Cultural Resources Management, Individual/Team: Cultural Resources Office Team, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida — Improved Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range mission readiness by establishing partnerships, consultation parameters, and standard operating procedures to assess effects on cultural resources and ensure National Historic Preservation Act compliance. The SOPs saved an estimated $40 million expenditure during an EGTTR fiber-optic cable project.
For more information on the 2023 winners, visit https://www.denix.osd.mil/awards/2023secdef. Additional Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards program information, including past winners, can be found at: www.denix.osd.mil/awards.
