ESOHCAMP team gives Altus high marks

  • Published
  • By Michael Fletcher
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing
ALTUS AFB, Okla. --  Air Education and Training Command's Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Compliance Assessment and Management Program team spent last week evaluating the health of Altus Air Force Base.
 
Team members visited 177 facilities, reviewed more than 550 documents and conducted 320 personal interviews. More than 90 percent of all personnel interviewed were familiar with the Altus AFB ESOH policies and their individual ESOH responsibilities. 

"To sum it up, all areas received a healthy rating, except for ESOH plans which was rated as needing a check-up," said Mike Reyes, 97th Civil Engineering Squadron pollution prevention program manager "The overall assessment of Altus AFB's program is "healthy." 

The base had 15 major and 20 minor findings of which only one is required to be fixed within 60 days, ranging from changing a hazardous waste storage policy to rewriting some regulations to reflect actual practices. 

"Only one finding in toxics reflects your relatively low vulnerability," said ESOHCAMP Team Chief, Karen Winnie. 

Positive findings by the team - areas to be networked to other bases - include applying for "permit exempt" status under the new Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality air quality regulation; improved abrasive cleaning systems that eliminate fugitive air emissions; spill response plan painted on spill kits; and the backflow prevention management program, which was judged exemplary by the team. 

The ESOHCAMP team gave certificates of recognition to five positive performers: Refuse/Recycling Team (Willie Belles and Atlantic Coast Contracting Support Team), Hazardous Waste (Bill Lazenby), Air (Chuck Butchee), Refrigerant Management Team (Tim Condon, Tech. Sgt. Chad Driever, Bron Howard), and the ESOHMS Team (Mike Reyes, Michael Matthews and Staff Sgt. Nathan Burger).
 
The base must complete a Management Action Plan by Dec. 25 and submit a final report to AETC by Feb. 23. An internal ESOHCAMP self-inspection is slated for November 2007. 

Corrective actions will focus on deficiencies that have regulatory interest and fixing the problem, not just the symptom. 

The Air Force initiated this type of inspection in 1988 and the results of this year's inspection is the best that Altus AFB has ever achieved, said Dan Staton, chief, Environmental Flight.