INTRODUCTION
Even when a product is lying dormant in a pipeline or storage tank, there is the possibility of a spill occurring.
The costs involved in petroleum spills are high: revenues lost from a valuable resource and containment,
cleanup, disposal, and restoration costs. Spills contaminate the soil and water, resulting in the loss of
seafood and fowl. Spills also pollute beaches, lakes, and rivers causing lost revenues from recreational
facilities. Both the federal and state authorities can levy fines against the individual or company which
causes the spill.
PART A - COMMUNICATION OF GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS TO
SUBORDINATES
Each mission has, in some way, an impact on the surrounding environment. The environmental impact
considerations for each mission should be weighed and considered, when possible, in every situation.
When training subordinates identify the environmental impact of a mission, the following elements should
always be present in training standards:
Identify hazards to the environment during mission analysis. Environmental hazards are conditions that
have the potential to pollute the air, soil, water, and/or degrade natural/cultural resources.
Assess probability of environmental damage/violations using risk-assessment matrices.
Make decisions and develop measures to reduce high risks.
Implement environmental measures by integrating them into plans, orders, SOPs, training performance
standards, and rehearsals.
Supervise and enforce environmental standards and train to the standard.
The most important technique for training subordinates to identify environmental risks and possible impact is
to make them think like they are in their house, and it is their health, land, and water at stake.
Getting subordinates to see the relevance and importance of good environmental ethics is crucial. Not
only is the identification of environmental risks and their potential impact important, but also equally
important are the consequences of noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations. The importance
of protecting the environment can be stressed by discussing the consequences of environmental degradation
and the benefits of environmental protection.
Consequences of Environmental Degradation. Consequences of environmental degradation
include the following:
The loss of historical sites, vegetation, water resources, and wildlife.
Diminished quality of available realistic training areas.
Diminished operational security.
Ineffective tactical operations.
The creation of safety hazards to personnel and equipment.
An increase in training, maintenance costs, and litigation.
Benefits of Environmental Protection. There are many benefits of environmental protection:
Enhances combat readiness.
Ensures mission completion.
Conserves the fighting strength.
Protects the environment.
Reduces the Army's and nation's current and future cost for environmental restoration.
Consequences of NonCompliance With Environmental Laws and Regulations. An
excellent way to communicate the consequences of noncompliance to subordinates is to explain, in general,
that noncompliance under the FFCA (Federal Facilities Compliance Act) can empower federal and state
regulatory agencies to impose fines on federal agencies (including the Army) for Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) violations. Penalties and intervention can take any of the following forms:
Damage awards.
Intervention from the EPA and other federal, state, and regional agencies.
An increase in monitoring from federal agencies.
QM 5097
5-2
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