Articles

Andersen improves at this year's ESOHCAMP

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  • By the 36th Contingency Response Group
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  Last week, Team Andersen underwent an Environment, Safety, Occupational Health Compliance Assessment and Management Program base-wide event. 

"The assessment went outstanding this year with a total of 52 findings, one of which was positive," said Lt. Col. Keith Albrecht, ESOHCAMP team chief and 36th Contingency Response Group deputy commander. "While 52 findings may seem like a large number, when placed in perspective over the last four years, this is 71 fewer than last year and 118 fewer than 2003." 

Overall, Team Andersen has been on a downward trend of findings since 2003, reducing the number by approximately 20 per year. 

"This year's phenomenal improvement can be dedicated to the efforts Team Andersen has placed over the last year in preparing for the UCI last May, a compliance inspection evaluating many of the same areas the ESOHCAMP assessed over the past week," Colonel Albrecht said. 

Environmental areas from air emissions and cultural resources to water quality were assessed as were safety and occupational health areas from personal protective equipment to sanitation and ergonomics. 

"The assessment team provided a thorough scrub of base agencies and provided the wing commander an accurate and valuable picture of the current status of ESOH issues here on Andersen," the colonel said. "All agencies on base were subject to the environmental assessment, but contractors were not assessed on safety or occupational health." 

The outbrief to wing leadership Monday completed the first of many milestones the base will be required to meet over the next two years, according to Russ Grossley of the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental flight. "After the justification of findings and management action plan are complete, the base must have 50 percent of the findings from this ESOHCAMP closed by Oct. 1 with an 85 percent closure rate by Dec. 1. Meeting these timelines will be key to helping the base prepare for next year's assessment by PACAF." 

The majority of findings came in the area of hazardous materials and waste management and dealt primarily with documentation, according to Colonel Albrecht.
"The good news is most of these were minor findings and can be easily closed," he said. "Of the 52 findings there were no significant findings, only 14 major, 33 minor, four management practices and one positive finding. 

"The different levels of findings can be described by how possible and probable an impact they will have on the environment or safety," he explained. "An area having a high possibility of impact on an area with a corresponding high level of probability of occurrence would be significant. An area with a high possibility but a lower probability would be major and as the possibility and probability go down so would the level of the finding. Unique to this inspection is the area of positive findings where an individual or organization is rated as meeting and exceeding the compliance requirements." 

This year, three people were identified as professional performers. While not classified as a positive finding, these individuals were identified by their assessors as going above and beyond others assessed in their areas. 

Airman 1st Class Stacy Duffee, 36th CES, was identified for her efforts in the POL and storage tank management area, Ray Stiers was identified for his efforts in the cultural and natural resources area and Grossley was identified for his efforts in the pollution prevention area. 

If you have questions about the ESOHCAMP assessment, contact your unit's environmental coordinator.