ESOHCAMP team to visit Yokota

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lynsie Lorenz
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  A team of inspectors will scour the base Nov. 2-6 as part of the 2009 Internal Environmental Safety Occupational and Health Compliance Assessment Management Program audit. 

During the week, the team will visit various units in the 374th Airlift Wing and tenant units throughout the base to determine whether or not they are compliant with DoD, Air Force and Government of Japan environmental laws, regulations and safety measures. 

The annual ESOHCAMP also assesses how hazardous and flammable materials are stored and disposed of on an installation. 

"ESOHCAMP is part of our responsibility to the Government of Japan to adhere to the environmental standards they have established," said Christopher Echols, 374th Mission Support Group deputy director for installation management. "It's important that we are good neighbors and partners with our Japanese hosts." 

According to Marcelo Garcia, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental engineer, the base has to balance its operational mission with protecting the environment. 

"We have to protect the environment from global warming and dispose of what we use properly," Mr. Garcia said. "We also have to protect our people and the environment while giving maximum support to the wing's mission." 

Unit environmental coordinators are key to the base's preparation for the ESOHCAMP, said Mr. Echols. 

Coordinators have access to checklists for the 13 environmental and nine safety and occupational health protocols or "areas" to be inspected. Pre-assessment conducted with coordinators have been helpful in identifying areas for added emphasis, according to Mr. Echols. 

Mr. Garcia said units should make sure they have documentation to show they are storing and disposing of hazardous materials properly. Keeping flammables stored separately from other materials is another often overlooked inspection item. 

The base has a central location, the hazardous waste storage area, for the collection of unused hazardous material and hazardous waste to be transported off base, according to Samuel Campbell, 374th CES HAZWASTE storage area manager. The base's hazardous material mart is the base's central location for issuing materials necessary to complete the wing's mission. 

"We are the liaison between Yokota and the Defense Reutilization Marketing Service, our contact officer for disposal companies," said Mr. Campbell. "We look at how the material was used, if it was used, and then how we have to actually dispose of it." 

Regular safety briefings on hazardous material processes and the wear of personal protective equipment are two ways to make environmental awareness a part of a unit's daily routine, according to Mr. Garcia. 

Mr. Echols said he looks forward to this assessment. 

"We hope that Yokota Air Base and all of our tenants will be fully compliant with 
ESOHCAMP 2009 as we prepare for ESOHCAMP 2010," he said. 

Bases conduct internal environmental assessments twice in a two-year period. Every three years headquarters elements perform external ESOHCAMPs.