Conducting an Environmental Baseline Survey in Contingency Operations

Abstract

If you have ever had the opportunity to conduct an environmental baseline survey (EBS) using strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, then you know it is a costly, time-consuming, and lengthy process to meet this federal requirement. A typical EBS at a base realignment and closure (BRAC) facility may take 12 to 18 months and cost $500,000 or more. In the private sector, when conducting real estate transactions, this activity is called a Phase 1 environmental assessment (EA), performed by a registered environmental assessor (REA). In either case, whether an EBS or EA, it is often a complex and contentious issue since thousands or more likely millions of dollars are at stake. In addition, the urgency to gain control of the property under survey further complicates the issue. The focus of this article is to provide a streamlined approach and a sample checklist for conducting an EBS during contingency operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA596728

Entities

People

  • David M. Wilkins

Organizations

  • United States Army Engineer School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Aerial Photographs
  • Army Facilities
  • Base Closures
  • Civilian Personnel
  • Contamination
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Environment
  • Environmental Assessment
  • Environmental Management
  • Information Operations
  • Inspection
  • Personnel Management
  • Photographs
  • Storage Tanks
  • Visual Inspection

Readers

  • Environmental Engineering.
  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Proposed Air Force Base Actions.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).