Chapter 4

Environmental Awareness

Protection of natural resources is an ever-increasing Army concern. It is the responsibility of all unit leaders to decrease, and if possible, eliminate damage to the environment when conducting training, operations other than war, and (as appropriate) during combat. Instructors should reconnoiter potential driving course sites to make sure vehicle maneuver minimizes damages to vegetation and waterways. This chapter focuses on the importance of  environmental awareness and  resource responsibilities in Stryker maneuver areas.

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT

4-1.        Environmental risk management consists of the following steps.

Identify Hazards

4-2.        Identify potential sources for environmental degradation during analysis of mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, civil considerations (METT-TC) factors. This requires identification of environmental hazards. An environmental hazard is a condition with the potential for polluting air, soil, or water, and destroying significant natural or cultural resources.

Assess Hazards

4-3.        Analyze potential severity of environmental degradation using environmental risk assessment matrixes (Figure 4-1). Severity of environmental degradation must be considered when determining the potential effect of an operation on the environment. The risk impact value is defined as an indicator of the severity of environmental degradation. Quantify the risk to the environment resulting from the operation as extremely high, medium, or low. Any environmental risk impact value should be determined conservatively. Consult with the environmental office for other local requirements relating to wildlife and natural vegetation.

Make Environmental Risk Decisions

4-4.        Make decisions by analyzing the environmental risk assessment matrix. Determine if alternate actions will better protect the environment while still accomplishing the mission. Determine if the mission needs to be adjusted by the commander.

Brief Chain of Command

4-5.        Brief the chain of command (including the installation environmental office [if applicable]) on proposed plans and pertinent high-risk environmental matrixes. Risk decisions are made at a level of command that corresponds to the degree of risk. Gather the appropriate land-use and digging permits.

Implement Controls

4-6.        Implement environmental protection measures by integrating them into plans, orders, packing lists, SOPs, training performance standards, and rehearsals.

Supervise

4-7.        Supervise and enforce environmental protection standards.

 

Environmental Risk Assessment Matrix

4-8.        The following steps describe how to develop an environmental risk assessment matrix:

l        Complete an Environmental Risk Assessment Worksheet for each environmental area requiring assessment. For example, the top section of the example worksheet (Figure 4-1) addresses the environmental area of water pollution.

(1)    In the column labeled Unit Operations, list every operation or major task Soldiers will perform during training.

(2)    Under Risk Impact, rate each unit operation or major task on a 0-5 scale. Rate "0" as causing minimal risk impact on the environment, and "5" if major environmental impact is expected. In Figure 4-1, the appropriate rating for each unit operation has been highlighted in gray.

l        Complete the Overall Risk Assessment Form (see example middle Figure 4-1).

(1)    List all the environmental areas (such as water pollution) in the first column.

(2)    List all unit operations in the next columns, saving the last column for a total risk rating of each environmental area.

(3)    Copy from the Environmental Risk Assessment Worksheet into this form section the assessed risk impact rating for each environmental area. For example, in Figure 4-1, Movement of Heavy Vehicles/Supplies, was rated a "5" on the worksheet for water pollution. That rating has been copied into the Overall Risk Assessment Form where the environmental area Water Pollution intersects with the unit operation Movement of Heavy Vehicles/Systems.

(4)    Add all the risk impact ratings for each environmental area and write that number in the last column labeled Risk Rating. The total risk rating for Water Pollution is 12.

(5)    After the risk rating for each environmental area has been computed, add all the risk ratings to get an overall rating. In the worksheet example, the overall rating for training is 43.

4-9.        Compare the overall rating with the point totals in the Risk Categories section of the assessment form (see example bottom Figure 4-1). If the risk assessment score applied to the matrix falls into the low or medium risk categories, Stryker training can proceed with minimal environmental risk. If risk category is "high" or "extremely high," the environmental assessor's chain of command should be notified.

 

Figure 4-1. Environmental risk assessment worksheet (example).