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 a. Federal and State Regulatory Inspections. Regulatory agencies have the legal right and
responsibility to inspect units and facilities to ensure compliance with environmental laws and
regulations. These agencies usually coordinate inspections through the environmental office of the
installation. These agencies may conduct inspections without prior notice. The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and Federal Facilities Compliance Act (FFCA) set inspection frequency guidelines,
usually once a year. Inspections in other programs may occur at different frequencies. Installations or
units with specific major problems can expect frequent follow-up inspections, which may include checks
of training records and documentation, reviews of permits, and inspections of storage facilities.
b. Environmental Compliance Assessment System. Many environmental regulations require self-
regulation, which requires the installation to monitor its own programs and notify the regulatory agency
if problems occur. The Army established the ECAS as a means of achieving, maintaining, and
monitoring compliance with the applicable environmental laws. The Army also uses compliance
assessments as a vehicle to attain environmental-program goals. The Army conducts internal compliance
assessments for its installations (which review all the aspects of the installation environmental status).
Units participate in the assessments.
3-3. Supporting the Company Environmental Program. A company environmental program should
ensure that all personnel have environmental-awareness training and a designated environmental
compliance officer (ECO). The ECO should be properly trained and qualified. The company should
have an SOP that addresses environmental issues and procedures. Leaders should meet with key higher
unit staff counterparts and installation personnel who handle the environmental issues. It is the leaders'
responsibility to determine the requirements of the company concerning environmental training,
qualifications, certification of unit personnel, and any common environmental problem areas or ECAS
inspections that may affect the unit. Company leaders should meet with installation personnel and higher
unit staff to establish these requirements. The following are unit or installation environmental programs
that units develop or adopt.
a. Hazardous-Material Management. The Army's objective is to minimize health hazards and
environmental damage caused by the use and misuse of HM. HM is one that, because of its quantity,
concentration, physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may--
Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious,
irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illnesses.
Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or to the environment when
improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.
Below are examples of what platoon leaders should do when their platoon handles HM. A complete list
may be found in FM 3-100.4, Chapter 6.
Ensure the best management practices for all HM.
Comply with all the applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.
Order and use only what HM is required; do not stockpile HM.
Conserve resources through recovery, recycling, and reuse.
3-2
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