b. Legal and Regulatory Responsibilities. Risk management does not convey authority to
deliberately disobey local, state, national, or HN laws and regulations. It justifies neither ignoring
regulatory restrictions and applicable standards nor bypassing risk controls required by law.
c. Environmental Benefits of Risk Management. Risk management assists commanders in
complying with environmental regulatory and legal requirements and operating within the higher
commander's intent. Risk management provides leaders a tool to do the following:
Identify applicable environmental standards, laws, and rules of engagement (ROE) that
affect the mission.
Identify alternate COAs or alternate standards that meet the intent of the law and the
operational requirements.
Identify feasible and effective control measures where specific standards do not exist.
Ensure better use of limited resources, such as training areas and ranges.
Insure the health and welfare of soldiers and other effected personnel.
Minimize or eliminate damage to natural and cultural resources.
d. Risk Management Principles. Commanders use three risk management principles as described
in FM 100-14 (3-100.14) to guide environmental-risk decision making.
Integrate risk management into mission planning, preparation, and execution.
Make risk decisions at the appropriate level in the chain of command.
Accept no unnecessary risk.
e. The Five-Step Process. The following steps identify specific environmental considerations that
the commander and staff must consider:
Step 1. Identify environmental hazards.
Step 2. Assess environmental hazards to determine the risk.
Step 3. Develop controls and make risk decisions.
Step 4. Implement the controls.
Step 5. Supervise and evaluate.
f. Knowledge of Environmental Factors. The knowledge of environmental factors is key to
planning and decision-making. With this knowledge, leaders quantify risks, detect problem areas, reduce
risk of injury or death, reduce property damage, and ensure compliance with environmental laws and
regulations.
Step 1. Identify Environmental Hazards. Commanders and staffs identify environmental
hazards during mission analysis. FM 100-14 (3-100.14) defines hazards as any actual or potential
condition that can cause injury, illness, or death to personnel; damage to or loss of equipment or property;
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