FORT BELVOIR, VA, June 16, 2005 (PRNewswire) -- Defense Supply Center Richmond's Environmental Management System received the 2005 White House Closing the Circle Award for the Department of Defense military category in a White House ceremony June 14.
The White House Office of the Federal Environmental Executive presents the awards annually. DSCR was among 11 winners selected from nearly 200 nominations in the areas of environment management systems, pollution prevention, recycling, green product purchasing, alternative fuels and sustainable building.
DSCR received special recognition for partnering with local governments and stakeholders in the development of their EMS. Increased levels of public confidence on environmental issues were attributed to DSCR's partnerships with Chesterfield County, the city of Richmond and Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality.
DSCR has been a consistent and dependable supplier of quality goods and services to those defending freedom around the world since it was activated in 1942. Designated as the aviation supply chain manager for the Defense Logistics Agency, DSCR serves within the DOD supply chain as the primary source for the almost 1.2 million repair parts and operating supply items.
While these items and parts have an extremely wide range of applications, the center's core mission is to supply products with a direct application to aviation. These include a mix of military-unique items supporting more than 1,300 major weapons systems and other items readily available in the commercial market.
According to Jimmy Parrish, DSCR EMS manager, the Richmond Center has proven that environmental management systems can help provide the structure for the federal facility and its community to jointly address joint and mutual environmental challenges.
"One of the most commonly recognized benefits of DSCR's EMS has been the positive interaction between stakeholders and local governments," Parrish said. "Through hands-on involvement by stakeholders in the EMS development process, we have had many successes related to overall management, environmental compliance and mission performance."
Jean Shorett, DLA EMS manager, agreed. "DSCR is setting an example that is being noticed and used across DOD and the federal system," she said. While complying with the presidential executive order calling for EMS to be established, DSCR actively solicited, considered and integrated the concerns of stakeholders in building its ongoing, successful EMS.
"DSCR's outreach beyond installation's fence line resulted in a partnership known as the Virginia Regional Environmental Management System," Parrish said. "In the initial phase, stakeholders included the city of Richmond, Chesterfield County where DSCR resides and the Department of Environmental Quality, the commonwealth's environmental regulatory agency."
Through proven success and word of mouth, this effective partnership has since voluntarily grown to include new members: Fort Lee, Fort A.P. Hill, the Virginia Army National Guard, Marine Base Quantico, the city of Hopewell, the city of Portsmouth, Henrico county, the Greater Richmond Planning Commission, the Crater Regional Planning Commission, the Port of Richmond, EPA Region III, Honeywell, Tyson Foods and DuPont.
As the first program of its kind in the nation, the Virginia Regional Environmental Management System joins all levels of government and private sector to participate in coordinated activities to implement an EMS for each entity. It enables the groups to team together to address individual group, regional missions and environmental performance.
Throughout the EMS development process, DSCR's program partners have identified and successfully managed both individual and joint environmental responsibilities. They are able to work together to prevent new environmental security risks and significantly strengthen their lines of communication with each other and their stakeholders.
Partners have also identified and are addressing stakeholder priority issues such as water, waste, air quality, natural resource impacts, encroachments and growth. This proactive approach to identifying and managing these impacts not only benefits the environment, but also DOD agencies which need to ensure impacts do not disrupt mission performance.
Among the program's other achievements, participation in the routine DSCR recycling program was increased with an estimated 85% of white paper and 70% of cardboard being recycled. The solid-waste diversion rate for fiscal 2003 was 42% (up from 27% in fiscal 2002) with almost 1,800 tons of materials recycled. Total revenue generated during fiscal 2003 was almost $55,000. Total cost avoidance for fiscal 2003, which includes money saved on solid-waste disposal costs and recycling revenue, was about $340,000.
The Virginia Regional Environmental Management System initiative, according to Parrish, has shown that a multi-jurisdictional partnership of federal, state, county, city and private entities could use the EMS process to positively affect stakeholder relationships, local and regional environmental performance and mission outcome. He said the process followed by DSCR and its partners could be replicated at other federal or DOD facilities and other public groups.
DSCR, a DLA field activity, is the inventory control point for nearly 700,000 supply items in over 200 commodity classes for aviation weapon systems and environmental logistics support, with annual sales exceeding $1 billion. DLA provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the U.S. military services and several federal civilian agencies. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., the agency is the one source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations. More information about DLA is available at http://www.dla.mil/.
For the full list of 2005 Closing the Circle Award winners, see: www.ofee.gov/ctcpr05.pdf.
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