Pamela L. Davis, an environmental manager with the environmental section, United States Forces-Iraq engineers, and Capt. William N. Muthiora, deputy mayor, East Camp Liberty, 116th Garrison Command, United States Division-Center, point out areas of environmental concern and discuss the results from the day’s surveys at Camp Liberty, May 16. Environmental managers work closely with the different base mayors’ offices in order to track the progress of the different sites located in their areas of responsibility. Photo by Sgt. TJ Moller

The task of surveying and clearing sites which were used by more than 160,000 U.S. service members during the height of the Iraq conflict, falls on the shoulders of 12 United States Forces-Iraq environmental managers.

Environmental managers conduct surveys to identify environmental areas of concern and ensure the environment is properly maintained as U.S. forces turn more bases over to the government of Iraq, the U.S. Department of State and Office of Security Cooperation – Iraq.

Surveying sites and ensuring that the U.S. military’s presence has minimal impact on the environment is one of the main goals of the mission, said Pamela L. Davis, an environmental manager with the environmental section, USF-I engineers.

“These professionals bridge the gap between the USF-I environmental section and the divisions and bases,” said Lt. Col. Bryce J. Taggart, deputy chief for basing, facilities and environment, USF-I engineers. “Without their expertise and presence at the divisions or bases we could not do the environmental assessments that lead to the clean closure of bases.”

As troop presence decreases, environmental base closure surveys are being conducted to ensure the designated environmental compliance officer of each site – military and civilian – is complying with the environmental policies established by USF-I and are taking steps to prepare for the turnover.

There are many areas addressed during the surveys, said James A. Terrell, an environmental manager assigned to support United States Division-Center. Areas such as fuel points and hazardous waste accumulation points are looked at closely due to the possibility of spills.

Along with conducting surveys, environmental managers also offer guidance to the environmental compliance officers on regulated waste turn-in procedures. They work closely with the base mayors offices in order to track cleanup progress at bases located in their area of responsibility.

Each site must undergo a minimum of three surveys before it can be cleared for release, said Davis. Initial, preliminary and final surveys are required and additional preliminary surveys are done if needed.

If deficiencies are found during a site survey, the environmental compliance officer and environmental manager must come up with a corrective action plan, said Davis. This plan will include a brief description of the work that needs to be done, an estimated schedule for the start and completion, the resources required and the cost associated with the project.

Documenting the condition of the environment and ensuring that environmental policies are being followed during military operations is a large task.

“It’s the responsible thing to do,” said Taggart. “Returning the bases and property used by U.S. forces to the government of Iraq in a clean and usable condition is our goal.”

“We are trying to hand over clean, safe facilities that the Iraqis can use,” said Terrell. “The bases are in good shape and there should not be any problems closing them.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. TJ Moller

A number of bombings occurred today in Iraq, in apparent response to the killing of top al Qaeda leaders earlier this week by Iraqi security forces. The NY Times is reporting the latest death toll nationwide as 58. Their report details at least nine bombs.

I had the opportunity to speak with United States Forces-Iraq Spokesman, Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza in a Bloggers’ Roundtable today. He was able to brief us on a number of security issues and the status of U.S. forces at this time.

General Lanza told us that here are currently about 96,000 American troops in Iraq. Where there were formerly three major commands, there is now one, United States Forces – Iraq.

The troops are engaged in missions supporting Iraqi border enforcement, supporting the various Provincial Reconstruction Teams, counter-terror operations and in patrolling the “belts” around Baghdad. [The "belts" are areas outside the city proper that are usually ethnically similar in population, rural with hamlets and small towns and have not seen the level of attention from the Iraqi national government or U.S. forces that the cities have seen. In the past, the "belts" provided sanctuaries for insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq.]

Lanza described the number of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) members as about 1,500 to 2,000. Nearly all of them are Iraqis and the foreign fighters and foreign financing have generally left the country. AQI, as he told us, is fractured into three factions. The ideologues, the nationalists and the opportunists are each operating their own version of AQI. With foreign money nearly cut off, funds are now being raised through kidnapping and extortion.

The Quds force, Iranian paramilitary troops, remain a big concern. Lanza described U.S. and Iraqi efforts in the eastern provinces bordering Iran as having reduced smuggling and illegal border crossing. He also told us that the Syrian border has become more tightly controlled as well.

AQI remains able to conduct terror ops as small, loosely connected cells. The General said that an AQI response to the killing of their leaders was expected. Iraqi security forces are obtaining intelligence from many more individuals which has lead to the recent successes. Lanza anticipates that these bombings will generate more intelligence and more success for the Iraqis.