Ellsworth first base to enter environmental program Published Nov. 3, 2006 By 2nd Lt. Lauren Wright 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. (AFPN) -- Ellsworth Air Force Base has become the first Air Force-owned installation to accept membership into the Environmental Protection Agency's Performance Track program. During a special ceremony Oct. 31, Robert Roberts, EPA regional administrator, in presenting Ellsworth officials with Performance Track membership, said Ellsworth deserves the satisfaction of knowing it is doing the right thing, investing in environmental quality for their children and grandchildren. Performance Track is a voluntary partnership program that recognizes and rewards facilities that consistently exceed regulatory requirements, work closely with their communities and excel in protecting the environment and public. To qualify, facilities must adopt and implement an environmental management system, demonstrate specific past environmental achievements, record sustained compliance with environmental requirements, commit to continued environmental improvement and commit to public outreach and performance reporting. "Ellsworth Air Force Base has long been an environmental leader in the community and in the Air Force," said Col. Drew Wright, deputy director of installations and mission support at Air Combat Command. "The EPA Performance Track program is a good fit for Ellsworth and Air Combat Command." Membership benefits include opportunities for crosstalk and mentoring relationships aimed at improving processes and reducing waste. Other incentives include flexible permit scheduling, reduced self-reporting and low priority status for routine inspections. Less time spent on permits is expected to translate into more time spent on the mission. Environmental leaders on base anticipate that these rewards will enhance mission capabilities while continuing to promote the record of sustained compliance. Some of those include energy use and waste management. The base reduced total energy use by 47 percent from 2003 and 2006, 17 percent beyond the goal established by the Department of Defense. Ellsworth officials have reduced also total non-hazardous waste generated by teaming with a local recycling facility to increase the non-hazardous waste diversion rate by 44 percent over two years. "The philosophy of Performance Track is nothing new to Ellsworth," said Col. Jeffry Smith, 28th Bomb Wing commander. "(The Ellsworth environmental flight) has led the way on many initiatives and has a great history of compliance, but we have set some high expectations." Ellsworth is no stranger to cooperative environmental efforts, either. After working with EPA to determine how Performance Track could work for the Air Force, ACC environmental quality branch selected Ellsworth to be the first Air Force installation to apply for program membership because of its record of sustained compliance with EPA standards and other environmental achievements. Together, ACC environmental quality and Ellsworth personnel created a strong application for membership, which was filed in September. "The Air Force and EPA partnership is one that we look to grow," Colonel Wright said. The partnership was strengthened when members of the environmental quality branch at ACC researched Performance Track and initiated a relationship with the EPA to determine how it could be applied to the Air Force. Some of Ellsworth's recent success has been recognized by ACC and other governmental agencies. In 2006, Ellsworth was named the ACC Outstanding Environmental Flight and Ellsworth also was recognized by the United States Department of Energy for energy efficiency and management during the Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. While Ellsworth is the first Air Force-owned installation to earn membership, it is the fifth South Dakota facility to join Performance Track, which includes more than 400 members nationwide. Three other Department of Defense installations are currently Performance Track members. Since the program's creation five years ago, members have conserved more than 9,000 acres of land and 1.9 billion gallons of water. Performance Track facilities also focus on opportunities for continuous improvement. As a member, Ellsworth officials plan to continue to significantly reduce the use of hazardous materials, including eliminating the use of photochemicals to develop x-ray images by converting all x-ray processes to a digital imaging method. Additionally, the base initiated a program that will reduce waste generation by reducing the disposal of shop rags by 50 percent. Instead of disposing of shop rags, a system will wash out and capture hazardous components from rags for filtration and reuse. Base officials also plan to reduce installation energy consumption by 12 percent by incorporating efficiencies in facility design and real-property activities. Finally, they plan to reduce use of a particular hydraulic fluid by 50 percent by recycling fluid contaminated by water and particulates. Ellsworth's commitment to pollution prevention initiatives that decrease waste generation and reduce hazardous materials use exemplifies excellence in Air Force environmental stewardship, Colonel Wright said. Ellsworth officials now will work with ACC and the EPA on the commitments and incentives in Performance Track to provide other installations with a roadmap to success.