Environmental Health Service - About Us

About Us

1. Environmental Quality. The Environmental Health (EH) Service plays a major role in the installation’s effort to protect the natural environment. The goal of the service is to minimize the adverse environmental impacts and protect the community health with minimum impairment of the Army’s mission or readiness. The service has several distinct and critical program areas.
   1. Wastewater Management. The objective of this program is to monitor the performance of pollution abatement facilities by conducting frequent visits during routine operations. The overall objective is to dispose of Army waterborne wastes in a manner that protects water resources from contamination and preserves the public health.
   2. Air Pollution Control. The DA objective is to reduce pollutant emissions from Army stationary and mobile sources to the lowest practicable limit to protect health and ensure compliance with appropriate Federal, State, and local regulations. Environmental health personnel may be called to assist in evaluating proposed and existing stationary and/or regulated sources of air pollution to ensure that they do not present a potential for adverse health effects.
   3. Solid Waste Management. The installation's management of solid wastes, including the stages of segregation, storage, transportation, and disposal and/or sale is monitored by EH. Community complaints are evaluated and health and welfare recommendations are made to the facilities engineer.
   4. Hazardous Waste Management. Monitor the management of Army hazardous waste to ensure compliance with appropriate Federal, State, and DA regulations in a manner that permits maximum recovery and protects health and the environment. Provide technical assistance regarding potential health effects for identifying unknown waste and for selecting and/or evaluating storage, treatment, and disposal methods. Assist installation in preparing permits for hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities; in reviewing permits for health-related implications; and in providing guidance on the operation of hazardous waste facilities in conformance with regulatory requirements and in a manner protective of health and environment. Assist and advise HW generators on ways to reduce the amount of waste.
   5. Regulated Medical Waste. The objective is to manage healthcare facility wastes in a manner that protects health and the environment and ensures compliance with appropriate Federal, State, and DA regulations. EH personnel monitor the identification, segregation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of infectious waste.
   6. Environmental Noise. Control noise from Army sources in a manner that protects community health and welfare without impairing mission or readiness. Specific environmental noise criteria for continuous noise sources are contained in TM 5-803-2/AFM 19-IO/NAVFAC P-970. Army policy on land use-planning where high noise areas adjacent to Army installations is contained in AR 200-1 and AR 210-20. Installation EH personnel monitor Army operations and activities to ensure compliance with Army and regulatory agency standards. EH can also be called upon to provide technical assistance concerning noise abatement, procedures, and controls.
2. Environmental Sanitation. Environmental health technicians conduct routine and special surveys of public-use facilities where potential public health hazards exist including food service facilities, housing (with contractor coordination) , recreational facilities, child development centers (CDCs), CONUS dependent schools, barber and beauty shops, medical treatment facilities, confinement facilities and detention cells, and field training facilities.
   1. Water Quality Management. Water quality surveillance is conducted under AR 420-46 and TB MED 576. The program monitors the installations compliance with the Safe drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986 and the guidelines set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
   2. Field Water Supply Program. Field water supplies refer to water systems of a nonpermanent nature used in training exercises and actual operations. The water may be transported from point of production to point of use in temporary conduits or unprotected portable containers. The provision of and sanitary control of potable water in the field is of significant importance to the well-being and morale of all concerned. Sanitary control of field water supplies will be according to AR 700-136, FM 10-52, FM 21-10/AFM 161-10, and TB MED 575.
   3. Swimming Pools. Sanitary control and operation of Army swimming pools and swimming areas will be under AR 420-46, TM 5-662, and TB MED 575. Installation EH personnel assist the installation commander in the sanitary control of swimming facilities. They also maintain current information that includes engineering plans, type, location, size, maximum bather load, and operating hours for all swimming facilities. EH personnel provide training for lifeguards and applicable facilities engineer personnel in the sanitary operation and monitoring of swimming facilities. Perform annual preseason and/or preopening inspections of swimming facilities in conjunction with the installation engineer, morale support officer, and safety officer to identify and correct any deficiencies before operations begin. Inspect, on a periodic basis, to ensure that proper operation and monitoring is being performed under TB MED 575.
   4. Troop Housing Sanitation. Inspections of troop or family housing units will be done only with prior notification and permission of the owning unit or contractor. Important health and sanitation considerations concerning bachelor officer quarters and bachelor enlisted quarters housing include provision of adequate floor space, temperature control, lighting, ventilation, humidity control, and adequacy of latrine and hand washing facilities. Responsibilities, procedures, and considerations for peacetime investigations and selection of proposed Army installation sites are contained in AR 210-30. Policies, responsibilities, and procedures for development and approval of permanent Army installation master plans are contained in AR 210-20.
   5. Barber and Beauty Shop Sanitation. Sanitary requirements and guidance for barber and beauty shops are detailed in AR 40-5 appendix D.
   6. Child Development Services Facilities. Guidance relative to the sanitary requirements for CDS facilities is in AR 608-10. Environmental sanitation inspections will be conducted monthly for center-based CDS facilities. For quarters-based family child care homes, see AR 608-10.
   7. Sports Facility Sanitation. EH inspections focus on environmental considerations concerning Army sports facilities including prevention of infections due to contamination of equipment, towels, clothing, and other common use items, and provision of adequate facilities and housekeeping. Common use items are checked to insure they are being disinfected with an approved fungicide spray and air dried thoroughly. Towels and issued athletic clothing must be laundered before being reissued. Inspections will also include checking the disinfection of whirlpool baths, steam cabinets, and other therapy-type equipment, showers and locker room floors and benches.
   8. Confinement facilities. EH personnel follow the sanitary inspection requirements for Army detention and confinement facilities outlined in AR 190--38 and AR 190-47. The IMA provides support to carry out the requirements. Particular attention is given to providing adequate floor space, temperature control, ventilation, and housekeeping in detention cells, isolation rooms, prisoner dormitories, dining facilities, and other common use areas.
   9. Food Service Sanitation. Food service facilities are of great concern to the EH section. EH personnel inspect facilities routinely based on a risk assessment that is performed on all facilities located on the installation. The attainment of quality food service is paramount at all levels of command. Food is easily contaminated and will readily support the growth of many disease producing microorganisms. The essential elements to be implemented for the food service sanitation program are in TB MED 530. Additional guidance on expedient methods for field food service operations is presented in FM 8-250 and FM 21-10/AFM 161-10. Veterinary personnel will conduct necessary sanitary inspections described in AR 40--657/NA VSUPINST 4355.4/AFR 161-32/MCO PIOIIO.31 and other inspections related to veterinary aspects of procurement, processing, storage, shipment, receipt, and distribution of food.
   10. Field Preventive Medicine. EH personnel play a role in training soldiers in the importance of Disease and Non-Battle Injuries. Preventable injuries are covered such as heat and cold injuries and ways soldiers can avoid diseases they may come in contact with.
3. Chemical Agent Related Incidents. The EH service plays an integral role on the Special Medical Augmentation Reaction Team (SMART). Duties range from team sustainment and planning to agent identification and consultative activities.
4. Medical Technical Design Review. Reviewing facility design criteria for new construction, repair, or modernization projects for sanitation and environmental implications.