Integrated Facility Environmental Management Approaches: Lessons from Industry for Department of Defense Facilities

Integrated facilitywide environmental management approaches examine environmental issues across an entire facility, looking at potential interrelationships and then implementing holistic actions that minimize the total environmental impact. These approaches span across the boundaries of traditional environmental regulation on media and issues (e.g., air, water, land, hazardous waste, species). They not only examine various industrial, commercial, residential, natural resource, facility support, and other environmental sources on a facility but also the different processes, products, and business units.

Many innovative approaches to facilitywide environmental management are emerging in the private sector. Commercial facilities have found that such activities make good business sense, with benefits that include cost savings and improved operational flexibility.

DoD installations have also begun implementing and benefiting from such approaches. These facilitywide policies seek to adjust environmentally relevant processes in ways that enhance DoD's ability to pursue its core military mission while continuing to be an environmentally responsible public agency and setting a good example for others in the government and private sector. Like many of its commercial counterparts, DoD has had difficulty implementing its proactive policies in ways that affect decisions made throughout the organization. Leading commercial firms can offer DoD useful insights about how they have successfully implemented such integrated approaches to facility environmental management.

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