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Program Summary

    The Environmental Compliance program began in 1989 as a result of Secretary of Defense, Richard B. Cheney's call for the Department of Defense to become the federal leader in agency environmental compliance and protection. In 1990, Headquarters established an environmental compliance program and a network of Environmental Compliance Coordinators (ECC's).

    It is the Corps' policy to comply with all applicable Federal, state, and local laws and regulations at all Corps facilities and associated lands (including outgrants). The purpose of the Environmental Compliance Program is to assure that Corps facilities meet environmental standards, support and promote pollution prevention while continually improving stewardship of natural and cultural resources.

    The network of ECC's are formally designated at all Major Subordinate Commands, Districts, and projects. Annual environmental compliance assessments are completed at each facility to identify, maintain, and monitor compliance. The program is completed on a five-year cycle. External assessments are conducted every 5 years to provide an outside perspective of a facility's environmental compliance status. Internal assessments are conducted every year, with the exception of the year of the external assessment. Environmental compliance assessments in combination with environmentally sensitive day-to-day operations are used as a means of attaining, sustaining, and monitoring compliance.

    Timeline
    1989 Secretary of Defense Richard B. Cheney called on the Department of Defense to be the "Federal leader in agency environmental compliance and protection."
    1990 Headquarters established an environmental compliance program and a network of Environmental Compliance Coordinators (ECC's).
    1991 Environmental Compliance Branch in HQ established.
    1992 HQ steering committee initiated for program oversight and direction.
    1995 Performance measures for environmental compliance developed in response to Government Performance Results Act of 1993.
    1996 USACE Facilities Environmental Compliance Guidance Letter No. 5 for environmental compliance assessments published to provide interim guidance for conducting assessments. Environmental Compliance Policies published in ER & EP 200-2-3.
    1999 Environmental Compliance component of Operations and Maintenance Business Information Link (OMBIL) deployed. Environmental Compliance Task Force established to develop ECC training standards.
    2002 USACE Environmental Operating Principles issued
    2003 USACE Environmental Management System Policy Memorandum issued.EC Pages on the NRM Gateway launched.

    Correspondence
    Date Issuing Office Subject
    Memorandums
    21 Nov 1990 CELD-ZA USACE Environmental Program
    No Date CECW-ON Environmental Review Guide for Operations (ERGO)
    2 Mar 1992 CECW-OA USACE Facilities Environmental Compliance
    15 May 1992 CECW-OA Environmental Compliance at USACE Projects
    11 Aug 1999 CECW-OA OMBIL Compliance
    21 Sept 1999 CECW-OA Environmental Compliance Training Task Force
    7 Aug 2000 CECW-O Use of OMBIL
    12 May 2000 CECW-OA Environmental Management Systems Task Force
    25 Apr 2008 CECW-CO-N Documenting Environmental Management System Corrective Actions
    Guidance Letter
    4 Apr 1996 CECW-OA USACE Facilities Environmental Compliance Letter #7, Environmental Compliance Coordinators
    ER 200-2-3
    30 Oct 1996 USACE Environmental Quality - Environmental Compliance Policies

 

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Updated July 2008