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USACE - SUSTAINABLE ENERGY Apr 18, 2023

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Nation’s Environmental Engineer As the nation’s environmental engineer, the U.S. Army Corps manages one of the largest federal environmental missions in the United States: Restoring degraded ecosystems Constructing sustainable facilities Regulating waterways and managing natural resources Cleaning up contaminated sites from past military activities The responsibility to deliver environmentally sound projects and services to our customers touches every program within the Corps: Military Programs, Civil Works and Research and Development. The scope and magnitude of environmental issues that the Corps addresses make it stand out among other federal agencies. But it is more than one agency can do on its own, it requires working in partnership with others to ensure our environmental efforts meet the needs of the American public. The Army Corps of Engineers continually partners with other federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions to find innovative solutions to challenges that affect everyone: sustainability, climate change, endangered species, environmental cleanup, ecosystem restoration and more. The Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental professionals are key resources for anyone inside or outside the Army family, wherever and whenever environmental solutions are sought. The breadth and depth of skills found within the workforce gives it the ability to seek the best solution to environmental challenges. The seven Environmental Operating Principles, or the Corps’ green ethics, are being incorporated into all Corps business lines to achieve a sustainable environment. Restoring Ecosystems The Corps works to restore degraded ecosystem structure, function and dynamic processes to a more natural condition: Through large-scale ecosystem restoration projects, such as the Everglades, the Louisiana Coastal Area, the Missouri River, and the Great Lakes By employing system-wide watershed approaches to problem solving and management for smaller ecosystem restoration projects Constructing Sustainable Facilities The Corps designs and builds sustainable communities and facilities for the Department of Defense by: Incorporating sustainable design criteria into military construction and training lands projects Developing techniques to divert military construction waste from landfills through recycling and finding reuse opportunities Minimizing the use of hazardous materials Establishing the Center for the Advancement of Sustainability Innovations, a one-stop shop for sustainable planning and design expertise. Regulating Waterways and Managing Natural Resources The Corps regulates work in the nation’s wetlands and waters, with a goal of protecting the aquatic environment while allowing responsible development. The regulatory program works to ensure no net loss of wetlands while issuing about 90,000 permits a year. With nearly 12 million acres of land and water to manage, the Corps is: Responsible for the well-being of 53 special status species Using Environmental Management Systems to integrate the Environmental Operating Principles into Corps operations to achieve waste reduction, recycling and energy efficiency goals Restoring environmental health to aquatic resources Cleanup and Protection Activities Corps environmental cleanup programs focus on reducing risk and protecting human health and the environment in a timely and cost-effective manner. The Corps manages, designs and executes a full range of cleanup and protection activities, such as: Cleaning up sites contaminated with hazardous, toxic or radioactive waste or ordnance through the Formerly Used Defense Sites program Cleaning up low-level radioactive waste from the nation’s early atomic weapons program through the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program Supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by cleaning up Superfund sites and working with its Brownfields and Urban Waters programs Supporting the Army through the Base Realignment and Closure Act program Ensuring that facilities comply with federal, state and local environmental laws Conserving cultural and natural resources Bottom Line The Corps’ goal for its environmental mission is to restore ecosystem structure and processes, manage our land, resources and construction activities in a sustainable manner, and support cleanup and protection activities efficiently and effectively, all while leaving the smallest footprint behind. Produced by Mary Cochran. Also available in high definition.

USACE - Designing Sustainable Communities Apr 18, 2023

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Jerry Zekert and Andrea Wohlfeld Kuhn are technical experts for Master Planning. They are part of the USACE team that promotes sustainability and quality of life while designing communities. Planning provides the mechanism to create better environments, coordinate like-minded initiatives, and simultaneously meet the needs of the Army and our Soldiers, Civilians, and Families. Master planning is the over-arching entity that links environmental, housing, training, installation goals, etc. together to achieve success. By creating integrated master plans, we can create a sustainable environment for those who live and work on military installations. Achieving the “Triple Bottom Line” to meet the Army’s policy on Sustainability • Foster an ethic beyond compliance • Reduce our environmental footprint • Sustain land, air, and water resources • Minimize impacts on systems, ops, facilities by integrating principles and practices of sustainability • Enhance well-being of Soldiers, Civilians, Families, communities • Use innovative technology now and for the future Read how USACE is celebrating Earth Day: http://www.usace.army.mil/Media/NewsArchive/StoryArticleView/tabid/232/Articl... Also available in high definition

USACE - Building Green Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

The mission of USACE is to provide vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy, and reduce risks from disasters. In achieving this mission, the USACE must contribute to the national welfare and serve the public by providing quality and responsive services to the Nation, the Army, and other customers in a manner that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable, and that focuses on public safety and collaborative partnerships. Key mission activities include: Development and management of the Nation’s water resources, Protection and management of the natural environment, Restoration of aquatic ecosystems, Flood risk and emergency management, and Military and civil engineering and technical services. Produced by Mary Cochran. Includes soundbites from Maj. Gen. Merdith "Bo" Temple, acting chief of engineers, David Williams, energy program manager, Phil Deffenbaugh, park ranger, Sidney Jones, landscape architect, Chris Jones, biologist, Phillip Thompson, ecologist, and Andrea Wohlfeld Kuhn, senior community planner, all of USACE. Also available in high definition.

Veterans Curation Program Apr 18, 2023

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USACE program offering jobs for veterans. Six month job opportunity designed as a transition into the civilian workforce and teaches skill sets for museum, forensics, administrative and records management fields. Produced by Mary Cochran. Includes soundbites from Dr. Michael Trimble, director, Veterans Curation Program, Jo-Ellen Darcy, assistant secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Shamus Sullivan, Marine Corps veteran, and Crystal Bryant, Navy veteran. Also available in high definition.

USACE Construction in Afghanistan Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

USACE construction in Afghanistan is supporting local education. In this video we visit a site to be an all girls school in the Qalat District. The Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team performs quality assurance inspections. Also available in high definition.

Ecosystem Restoration in the Heart of LA Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages 12,000 miles of waterways across the country. As the nation’s environmental engineer, USACE works to find a balance between human, economic and natural systems. Mary Cochran Smith takes us to the golden state where a flood control project is being transformed into an urban retreat. Also available in high definition. More information at www.spl.usace.army.mil.

ERDC Technology on the Front Lines Apr 17, 2023

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The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers laboratory organization that provides science, technology, and expertise in engineering and environmental sciences in support of our Armed Forces and the Nation. The lab has been named Army's Top Lab numerous times and the diverse team of scientists works to protect lives. This clip highlights technology that is making a difference for our war fighters.

Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick in Iwakuni Japan Apr 17, 2023

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The United States Pacific Command’s AOR (Area of Responsibility) encompasses about half of the earth’s surface. It is home to more than 50 percent of the world’s population and several of the world’s largest militaries. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is supporting a growing presence in the globally significant Asia-Pacific region. Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, USACE commanding general, toured construction at Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan. The construction and international partnership will help maintain security and stability in the Pacific region. Produced by Mary Cochran. Also available in high definition. More information at www.poj.usace.army.mil

USACE Works to Keep Tahoe Blue Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Lake Tahoe, famous for its clear, blue water, is one of America's greatest natural treasures. But for decades its water quality and clarity have been in decline. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of many agencies working to help "Keep Tahoe Blue". By restoring streams in the Tahoe watershed to their natural condition, water going into the lake will carry less sediment, helping maintain Tahoe's prized clarity. Soundbites from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Roy Ranne, Katie Huff, Stan Hill. Produced by John Prettyman. Also available in high definition.

Tybee Island Beach Renourishing and Dredge Tour Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

Workers on the dredge Alaska, owned and operated by the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company of Illinois, pump sand from off-shore of Tybee Island, Georgia, onto the beach. Under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, the company removes beach-quality sand from the ocean floor and pumps it to the beach where construction workers place the sand in the most advantageous locations to protect the dunes and property from damage caused by passing storms. The project has the additional benefit of enhancing the beach for public use. Storm protection is also known as beach renourishment. The project will run from mid-October through December 2014 (Video by George Jumara).

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