DoD surrenders to EPA on sustainability

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Below is the EPA media release.

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EPA and DoD sign memorandum of understanding to make military bases more sustainable

EPA and DoD enter partnership to make military bases more sustainable

Today U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator, Paul Anastas, and Department of Defense (DoD) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, Dorothy Robyn signed an agreement that formalizes the partnership between EPA and DoD to develop and implement technologies that will help create sustainable American military bases all over the world.

Under this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development and the Department of Defense on Science and Technology to Support Resilient and Sustainable Military Bases, EPA will continue to collaborate with DoD in developing innovative technologies to help DoD create sustainable and resilient military bases across the country and overseas. The cutting-edge research of EPA scientists and engineers will be used to develop tools and technologies that will aid DoD in achieving its vision of sustainability, as outlined in the DoD Strategy Sustainability Performance Plan.

This MOU underscores this Administration’s commitment to reducing overlap and fostering collaboration among federal agencies. In addition to enabling the sharing of resources, this agreement provides an opportunity for EPA to use DoD’s military bases as test beds for tools, models and technologies that can then be shared more broadly in communities across the country.

Creating more sustainable military bases helps create healthier communities and a stronger economy. Reaching goals of sustainability in any community requires a holistic approach that addresses energy and water use while at the same time reducing waste. Instituting this sustainable approach will effectively manage costs and also shift the focus from how to clean up hazardous areas to how to prevent future environmental problems.