Photo By Roland Balik | The 436th Maintenance Squadron Munitions Flight uses the deformer to demilitarize...... read more read more
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DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – The 436th Civil Engineer Squadron hosted the first Integrated Solid Waste Program Management Review at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, May 8-9, 2024.
Qualified Recycling Program managers from the East Region came to Dover AFB to hear what other regional bases are doing regarding recycling and solid waste management.
“This meeting here was to share lessons learned and knowledge across local bases in the region so that we can highlight what Dover’s recycling program has done and accomplished the past couple of years,” said Joe Kowalski, 436th CES chief of environmental compliance.
The primary duties of a program manager encompass the comprehensive management of non-hazardous solid waste that includes waste disposal and diversion while complying with regulatory compliance and diversion requirements set by the Department of Defense, local and federal levels.
Yet, not all bases within the East region have similar solid waste and recycling processes and programs.
“This meeting with other installations and the Joint Base Langley-Eustis Installation Support Section is in fact the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s great oversight and guidance role to our Civil Engineer units,” said Kowalski. “They have a lot of great standards that CE units need to adhere to, provide continuity and standard operating procedures.”
Each individual in attendance shared their best practices and program specifics.
“There are a couple of big areas I’m very interested in,” said Kristen Lynch, AFCEC Integrated Solid Waste subject matter expert. “We do a semi-annual data call because we have metrics that are issued by the Department of Defense that we have to meet for recycling and solid waste diversion.”
Keeping costs to a minimum for proper disposal, the DoD’s goal for non-hazardous solid waste is to divert 50 percent by fiscal year 2025 and 75 percent by fiscal year 2030 from incineration and landfilling.
“Last year [2023], we threw away [trash] that went to local landfills, 733 tons worth of material,” said Ken Riley, 436th CES Qualified Recycling Program manager. “We did divert 812 tons away from landfills.”
On Dover AFB, newspaper, paper and cardboard are the only federally mandated materials required to be recycled, accounting for 25 percent of all recyclable materials leaving the base.
Riley was quick to point out that “additional efforts by the QRP program to recycle metals, wood and other materials resulted in $65,000 in profit for 2023.”
One piece of equipment that was showcased during the visit was the brass deformer.
“All of the other installations do not have a brass deformer,” said Riley. “After seeing ours, and understanding the economics of it, they are looking to purchase their own.”
The deformer demilitarizes, small caliber brass and aluminum munition cartridges which are then sold to a contractor. Proceeds from previous sales have paid for the deformer and is now turning a profit to fund other Dover initiatives.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2024 15:42 |
| Story ID: | 476959 |
| Location: | DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DELAWARE, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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