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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom

Battle Ready Environmental Warriors:
Challenges, Combat and Catalyst for Change
BREW C4

















An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action:
Operation Enduring Freedom




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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
In February 1991, the tiny country of Kuwait in the Middle East experienced an environmental
disaster unlike any the world had ever seen, and it was no accident. In a deliberate act of war,
invading soldiers from the country of Iraq damaged, destroyed, and ignited hundreds of oil wells
in desert oil fields throughout Kuwait. The Kuwaiti oil fires had a disastrous impact on the
people and wildlife of Kuwait, the economy, and the land, sea, and air of the entire region.
Almost 15 years later, much of the physical and environmental damage remains, and scientists
are still tracking pollution levels and health histories of people in the regions that surrounded
the fires.
-Kristine Herschmann,
The Kuwaiti Oil Fires

War. What is it good for? Edwin Starr


The impact of armed conflict on the environment has been acknowledged for many years and was
formally addressed by the United Nations in the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other
Hostile Use of Environmental Modifications Technique (ENMOD). The enormity of this impact became
visibly apparent to the worlds population during the first Gulf War, when Iraq released enormous
quantities of oil into the Persian Gulf (McLaren & Willmore, 2003).
To address the impacts from intentional environmental destruction during war, the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) developed guidelines for military manuals and instructions on the
protection of the environment during times of armed conflict; paragraph 702 of these guideline states
Damage which is not militarily necessary may not be inflicted. Also included in these guidelines, is the
tenet environmental agreements and customary law may continue to apply (Henckaerts, 2000).
According to Gasser (1995) a group of experts convened by the Canadian Ministry of External
Affairs in Ottawa, July 1992 made the point rules of general (peacetime) law protecting the natural
environment remain applicable during armed conflict (p. 639).
Protecting the environment from acts of war, e.g. wanton destruction, is addressed by several
international laws and protocols, as well as by the rules and principles of International Humanitarian Law
(Bouvier, 1991). It is the day-to-day operations, activities and maintenance, the human and material
footprint from deployments of troops which are causing an adverse environmental impact (Waleij &
Lijedahl, 2009).
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Environmental damage during war or armed conflict is inevitable. This fact makes policies and
programs designed to minimize the amount of damage incurred during contingency operations of
considerable importance.

The Issue
Allied Forces in Afghanistan, as well as the businesses and organizations, who work to support
them, face significant challenges in the effort to implement existing environmental policies and programs.

Basic Facts
Afghanistan is an immense, land-locked country approximately the size of Texas with a population
of around 24 million. It is a land of massive mountain ranges and remote valleys in the north and east and
near desert-like conditions on the plains to the south and west (Center of Military History, 2004). The
following statistics were collected by the United Nations Environment Programme (2009):
Up to 80% of Afghans are directly dependent on natural resources for income and sustenance.
Agriculture provides livelihoods for more than 60% of the population.
Approximately 75% of Afghanistan is vulnerable to desertification.
Some 85-90% of the countrys water is taken from surface sources and 10-15% from below the
ground.

Background
The war in Afghanistan, known as Operation Enduring Freedom, began October 7, 2001 as a joint
US-UK mission in response to the Sept 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
The Bonn Agreement of 5 December 2001 requested the United Nations to authorize the
development of a security force to assist in maintaining security in Kabul and its surrounding areas. On 20
December 2001, the UN Security Council approved the first resolution authorizing the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF). This military presence is now considered a peacekeeping mission.
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
According to NATO (2011) ISAFs key priorities in Afghanistan are:
Protect the Afghan people;
Build the capacity of the Afghan Security Forces so they can take lead responsibility for security
in their own country;
Counter the insurgency; and
Enable the delivery of stronger governance and development.
NATO-ISAF consists of 48 troop contributing nations and 28 Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)















Photo credit: http://www.isaf.nato.int/images/stories/File/Placemats/PLACEMAT.MARCH%2004..pdf

Economics
Military base closure is a lengthy and expensive process. Environmental cleanup requirements for
domestic military base closure are detailed, specific and must comply with numerous environmental laws,
including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response,

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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA),
as well as state environmental statutes (Myers, 2010).
A significant disparity exists between the requirements for domestic base closures and base
closures overseas. The existing Department of Defense (DoD) overseas remediation policy is not nearly
as strict as that required by domestic law (Lindsey-Poland & Morgan, 1998). According to Lindsey-
Poland et al., only the absolute minimum of environmental restoration at overseas bases is implemented.
Even so, environmental cleanup costs abroad are more than initially anticipated. In 1992 the federal
government planned to spend $1 billion on environmental remediation for overseas base closure, but later
research determined the cost of cleaning up Germany alone would exceed $3 billion (Myers, 2010).
Regardless of the difference between regulatory requirements abroad, failing to effectively remove
environmental contaminates from overseas bases can cause significant impact on our ability to maintain
constructive relations with foreign countries and further damage the United States reputation abroad.

Security
The debate concerning if the continual decline in environmental conditions will lead to an increase
in violent conflict has created significant controversy (Gleditsch, 1998). In the sense of a peacekeeping
mission, a large body of academic literature and case studies has shown that failing to provide for the
environmental needs of the citizens in a war-torn society will only make the (peacekeeping) task more
difficult (Conca & Wallace, 2009). In fact, Conca et al., maintain that shared environmental challenges
may create opportunities for peace building and that cooperative sharing of environmental knowledge can
be a useful tool to build the citizens confidence in the military presence.
According to the ISAF Commanders Counterinsurgency Guidance Document (ISAF, 2009) the
Afghan people will decide who wins the fight and their answer will be based on rational choices on who
can better protect them, provide for their needs, respect their dignity and their community, and offer
opportunities for the future. As an example, consider the following:
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
An ISAF unit in a relatively tolerant area had a difficult time maneuvering large vehicles along a
road because it was lined with fruit trees. To improve mobility, the unit had the trees cut down.
Many people in the village had their livelihoods destroyed. IEDs began appearing along the road
shortly thereafter. (p. 2)

Health
The current health of troops contributes directly to the security of the operation, while the potential
health impacts related to environmental practices will impact future liabilities.
U.S. military operations in Afghanistan generate about 10 pounds of solid waste per soldier (Navy,
Army, Marine Corps and Air Force) per day; this figure does not include other Department of Defense
components or contractors (GAO, 2010). To avoid public health risks and other problems this waste
(plastic, Styrofoam, food scraps, discarded electronics, shipping materials, appliances, mattresses,
clothing, tires, metal containers, treated wood, batteries, etc) must be handled expeditiously. To
accomplish this task, wide spread use of burn pits have been employed since the beginning of United
States military presence in Afghanistan since 2001 (Kurera, 2010).
Open pit burning contributes to particle pollution and the EPA has identified several health
problems associated with particulate exposure, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, difficulty
breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, development of chronic bronchitis, irregular
heartbeat, nonfatal heart attacks and premature death in people with heart or lung disease (GAO, 2010).
Not only is the use of burn pits for waste disposal expressly prohibited by the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA, 2006), it is also addressed by the U.S DoD Overseas Environmental Baseline
Guidance Document, 5715.5-G (2007) in Chapter 7on Solid Waste Where burning is the method,
incinerators meeting air quality requirements of Chapter 2, Air Emissions, will be used (p. 94).
The use of burn pits is noted by various DOD guidance documents, standard operating procedures
and policies; however none of these documents explicitly prohibit the use of burn pits. Instead these
documents provide instructions on when, where and how burn pits can be used. Although these same
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
documents include directions such as, in the United States Department of the Army, MED 593 (2006)
only using open burning in emergency situations, (p. 7), DoD Instruction 4715.19 (2011) burn pits
should be a short-term solution during contingency operations where no other alternative is feasible, (p.
2) and DoD Guidance 4715.05-G (2007) open burning will not be the regular method of solid waste
disposal, (p.94) as of August 2010 U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported there were 251 active
burn pits in Afghanistan (GAO, 2010).

Vision Statement
Battle Ready Environmental Warriors: Challenges, Combat and Catalyst for Change
(BREWC4) seeks to overcome the challenges preventing the implementation of existing environmental
policies, resulting in improved environmental protection, healthier troops, and increased local confidence
in the mission of NATO-ISAF.

Identified Stakeholders
International Security Assistance Force
- Commander ISAF
- Deputy Commander ISAF
- Chief of Staff ISAF
- Deputy Chief of Staff Operations ISAF
- ISJ Commander, ISAF Joint Command
- ISAF Regional Commander, Southwest
- ISAF Regional Commander, Capital
- ISAF Regional Commander, North
- ISAF Regional Commander, West
- ISAF Regional Commander, South
- ISAF Regional Commander, East
Armed Forces
- Division Commanders
- Brigade Commanders
- Battalion Commanders
- Company Commanders
- Platoon Commanders
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
- Squad Commanders
- NCOs and enlisted
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Disposition Services
- Disposal Region CENTCOM
Afghanistan National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA)
- Director General
- Head of Division of International Environmental Affair
- United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Coordinator
- UNDP Environmental Officer
Representatives from each defense contractor in theatre
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
- Regional and Provincial Field Offices
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
- Post Conflict and Disaster Management Branch, Kabul, Afghanistan
The World Bank Group
- Afghanistan, Projects & Programs Country Director
Various Universities throughout Afghanistan
- American University of Afghanistan
- Kabul University
- Ghazni University
- Balkh University
- Polytechnical University of Kabul
Nongovernmental Wildlife Conservation Society
Society for Afghanistan Volunteer Environmentalists (SAVE)
Getting Started
BREWC4s first task will be to determine what is preventing the implementation of existing
policies and programs designed for environmental protection. This task will be determined through
literature and field research, surveys and shareholder feedback.
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Obtaining commitment, funding and resources will be addressed through education and
demonstrating the advantages to the mission objectives as well as performing an accurate waste
management cost benefits analysis.
Once the project has reached the stage for implementation, it will be conducted as a roll out
beginning with one location and adding additional sites in a prescribed fashion. Several factors will be
taken into consideration in determining the order and timing of site rollouts, including logistics, mission
requirements, and largest potential impact.
Implementing the project in this manner will allow for lessons learned initially to be put into action
at each subsequent site, as well as maximizing the use of expert technical resources.
A representative task force of shareholders will be assigned full time to complete the initial stages
of the project, including identification of the obstacles, challenges and barriers preventing the
implementation of existing policies and procedures and the options to overcome these challenges. This
task force will meet quarterly to evaluate the progress of implementation. A representative from each site
will be required on the task force, along with technical experts, and regional representatives.
A project implementation team of technical experts will conduct the initial site rollouts, awareness
training and development of shareholder teams at each location. Targets and deadlines for each site will
be established with weekly reporting requirements. Weekly site status reports will be submitted to the
regional representatives. Monthly reports will be compiled by the region representatives and submitted to
all members of the task force.
The task force will generate a quarterly status report and copies will be provided to all
shareholders.
Adjustments will be made to all aspects of the program based on success of rollouts and includes
the addition of shareholders. Resources can be reallocated to areas or sites where participation is low.
Success stories from each site will be shared and published; information sharing, self reporting and
shareholder feedback will be encouraged. Results of this information and feedback will be considered
during the quarterly task force meetings and changes to the program made, as needed.
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Additional changes to structure and or reporting may also be required, depending upon the results
of implementation and rollout.

Materials/Data Needed
Troop and contractor surveys
Feasibility studies for alternative methods of waste disposal, to include source reduction, minimization
and recycling
Cost benefit analysis on waste management alternatives to include avoided future costs of potential health
effects
The number and type of local alternatives available, i.e. landfills, incinerators, recycling facilities, etc. are
needed
Full waste stream analysis (military and contractors)
Improved contractor oversight
Air and water quality baseline studies and monitoring
Health studies on burn pit exposure
Possible Outcomes
Two basic potential outcomes of this project can be predicted, negative or positive acceptance.
Positive
Top ISAF Command recognizes the value, both to the environment and to the mission objectives
and dedicates resources to ensuring the success of the project. Top command commitment is visible and
active involvement is demonstrated.
Negative
If commitment from top commanders is not visible and sincere, the chances of getting lower ranks
to participate will diminish with each level of command. This in of itself will lead to failure of the entire
project.
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Measuring Acceptance
Commitment from the top down will be determined by emphasis given to attendance to meetings,
participation and feedback of shareholders, resources allocated, and interest/enthusiasm generated at all
levels. Top ISAF and CENTCOM Commanders attendance to initial base town hall meetings will be one
method of measuring top command commitment to the project overall.

Project Targets
Barriers to implementing existing environmental policies and programs identified by 07-31- 2011
Options to overcome barriers identified and prioritized by 09-31-2011
Amount of waste per soldier reduced by 20% by 12-31-2011, as measured per site.
Amount of waste per soldier reduced by 40% by 06-30-2012, as measured per site.
50% reduction in respiratory illness reported by troops measured by visits with medical staff while
deployed in Afghanistan
Number of active burn pits in Afghanistan reduced by 25% by 12-31-2011
Number of active burn pits in Afghanistan reduced by 50% by 06-31-2012
Number of active burn pits in Afghanistan reduced by 75% by 12-31-2012
All active burn pits are in compliance with CENTCOM Regulation 200-2 by 12-31-2011, as
demonstrated by DCMA inspection reports and shareholder feedback.





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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Identified Objectives/Plans
Assess
Objective 1 Open & effective communication between all military, civilian contractors and
Afghan stakeholders
Methods Solicit English speaking volunteers from Military Units to interpret and hire a local
interpreter

Monthly NATO-ISAF/contractor stakeholder meetings (location specific)

Quarterly NATO-ISAF/contractor Task Force meetings (representatives from each
location, contractor, technical experts, and regional representatives)

Any reports or documents generated by BREWC4 will be made available in each
stakeholders native tongue
Predictions Some amount of information will be lost in translation
Participation from non-English speaking troops may be weak, at best.
Logistics of military action and transport between bases may limit attendance at the
quarterly meetings
Measures Percentage of non-English speaking troops participation
Participation and attendance at site specific stakeholder meetings
Participation and attendance at quarterly meetings
Consensus and willingness to compromise among shareholders
Uncertainties Sustained military/political support
Funding
Design
BREWC4 is designed to initially involve military and contractor personnel who work and live on military
instillations in Afghanistan. Open communication is needed to identify the reasons current policy and
programs are not being implemented. The involvement of a diverse group of individuals will provide
different perspectives and ideas on how to overcome these challenges.
In the later stages of the project, BREWC4 plans to involve local and government officials, including
respected professors from the various universities. This involvement will allow for the transfer of
knowledge and past experience concerning environmental stewardship and protection.
Monitor
Details of troop involvement during awareness, training and community meetings will be kept. Each
individual situation will determine how these numbers are verified.
Site specific stakeholder meetings will be conducted on a monthly basis and attendance will be kept by
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
using a sign in sheet. All stakeholders will be encouraged to participate.
Task Force meetings will be held on a quarterly basis and attendance will be kept documented in the
meeting minutes (responsibility for taking meeting minutes will be assigned). Ability to compromise
among this group will also be captured in the minutes.
Evaluate
Participation from English speaking troops and non English speaking troops will be compared.
Attendance to stakeholder meetings vs. number of identified stakeholder groups will be examined.
Task Force members are the SMEs assigned to the project along with an appointed representative from
each site (larger sites may have more than one appointed representative). Task Force members are
required to attend each quarterly meeting; the percentage of attendance and names of attendees will be
reported in the quarterly Task Force Summary Report.
Adjust
Examine how cultural differences could be impacting open & effective communication; alter
communication style. Evaluate providing an incentive for attendance to the site specific stakeholder
meetings. If Task Force attendance is problematic, alternate locations will be assessed.


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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Assess
Objective 2 Identify barriers to implementing existing environmental policies and programs,
determine options to overcome barriers and rank those options according to least
expensive and easiest to implement
Methods Conduct troop and contractor surveys and interviews; have stakeholder brainstorming
sessions; conduct literature research, perform root-cause, fault tree or other scientific
method of analysis.
Survey, interview and brainstorming session results will be used to identify barriers.
Prioritize according to easiest to implement, cheapest to implement and greatest potential
impact.
Locate or conduct a feasibility study on waste treatment/ disposal options, ie composting,
recycling, etc including full waste stream analysis. Assess availability of local facilities
and resources. Perform or locate cost benefit analysis on alternative waste management
options.
Predictions Survey returns are below norm or extremely below norm. Military personnel unwilling or
uncomfortable answering interview questions (fear of reprisal). Lack of consensus among
participants or negative feedback/attitude. Scientific uncertainty or perceived need for
more information results in slow decision making and inaction.
Waste treatment/disposal option feasibility studies data exists, but is not applicable to
military installations. Cost benefit analysis on alternative waste management options
exists, but does not include implication of health concerns. Lack of consensus which
options are cheapest or easiest to implement. Availability of local facilities or resources is
minimal at best; areas where facilities are available are not logistically feasible for all
sites.
Measures Percentage of survey returns, number of interviews conducted, stakeholder attendance at
brainstorming session.
Waste stream analysis report, report on waste treatment feasibility study, report on cost
benefit analysis of alternative waste management options compared with continued use of
burn pits.
Report detailing number and type of local facilities available and distance from each site.
Report listing the identified challenges, recommended options and ranking.
Uncertainties Being in a contingency environment brings a certain level of uncertainty into everything.
Support and willingness of troops and contractors to participate.
Military Command commitment.
Available funding for alternative waste disposal methods.

Design
A survey questionnaire will be developed to determine level of environmental awareness, level of
environmental concern and population consensus of the reason existing policies and programs are not
being followed. Percentage of survey returns are normally low; to improve this percentage drop boxes
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
and survey forms will be available at various locations around the site. Individual interviews will be
voluntary on a walk-in basis and completely confidential. No name will be documented on either the
interview report or the survey. To minimize negative feedback/attitudes, brain storming session rules will
be clearly established and communicated. Any person unwilling to comply with these fair and simple
rules will be asked to leave. To prevent a stalemate or slow progress, a maximum time for data collection
during this phase the project will be established.
The ability of BREWC4 to prioritize implementation of measures by ranking according to easiest and
cheapest to implement will provide the opportunity to quickly demonstrate progress. This will also
demonstrate to command not all changes are expensive and hard to implement leading to greater
commitment for the more costly and difficult options.
Monitor
The number of returned surveys, number of interviews, brain storming session attendance and on time
completion of this phase for each site will be noted.
Time to complete analysis and develop action plan for implementation.
Number of options identified, cost and time to implement.
Evaluate
Percentage of surveys returned vs. site population
Number of interviews conducted and willingness to participate.
Outcome of brain storming sessions; positive or negative.
Time and cost to implement identified options
Adjust
In the event survey returns are below the norm, the Task Force will examine providing an incentive for
returns. Other needed adjustments may be identified during this phase, such as extra time is needed or not
as much time is needed for completion, or brain storming session attendance limited to max number of
participants. Adapt existing studies, as available to meet military installation demands. Implement voting
measures to reach consensus. Other adjustments will be made as needed based on stakeholder input.





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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Assess
Objective 3 Implement identified options to overcome barriers.

Methods Implementation will begin with the focus on waste management, specifically by
improving segregation of waste streams at the source of generation, beginning a
recycling program., starting a compost area (if determined feasible), and establishing
contracts with local service providers.
Predictions Minimal participation to waste segregation by waste generators, trash and rubbish placed
in with recyclables and vice versa, compost pile leads to increase in vector population.
Measures Weekly observation reports on waste segregation, material recycled, vector population
and status of compost pile.
Uncertainties Stakeholder commitment and participation.
Does composting impact vector population?
Design
To successfully manage waste, a plan must be put into place. Waste segregation must be easy and simple
for the generator; they should not have to go out of their way in order to separate the trash. Use of color
coded bins to distinguish between different waste streams may be effective. Placing bins at strategic
locations around the camp and providing drop points for items such as batteries, WEEE (Waste Electronic
and Electrical Equipment), and aerosol cans will improve the chances of success.
Monitor
Participation of troops and contractors determined by amount of waste segregation occurring, amount of
material being recycled, vector population at compost pile and number of local service provider contracts
in place.
Evaluate
Percentage of recyclable material collected vs. consumption.
Decrease in amount of waste for disposal.
Vector population vs. baseline.
Number of and distance to local facilities in each area of operation.
Adjust
Movement of waste bins, increase in number of locations as needed based on outcome of evaluations.
Increase vector control in area of composting, provide feedback forms or conduct additional surveys to
determine lack of participation in recycling program

Evaluate landfills (dumps) vs. compost for difference in vector populations, conduct education and
awareness training, implement ad campaign.




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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Assess
Objective 4 Improved environmental performance

Methods Conduct educational briefings i.e. town hall meetings to increase awareness, promote
base camp life as a community, celebrate environmental protection by participating in site
wide environmental events, such as Earth Day, International Day for Preventing the
Exploitation of the Environment in War, etc. Have a competition for The Best
Environmental Performers on a team basis; teams will be made up of a individual units,
companies, etc.
Predictions Being away from home, promoting base camp life as a community will be readily
accepted. Military units tend to be very competitive, so participation in the contest is
expected to be high.
Town hall meetings get off track of subject or become a compliant session.
Improved environmental performance in Afghanistan is not seen as serious.
Measures Attendance at town hall meetings must be small enough to maintain order and direction.
Camp visit by upper level Military Command to promote improved environmental
performance will provide credibility.
Uncertainties Stakeholder commitment and participation.
Military command commitment to time and resources.
Design
Promoting the base camp life as a community will instill a sense of home for those who are so far away
from home. If this were my back yard would I throw rubbish around? Providing the opportunity for units
to participate in a friendly competition will encourage participation, as troops tend to be very competitive
already. Several town hall sessions will be conducted at each site to allow for maximum attendance.
Monitor
Troop and contractor attendance and participation during town hall meetings, contests and events.
Evaluate
Percentage of population attending town hall meetings less than 50%.
Percentage of units/companies participating in BEP contest less than 30%.
Percentage of population participating in Environmental events less than 30%.
Adjust
Provide T-shirts to participants of environmental events, Earth Day 2012 Afghanistan; provide
refreshments at meetings to encourage participation; prize to winner of BEP should be substantial enough
to encourage participation. Other adjustments to be made as needed.

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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Assess
Objective 5 Maximize waste reduction

Methods Reducing the amount of waste generated will be accomplished by promoting the principle
of the 3 Rs; Reuse, Reduce & Recycle.
Predictions Throwing unwanted items away is always easier than taking them to a collection point for
donation.
Measures Task force quarterly report to include data on amount of material being donated for reuse,
amount of recycled material and amount of reduction in waste per soldier per day.
Uncertainties Stakeholder commitment and participation.
Military Command commitment.
Design
BREWC4 will promote the 3Rs principle by simple ad campaign utilizing AFN TV and Radio. In
addition, a collection point will be established where soldiers and contractors can donate items they no
longer use or want. The distribution of these donated items will be determined by consensus of the task
force. Examples could be operation of a second hand store, with the proceeds being donated to an Armed
Forces Charity or the goods could be donated to a local charity, such as an orphanage.
Monitor
Amount of waste generated, number and types of items donated, amount of material recycled.
Evaluate
Reduction of waste generated per soldier per day vs. baseline
Adjust
Increase awareness and education training; examine level of military command commitment, increase
number and type of ads to include the possibilities of billboards or incentive for donating unwanted items.





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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Assess
Objective 6 Minimize potential health impacts

Methods Air and water quality baseline studies and monitoring; conduct health studies on burn pit
exposure
Predictions Air and water quality is below WHO recommended guidelines; burn pit exposure health
studies already underway. Political and upper command military resistance to conduct
air and water quality monitoring due to implicated liabilities.
Measures Air and water quality results provided to the site population via monthly reports in Stars
and Stripes Newspaper and other media.
Task force quarterly report to include air and water quality data.
Uncertainties Political and upper level military command agreement to conduct air and water quality
monitoring. Could be presented as lack of funding or impractical to implement.
Design
BREWC4 will implement air and water quality monitoring programs; these results will be provided to the
general population on base. This will be done to promote the wearing of dust masks, especially on days
of high particulate load. Water quality results will aid to promote protection of the environment as a large
amount of the water used on base comes from wells and bore holes. With approval, air quality can be
posted outside DFACs similar to PPE levels, i.e. green, yellow, orange, red & black.
Monitor
Air and water quality, number of individuals reporting respiratory distress, and types of waste being sent
to burn pits.
Evaluate
Number of individuals reporting respiratory distress vs. baseline (could use numbers from US for
comparison)
Frequency of burn pit operation, distance from burn pits to living areas, frequency of noncompliant items
sent to burn pit
Adjust
Consider relocation of mission essential burn pits, ensure prohibited items are not being burned; promote
self reporting by contractors operating burn pits, segregate and report unauthorized items vs. burning
them.



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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Assess
Objective 7 Minimize use of burn pits and when their use is considered mission critical, ensure
guidance on safe operation of burn pits is followed (location, prohibited items, etc).

Methods Implementation of this project will result in a decrease in the use of burn pits. In order to
truly minimize their use, other methods of waste disposal are required. Cost benefit
analysis should provide answers as to which methods are most cost effective, i.e. landfills
or incinerators.
Encouraging self reporting of contractors operating the burn pits will reduce prohibited
items from being burned, as well as waste segregation, reuse, reduce and recycle.
Initially, more focus on audits and evaluation of burn pit use is indicated; however, as
residents see improvements in air quality and overall health, self enforcement will become
the active method of control.
Predictions If political and military command support and commitment is visible and positive, the
troops and contractors are more likely to participate and be positive about this project.
This will result in a decrease in the number of burn pits in operation.
If political and military command support and commitment is not visible and or positive,
the troops and contractors are less likely to participate and be positive about this project.
This project will have minimal impact on the number of burn pits in operation.
Measures Task force quarterly reports to include data on number of burn pits in operation, number
of burn pits closed and any new burn pits opened. Also included in this report will be
information on burn pits which are mission critical, their distance from living areas and
amount/type of prohibited items sent to burn pits.
Uncertainties Political and military command commitment.
Troop and contractor commitment.
Available funding.
Design
Successful implementation of this project will result in a decrease in the number of burn pits in operation.
Those burn pits considered mission critical will not burn prohibited items as a regular method of
operation and they will be located the minimal distance from living areas.
Monitor
Number of burn pits in operation, occurrences of prohibited items sent to mission critical burn pits.
Evaluate
Distance from mission critical burn pits to living areas.
Number of burn pits closed per month; number of new burn pits opened per month.
Types of prohibited items being sent to burn pits.
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An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Adjust
Number and location of drop points for prohibited waste items; seek to understand lack of political and
military command support, consider involvement of the press and local Afghan Environmental Protection
Agency. Other adjustments as identified by stakeholders.


Potential Challenges
Goals &
Objectives
Implemented
Action(s)
Trigger Possible Next
Steps/Actions
Feasibility of Next
Steps/Actions
Open & effective
communication
between all
military,
contractor and
Afghan
stakeholders
Solicit English
speaking
volunteers from
Military Units to
interpret and hire a
local interpreter

Non English
speaking NATO
troops
participation
below 30%
Examine how
cultural differences
could be impacting
open & effective
communication;
alter communication
style
Understanding
cultural differences
can be critical to
effective
communication and
changes easily made
Afghan
stakeholder
involvement
impossible
Limit Afghan
participation to
government and
university officials
This will be easier
to manage; however
time to get any
Afghan local on
base can be time
consuming
Monthly NATO-
ISAF/contractor
stakeholder
meetings (location
specific)

Attendance &
participation
below 30%
Provide incentive
for attending
meetings, food,
drink, show a movie
afterwards, etc
Logistics worked
with food service;
MWR
Quarterly NATO-
ISAF/contractor
Task Force
meetings
(representatives
from each
location,
contractor,
technical experts,
and regional
representatives)
Attendance &
participation
below 75%
Consider alternate
locations for
meetings


Meetings could be
held in Dubai or
Pakistan
Security of meeting
location could limit
options

Cost, logistics and
available staffing
remaining in theatre
could limit
feasibility

22
An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Goals &
Objectives
Implemented
Action(s)
Trigger Possible Next
Steps/Actions
Feasibility of Next
Steps/Actions
Identify barriers to
implementing
existing
environmental
policies and
programs

Conduct troop and
contractor surveys
and interviews



Percentage of
survey returns
below 30%


Include incentive
when surveys are
sent; follow up
requests offering
an additional
incentive for
return

Depending on type
of incentive, could
be costly
considering the
number of troops
in theatre Seek
donations from
onsite vendors

Willingness of
respondents to
answer questions

Ensure
confidentiality
from feedback;
respondents are
not identified

Do not require
names on surveys;
interviews are not
conducted by
chain of command

Literature research
and surveys

Scientific
uncertainty or other
causes result in
slow decision
making and
inaction
Education of
participants;
scientific
uncertainty will
always exist
Emphasis on small
steps; some action
is better than none
By focusing on
small steps, the
task(s) is less
overwhelming and
becomes
achievable

Shareholder
brainstorming
sessions;

Lack of consensus
among participants
or negative
feedback/attitude
Seek middle
ground; avoid
controversial
issues; seek to
understand the
individuals point
of view; empower
participants
Empowering
participants to
action could prove
difficult due to
available time,
funding and
mission objectives
(command)
Conduct root-
cause/fault tree or
other scientific
method of analysis
Scientific
uncertainty or other
causes result in
slow decision
making and
inaction
Education of
participants;
scientific
uncertainty will
always exist
Emphasis on small
steps; some action
is better than none
By focusing on
small steps, the
task(s) is less
overwhelming and
becomes
achievable


23
An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Goals &
Objectives
Implemented
Action(s)
Trigger Possible Next
Steps/Actions
Feasibility of Next
Steps/Actions
Identify and
prioritize
options to
overcome
barriers

Prioritize according
to easiest to
implement,
cheapest to
implement and
greatest potential
impact
Lack of
consensus
among
participants

Seek compromise,
conduct independent
(anonymous)
voting/ranking of
options to reach
consensus
Easily implemented
by using simple
ranking tables/charts


Conduct feasibility
study on waste
treatment/ disposal
options, ie
composting,
recycling, etc
including full waste
stream analysis
Slow or limited
progress

Determine cause of
slow progress;
assign additional
resources if needed

Availability of
additional resources
can be limited

Assess availability
of local facilities
and resources

Number and
type of local
resources and
facilities
available in each
area of operation
Short term:
Consider purchase
or construction on
larger bases; assess
transboundary
movement


Funding for
purchase or
construction may not
be available
Transboundary
movement is
cumbersome

Long term: Involve
Afghan stakeholders
to seek development
of facilities;
Feasible, but will not
meet time
constraints

Perform cost
benefit analysis on
alternative waste
management
options

Slow or limited
progress

Determine cause of
slow progress;
assign additional
resources if needed

Availability of
additional resources
can be limited


24
An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Goals &
Objectives
Implemented
Action(s)
Trigger Possible Next
Steps/Actions
Feasibility of Next
Steps/Actions
Implement
identified
options to
overcome
barriers

Improve waste
segregation at the
source
Observation of
significant
resistance to
waste segregation
by waste
generator
Access logistics of
segregation; must
be simple and
convenient for the
waste generator
Layout of DFACs
and available
space could be a
potential problem
Recycling (aluminum,
plastic, metal)
% of recyclable
material collected
vs. % of
recyclable
material used
below 1:2
Supply feedback
forms, conduct
additional surveys
concerning
participation
Surveys are simple
to implement;
getting response is
not
Composting Increase in vector
population vs.
baseline
Increase vector
control in compost
area; consult
experts on
cause/solutions
An increase in
vector population
creates a risk to
troop health and
thus the mission;
composting may
not be feasible
Establish service
contracts with local
facilities/resources
Number of and
distance to local
facilities in each
area of operation
Consider purchase
(cost benefit
analysis) of onsite
incinerators for
locations where
distance to service
provider is an issue
Availability of
funding; shipping
or construction
time
Compliance of
local service
providers to
environmental
stewardship
Involvement of
Afghanistans
NEPA; conduct
education &
awareness
campaigns for local
service providers
Environmental
stewardship to
Afghanistan may
not equal western
world
requirements;
availability of
funding could also
be an issue

25
An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Goals &
Objectives
Implemented
Action(s)
Trigger Possible Next
Steps/Actions
Feasibility of Next
Steps/Actions
Improved
environmental
performance

Contests between
units (best
environmental
performer, etc)

% of units
participating in
contest below
30%
Offer incentive to
winner of 2 beers
per unit member
This is feasible as it
has been done in the
past, however it will
require upper level
(CENTCOM)
command approval
Conduct
educational
briefings i.e. town
hall meetings to
increase awareness
Percentage of
population
attendance
below 50%
Offer refreshments
during meetings
such as cookies,
cakes, juice, soda,
etc
Logistics to be
worked with food
services
Participate in site
wide environmental
events, i.e. Earth
Day, International
Day for Preventing
the Exploitation of
the Environment in
War

Percentage of
participation
below 30% per
site
Promote living on
base as being part
of a community;
promote
community
involvement
Simple advertising
campaign, postings,
AFRTS (American
Forces Radio &
Television Services)
and AFN (Armed
Forces Network
Europe), etc
Provide T-shirts to
participants
Feasible if cost is
minimized by
seeking corporate
and environmental
donors/sponsors
Waste reduction

Minimize the
amount of waste
generated by
promoting the
principles reduce,
reuse and recycle
(Three Rs)

Less than 10%
reduction in
waste
generation per
soldier per day
Increase
awareness and
education; look at
troop commander
commitment
Commander
commitment is
critical to success
Gaining this
commitment rests on
demonstrating
program improves
mission success

26
An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Goals &
Objectives
Implemented
Action(s)
Trigger Possible Next
Steps/Actions
Feasibility of Next
Steps/Actions
Minimize
potential health
impacts

Air and water
quality baseline
studies and
monitoring
Air or water
quality results
below the
minimum
established by
WHO
Provide and
encourage wearing
of dust masks;
utilize alternate
source of water;
post air quality
indicators (similar
to weather in US)
Drinking water is
not an issue as
bottled water is
shipped in, cost of
trucking water from
different location
can be costly;
military use of
ROWPU; dust
masks are feasible,
but will people
wear them?
Conduct health
studies on burn pit
exposure
Number of
individuals
reporting
respiratory
distress increases
vs. baseline

Audit reports on
waste disposal
practices
Examine air quality
data; consider
relocation of
mission essential
burn pits; contract
with local waste
disposal providers
Ensure prohibited
items are not being
burned; promote
self reporting by
contractors
Certain FOBs are
small and
relocation of burn
pit may not be
feasible;

Better policing of
burn pit operation
requires additional
resources which
may not be
available; fear of
contract loss due to
errors may prevent
contractors from
self reporting

27
An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
Goals &
Objectives
Implemented
Action(s)
Trigger Possible Next
Steps/Actions
Feasibility of Next
Steps/Actions
Minimize use of
burn pits

All of the above
implemented
actions should lead
to reduced use of
burn pits

Less than 25%
reduction of
burn pits in
operation by
31-Dec-2011

Less than 50%
reduction of
burn pits in
operation by
31-Jun-2012

Less than 75%
reduction of
burn pits in
operation by
31-Dec-2012
Conduct audits on
burn pit location,
type of items being
burned, etc to
determine NATO
compliance with
existing burn pit
regulations

Investigate status of
construction and
purchase process for
incinerators

Disciplinary action
Consider if use of
burn pit is actually
mission critical or
merely convenient;
use of burn pits
already requires
upper command
signature and is not
always followed





Prefer disciplinary
action be avoided;
instills a police state
of compliance rather
than voluntary
community do the
right thing
motivation
When use of
burn pits is
considered
mission critical,
ensure guidance
on safe operation
of burn pits is
followed
(location,
prohibited items,
etc)

Waste segregation
at the source;
improved oversight
of contractors
operating burn pits
Change in
number of burn
pits in operation

Audit results on
operation of
burn pits; no
mission
justification for
use
Review obstacles
preventing
implementation of
current policies and
programs; conduct
root cause analysis
Implementation of
program in phases;
base by base is
recommended to
limit costly mistakes
due to
misidentification of
obstacles



28
An Adaptive Management Plan for Environmental Action: Operation Enduring Freedom
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