Fall 2007 1 Species thrive where tanks drive Species thrive where tanks drive The Army’s new “green” The Army’s new “green” U.S. Army to build new ultra-low energy townhouse community at Urlas site in Ansbach U.S. Army to build new ultra-low energy townhouse community at Urlas site in Ansbach The Army Corps of Engineers is adminis- tering a contract to study how the Army can promote endangered species that thrive on military training sites The Army Corps of Engineers is adminis- tering a contract to study how the Army can promote endangered species that thrive on military training sites E U R O P E E IN ngineering E U R O P E E ngineering IN
Transcript
Fall 2007 1
Species thrive where tanks driveSpecies thrive where tanks drive
The Army’s new “green”The Army’s new “green”U.S. Army to build new ultra-low energytownhouse community at Urlas site in AnsbachU.S. Army to build new ultra-low energytownhouse community at Urlas site in Ansbach
The Army Corps of Engineers is adminis-tering a contract to study how the Armycan promote endangered species thatthrive on military training sites
The Army Corps of Engineers is adminis-tering a contract to study how the Armycan promote endangered species thatthrive on military training sites
E U R O P EE INngineering
E U R O P EEngineeringIN
2 Engineering in Europe
From the Commander
Welcome to 2008! The New Year allows us to reflect on what we’ve accomplished this past year, evaluate oursuccesses and shortcomings, and plan for the future.
I first want to recognize the entire Europe District team for your commitment to performance in 2007. You’ve onceagain confirmed that the District is an organization of choice for our strategic partners and I thank you for thepositive attitude, sprit of cooperation, and dedication to task that each of you has exhibited this year.
Our support to the nation exceeded $738 million in projects in 2007, including $468 million in militaryconstruction. We’ve accomplished work in new places like Romania and Bulgaria, we’ve taken on new missions suchas our support of the Missile Defense Agency’s European Interceptor Site, and we’ve shown an unwavering devotionto our customers. Undeniably, it was a peak year for Europe District and I’m heartened to see how professional,competent, and agile each of you has remained when supporting requirements.
The New Year brings with it new goals, new milestones and new challenges in meeting the needs of ourcustomers. Already we’ve seen changes that signal growth and improvement.
We are adopting a new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone system for the District, which will be a bigimprovement over our current system with many new and exciting features at a reduced cost.
We are establishing a new construction management office in Poland in support of the Missile Defense Agencyand in Bulgaria in support of USAREUR’s Joint Task Force – East..
And we’ve already begun planning for significant future work in support of AFRICOM, the State of Israel, theArmy and Air Force housing programs in the Central Region, and USAREUR’s transition to 7th Army and its movefrom Heidelberg to Wiesbaden.
Change as a fact of life, indeed, is the only constant. And with upcoming revised stationing plans in Europe, agrowing Army, and the District’s complete employee transition to NSPS in February, we will see a lot of it this year.
Luckily, the strength of agility is truly a key strength of our District. Our diverse workforce of architects,engineers, biologists, resource managers, and other professionals from many countries around the world has proventhat it can meet the demands of changing times and requirements as a vital part of America’s Army.
I’ve seen it first hand. And I know that the strength of our combined team we call “the Europe District”transcends the burden of change. We are a vibrant and engaged group who understands that growth comes onlythrough change. And I believe that we’ve proven we can construct new rituals, adapt to new systems, and, mostimportantly, view disruptions as opportunity for development.
Our performance in 2007 required long hours, transformational thinking, and resolute execution. We setmilestones, communicated transparently every day, and combined our strengths and resources to deliver asubstantial and quality set of products and services. I know our workforce can and will maintain this attitude forsuccess; there is literally no limit to what we can accomplish in 2008.
I’m extremely proud of our world-class workforce and I have utmost certainty that we will successfully worktogether to embrace change in the year ahead.
Happy New Year! Essayons!
By understanding that growthcomes only through change,we can succeed in 2008
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The Army’s new “green”U.S. Army to build new ultra-low energy townhousecommunity at Urlas site inAnsbach
4C o n t e n t s
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Species thrive where
The Army Corps of Engineersis administering a contract tostudy how the Army canpromote endangered speciesthat thrive where tanks drive
Pioneering missile defenseArmy engineers deploy toPoland and the Czech Republicto plan a missile shield for theUnited States and its allies
14 Interview with...USACE project engineer Maj.Jon Hadley discusses hiscampaign to conductenvironmental baselinesurveys in Romania andBulgaria as part of USAREUR’sJoint Task Force - East effort
Engineering in Europe is an unofficial publication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District,authorized under the provisions of AR 360-1. The editorial views and opinions expressed are not necessarilythose of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Department of the Army. Engineering in Europe is acommand information publication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District. Circulation is 800 copies.Articles, photographs, and other contributions are welcome. The editor reserves the right to make changes toall material submitted. The submission deadline is the 1st of the month preceding quarterly publication. Sendsubmissions to: Editor, Engineering in Europe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, CMR 410, Box1, APO AE 09096. Details may be obtained from the PAO at (011) 49-611-816-2720 or DSN 336-2720.Material may be sent via e-mail to: [email protected] An electronic version of Engineering inEurope may be viewed on the Europe District Internet homepage at: www.nau.usace.army.mil
C o m m a n d e r : Deputy Commander:Col. Margaret W. Burcham Lt. Col. Michael J. Farrell
Public Affairs Chief: L a y o u t / D e s i g n / E d i t o r :Justin Ward (acting) Justin Ward
On the Cover
Cover photo by Richard Bumgardner
Soldiers from the 1stArmored Divisiondrive their M-1AAbrams tank throughthe Taunus Mountainsnorth of Frankfurt,Germany, duringExercise ReadyCrucible, Feb. 22, 2005.
ESPC: Raising standards,
Risk-free cost and energysavings with low up-front costsare easy to implementthroughout Europe. Do youknow enough about them?
18lowering costs
tanks drive
4 Engineering in Europe
SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT
The Army will soon have a new shadeof green.
Through a partnership with theInstallation Management Command-Europe Region (IMCOM-E) and theNürnberg bauamt (or state constructionoffice), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineershas voluntarily agreed to set a newbenchmark for Army Family Housingprojects in Europe – an entireneighborhood of ultra-low energytownhouses.
The new energy standards, known inGermany as Passivhaus standards, aresimilar to LEED (Leadership in Energyand Environment Design) or SPiRiT(Sustainable Project Rating Tool)paradigms used in the States, saidMichael Hogg, the former project managerfor the project. But Passivhaus standardsare much more rigorous, he said. Muchmore.
“Although it’s hard to compare scales,the goal is that our Passiv-houses will useabout ¼ of the energy demanded bytypical facilities constructed inGermany,” said Hogg. “And these ratingsystem levels already surpass traditionalAmerican standards. … So this is reallyabove and beyond anything we’ve donebefore.”
The new neighborhood, to be locatedin Urlas, an Army community inAnsbach, Germany, started with adiscussion between the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers, IMCOM-E, and the AnsbachDirectorate of Public Works (DPW).
“The main impulse came from theproject manager from IMCOM-E, who,
Urlas Training Range today
Fall 2007 5Fall 2007 5
A multi-unit rendering of the upcomingtownhouse neighborhood in Urlas - a U.S.military training area near Ansbach, Ger-many - shows an artist’s depiction of whatthe ultra-low energy community could looklike when completed in 2010. Thetownhouses, currently in design, are pro-posed to meet what’s called the“Passivhaus” standard for energy use andwill be the U.S. Army’s most modern andenergy efficient housing units in Europe.
Story and photos by Justin WardRenderings by AB Bayer
6 Engineering in Europe
CUSTOMER SUPPORTSUPPORTING THE JOINT FORCESUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT
a one- or two-degree temperature difference betweenthe center of the room and the area by the window.
“The way in which it recovers heat during thewinter is probably the most interesting part of aPassivhaus,” said Krieger. “Especially here in CentralEurope, where the winters are often very cold.”
Like many low-energy houses, Passivhausstandards include the employment of specializedthermal insulation, triple-paned and insulatedglazed window technology, and carefully sealed airbarriers, all of which serve to retain existing andincoming solar heat.
However, fundamental to the Passivhaus is theinnovative heat exchange system, which controlsbuilding temperature using only the normal volume ofventilation air. It does this by heating ventilation airfrom the hot water tank and then recovering about 92percent of “waste” heat from the exhaust air.
It even recycles “waste” heat from major appliances,lighting fixtures, and body heat from people or
along with the Ansbach garrison,was interested in building ashowcase for the world to see,”said Wolfgang Hagenau, anAnsbach DPW environmentalcontractor. “These houses will belike a business card the garrisonand IMCOM can give to everyone,showing that the garrison isdeveloping in a sustainable way.”
Hagenau added that IMCOM-E’s Joe Baltar and the AnsbachDPW have both championed theproject well and have are certainthat the Passiv-houses willgreatly advance the reputationof the U.S. Army to even themost environmentally awareGerman citizens.
How it worksStill in the design process, these Passivhaus
townhouses will incorporate a “whole building”perspective, which entails not only responsiblestewardship of natural resources, but also responsiblestewardship of financial resources through loweroperating costs and improved facility life-cyclemanagement, said Karla Krieger, project manager.
They’re called Passiv (or passive, in English)because the interior climate is intended to bemaintained without active heating and coolingsystems. Thus, the house heats and cools itself.
The way it does this, said Krieger, is very complex,involving a precise interior airflow design usingcomputational fluid dynamics, multizonal airflowmodels, and an innovative heat exchange system.
Because of the ventilation system, insulation, anddegree of air tightness, not only is it a very quiet house,said Krieger, but there’s also a consistent temperaturethroughout the house in summer or winter, with only
6 Engineering in Europe
The north (top) andsouth (bottom) views ofthe Passivhaus neigh-borhood, to be locatedon Ansbach’s Urlastraining range, showspotentially colorfulbuildings that wouldblend in with the restof the community. Theultra-low energyhouses are still in thedesign stage, withconstruction slated tobegin in 2009.
Rendering by Resch + Stiefler + Partner
Fall 2007 7
animals inside the building.Additionally, plans are in the
works to supplement the currentenergy demand from these houseswith renewable energy sourcessuch as thermal solar panels.
“To be honest, only mechanicalengineers will probablyunderstand how the systemworks,” said Krieger. “But what’simportant is that it works and …that it’s easy to operate for thoseliving in the townhouses.”
In fact, according to thePassivhaus Institute’s Web site,living in a Passivhaus does notrequire an advanced degree.“Passivhaus technology is so simple,there’s no need to hire someone toperform annual air filter changes,”the site explains. “The ventilationsystem has fewer controls than anormal television.”
The finished productLiving in these new
townhouses will be junior andsenior noncommissioned officersand field-grade officers from the12th Combat Aviation Brigade, U.S.Army Europe’s first modularaviation unit, merging Soldiersfrom five units around Germany.These Soldiers will move in to theirnew homes – anticipated to be runby low-energy appliances – in2010, Krieger said, when Phase I isscheduled to be completed.
Currently built up with bunkers, training facilities,and electrical substations to support U.S. militarymissions at Ansbach, the green fields of the Urlastraining range will soon be home to 22 of the U.S.Army’s most modern and energy efficient housingunits, called Passiv-houses.
In total, Phase I includes 138dwelling units, 22 of which arescheduled as Passiv-houses. Theremaining 116 units in Phase Iwill adhere to what’s known asthe EnEV standard, the currentGerman energy-saving standard,which still bests the typicalAmerican standard.
Phases II and III, whichcombined call for another 392dwelling units, might also includePassivhaus neighborhoods, Kriegersaid. But that decision has yet tobe made.
Another first for the Urlascommunity, said DorothyRichards, Army housing programmanager, is that those 12th CABSoldiers will also be living in theArmy’s first townhouses to beconstructed in Europe.
“Just the fact that these newdwelling units are townhouses isimportant for the Army, not tomention that many of them will bedesigned with environmentallyresponsible practices,” saidRichards. “Generally speaking, Ithink the townhouse is a betteroption for the warfighter and theirfamily members because it givesthem the higher quality of life thatthey deserve – one that fits thesacrifice they’re making for thiscountry. … And I hope we cancontinue to design and build to thetownhouse standard.”
P A S S I V H A U SAT A G L A N C E:
The Passivhaus uses acombination of low-energybuilding techniques andtechnologies.
The ability to control build-ing temperature using onlythe normal volume ofventilation is fundamental.
Graphics byPassivhaus Institut
SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT
8 Engineering in Europe
Photo by Martin SanderaBufo calamita (Natterjack toad)
Photo by Linda LeeAira caryophyllea(Silver hairgrass)
Photo by Anders OhlssonCicindela hybrida(Brown sand-beetle)
Photo by John CrellinTeesdalia nudicaulis(Shepherd’s Cress)
Photo by H. SchönLimosella aquatica (Mudwort)
Photo by Klaus BogonBombina variegata(Yellow-bellied toad)
Photo by Michael LinnenbachCorynephorus canescens(Silvergrass)
Photo by P. DuboisOedipoda caerulescens(Blue-winged grasshopper)
Photo by Nathalie StrippeGentiana ciliata (Fringed gentian)
Fall 2007 9
species thrive wheretanks drive
Nature likes order. Sometimes.We know down to the minutewhen the sun will rise and seteach day. We know whenasparagus is in season and weknow why apples don’t fall up.
But nature also likes disorder.New life that appears afternatural disasters like forest firesand landslides suggest a moreirregular natural law – one thatisn’t as uniformly tidy as wehumans like, with our neat rowsof corn and our well manicuredgolf courses and back yards.
The U.S. Army Europe(USAREUR) discovered that mostevidently in places that are usedto occasional distress, said MarkMann, U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers, Europe District,environmental project manager.Places like Hohenfels andGrafenwöhr – two of the U.S.Army’s Major Training Areas
(MTAs) in Europe – have becomevital breeding grounds for diversebiological species that, withoutthe continued disruptions causedby roaring tanks and explodingartillery rounds, would behomeless.
“It seems counterintuitive,”said Mann, who is administeringan Installation ManagementCommand, Europe Region(IMCOM-Europe) contract tostudy the relationship betweenmeasuring biodiversity on thesetraining lands through visualcues and through satelliteimagery. “But certain speciesactually flourish in areas that aredisturbed.”
The hypothesis behind theestimated three-year study, saidprincipal researcher Dr. StevenWarren from Colorado StateUniversity, stems from arealization that biodiversity is
decreasing because of the humandesire to suppress naturaldisturbances like forest fires,floods, insect outbreaks, andmigrating herds.
“Our world is becoming moreand more uniform,” said Warren.But on these MTAs, where non-uniform disturbances in size,shape, duration, frequency, andseverity occur sporadically,biodiversity is among the highestdensities in Europe.
“Different species, includingsome threatened and endangeredspecies, prefer differentconditions,” said Warren. Someprefer severely disturbedconditions, while others preferpristine conditions. And becauseMTAs tend to have a variety ofconditions along this spectrum,these lands “appear to provideideal habitat for a much widerrange of species than lands
Military training areas are well known for their crisscrossing tanktrails, disheveled heaps of ruptured earth, and a grab bagassortment of bogs, pits, puddles, and mounds. But in spite ofthe apparent damage, these areas have been found to providesanctuary to a diverse and sometimes threatened host of plantand animal species. And now the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,Europe District, is helping to study why they exist and whatcan be done to promote these and other vulnerable ecosystems.
Story by Justin Ward
10 Engineering in Europe
SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT
10 Engineering in Europe
managed more uniformly.”In fact, some species are called “disturbance-
dependent” – a term used to describe plants andanimals that can only thrive in temporaryecosystems free of competing species and predators,such as puddles and ditches created by tanks –because they thrive best in disturbed areas.Eliminate thatdisturbance, and you mayeliminate those species.
This study should be amajor advance in curbingthe unwarrantedcriticisms of those whoaccuse the Army of being apoor steward of the land,Mann said. “There arepeople … who say ‘getthese old mean ugly Armytanks out of our area.They’re bad, they’re bad,they’re bad. Let the land benatural and everything will be back on balance.’Well, it’s been theorized that, in some areas … a littledisturbance now and then will allow for variation ofhabitat.”
USAREUR’s push to maintain native species’habitats on training facilities comes as a result of theU.S. Department of Defense’s recognition thathealthy, diverse ecosystems provide more realistic,sustainable training resources.
“In essence, [USAREUR] is leading the way inunderstanding the impacts of training on theenvironment,” said Warren.
The motivation also comes amid growingemphasis of the European Union’s Natura 2000
legislation, which seeks to protect the habitats ofthreatened and endangered species across Europeand has classified 77 percent of all U.S. Armytraining lands in Europe as “special areas ofconservation.”
“The Natura 2000 legislation assists us byidentifying and giving legal status to red list
species,” which exist onthe MTAs, said Warren. “Ifthe data show anenhancement in theabundance of some of[these species], it willdraw more attention tothe effort and to the factthat the Army hasunwittingly become one ofthe best stewards of theland to be foundanywhere.”
Two threatened andendangered disturbance-
dependent species thriving on the Hohenfels andGrafenwöhr MTAs are the natterjack toad and theyellow-bellied toad, both on the World ConservationUnion’s “Red List of Threatened Species.”
These species find refuge here not only because oftheir love for disturbed environments (see Figures 1,2), but also because their historic natural habitatalong rivers where seasonal flooding scoured theflood plains have all but disappeared due to modernflood control and irrigation practices.
Other species, while not endangered orthreatened throughout the world, are threatened inthese areas because of the risk of vanishing habitats.Studies conducted at former U.S. Army training
Despite the appar-ent destructioncaused by militarytraining activities,military trainingareas around theworld are recog-nized for theirbiodiversity and forproviding refugefor threatened andendangeredspecies.
U.S. Army photo
“In essence, [USAREUR] isleading the way inunderstanding the impacts oftraining on the environment.”
-Dr. Steve Warren, director and seniorresearch scientist for Colorado StateUniversity’s Center for EnvironmentalManagement of Military Lands
Fall 2007 11
areas throughout Germany where tanks onceroamed show dramatic shifts in biodiversity dueto the loss of heterogeneous disturbance. Recently,the German government undertook initiatives atthese abandoned Army sites – many now calledNature Protection Areas – to help thedisturbance-dependent species by ripping the soilto produce similar markings caused by tanktraffic.
Although these activities temporarilypromoted biodiversity, Warren advises againstestablishing any sort of fixed training schedule atU.S. Army MTAs, despite the waning intensityand frequency of land-based training present in apost-Cold War world. “The disturbance shouldvary in space and time in order to maximizebiodiversity,” he said. “This may have seriousrepercussions for species dependent on frequentlarge-scale disturbance from force-on-forcemaneuvers. However, the military should not bein the business of scheduling the nature,frequency or intensity of its training to favor
These simple charts showthat the amount of distur-bance in a particular areacan greatly affect the repre-sentation of disturbance-dependent species. Eachchart shows a strong corre-spondence between theamount of surface distur-bance in a particular plot ofland and the number ofdisturbance-dependentspecies present. Whenpossible, the study usedsimilarly positioned andvegetated plots as well asmeasured each area ofdisturbance in equalamounts.
Study by Dr. Steven Warren,director and senior researcher forColorado State University’s Centerfor Environmental Management ofMilitary Lands and Dipl.-Biol.Reiner Büttner, Institut fürVegetationskunde undLandschaftsökologie, April 2006
specific species.”The contract Mann is administering plans to
compare field data from 2008 with existingsatellite imagery from 2006 and 2007 to study thetraining areas in three phases. The studies willmeasure the current rate of change in thestructure of the ecosystem – a concept in ecologycalled succession – to determine if, where, andhow quickly the sites are transforming fromuncultivated meadows to scrubland to forest.
The intended outcome of this “wholelandscape” comparison, Warren said, would be todetermine if satellite imagery alone could be usedto compare the biodiversity of training areas withsurrounding areas around the world.
“The science we are conducting in Germanywill eventually pay dividends in the [continentalUnited States military community] as well asbuild recognition that training impacts can havevery positive effects on the ecosystem,” Warrensaid. This is an exciting opportunity to take theresearch to the next level.”
Yellow-bellied toad density at Hohenfels MTA(150 plots studied)
In response to the growing threat of ballistic missiles around the world, the UnitedStates is fielding a limited and defensive capability to protect Europe from along-range missile attack from the Middle East. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,Europe District, has been commissioned to assist in this effort and has alreadymade significant progress in pioneering the future in a safe, expeditious, andenvironmentally friendly way.
Story byJustin Ward
AMEC, an engineering and constructionfirm, starts soil and groundwater boringsnear Trokavec, Czech Republic, inpreparation for a U.S. missile defenseradar to potentially be placed here by2011. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,Europe District, is executing thegeotechnical and environmental work onsite.
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Fall 2007 13Fall 2007 13
Ben Gompers and SharonLehn are part of a smallgroup of U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers employees to receivePoland and the Czech Republicstamps in their official passports.But that group will soon grow.
In the near future, pendinghost nation agreements, it’santicipated that the Corps’ EuropeDistrict will send upwards of 30project engineers andconstructionrepresentatives toPoland and the CzechRepublic, deployed tomanage theconstruction of thelargest missile defensesite outside of theUnited States.
In a partnershipwith the U.S. MissileDefense Agency, theDistrict will set up twoseparate resident offices– one near Gdansk,Poland, that willaccommodate up to tensilo-based long-rangemissile defense interceptors; andone near Trokavec, CzechRepublic, which will relocate andupgrade a midcourse tracking anddiscrimination radar from theKwajalein Atoll in the MarshallIslands.
Although no agreements haveyet been signed and negotiationsare still underway, the Districtmay also be asked to design andmanage the construction ofcommunity support facilities suchas barracks, dining facilities, andphysical fitness centers, as well asupgrade basic infrastructure,including roads, electricity, andwater and storm pipes.
But before all that work occurs,Gompers and Lehn have somework to do.
“I’m excited,” said Gompers,geotechnical technical lead. “It’skind of fun for me because I knowmy decision makes a difference inthis program.”
Gompers started on theprogram in 2006, focusing on
preparing geotechnical studies thatwould be the first step indetermining how and where to placebuildings and infrastructure on thesites, or if pre-existing structurescould be used.
“We did about 63 geotechnicalborings in [the] Czech [Republic] toidentify foundation design, roaddesign, pavements, and utility basedon construct-ability excavate-
ability,” said Gompers. “And we’renow proceeding into Poland.”
When the final reports from thisdata are generated, they will beanalyzed to determine the mostfeasible footprints for these sites.
The biggest concern, Gomperssaid, will be in Poland, where thewater table may be higher thanwhat is needed to house theinterceptors completely belowground. If that is the case, Gomperssaid, the team will need to performdewatering activity, which has areputation for being particularlydifficult and costly.
“That’s just one of many issueswe’re going to be dealing withthere,” Gompers said. “There are, infact, a lot of other unknowns aboutthese sites that can only beaddressed with completion of anextensive geotechnical program.”
Lehn, the environmental andunexploded ordinance projectmanager, has taken on one of theother unknowns – determining theenvironmental history of these
previously used military sites,which have changed hands fromGerman to Russian to hostnation in the span of 60 years.
This task, which involvesdrilling and analyzing forsolvents, petroleum products,and potentially explosivesubstances likely to have comefrom military training or WorldWar II bombing runs through
these regions,determines any existingpollutants, said Lehn,which is necessary forsite characterization.
These sitecharacterizations willbe analyzed by boththe Corps of Engineersand the U.S. ArmyCenter for HealthPromotion andPreventative Medicine,Lehn said, to addcertainty to thefindings.
The actual fieldwork is similar towhat’s done anywhere,
Lehn said. “It involves helping[the contractors] prepare a scopeand then overseeing the drillingand sampling in the soil and in thefirst groundwater zones todetermine if the locations areacceptable for their intendedactivities.”
“It’s an eye-opener to see howcomplicated things are,” saidGompers. “There are alwaysthings we can’t anticipate.”
But despite the political,historical, and cultural difficulties,Gompers and Lehn agree thatbreaking ground in Germany’sneighbors to the east has beenworth the effort.
“The location can be remotewith no infrastructure or can be aformer active facility,” said Lehn.“You never know what to expect;but it’s always been interestingand educational … Newlanguages. New people. Newperspective of being an Americanworking in another country. It’sbeen rewarding.”
The DoD’s Missile Defense Agency has tasked theCorps’ Europe District to oversee the construction of aU.S. ballistic missile defense system in Europe, whichplans to have sites in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Source: Telegraph.co.ukApril 27, 2007
14 Engineering in Europe
CUSTOMER SUPPORTSUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT
Spurred by their accession into the European Union only ayear ago, Romania and Bulgaria have been billing theircountries as hotspots for entrepreneurial ventures and intrepidtravelers.
Ever the adventurous assembly, the U.S. military has beenahead of the crowd, busily investing in setting up forwardoperating camps in those countries, with the intent to providebasic life support to brigade-sized rotational units coming infrom Germany and Italy.
As part of the Joint Task Force-East (JTF-E) initiative, thoseunits will then train with military units of fellow NATOmembers – including Romania and Bulgaria – to buildinteroperability and military relationships with our partners inthe War on Terror and test command and control capabilitiesrequired for future brigade-level deployments to JTF-E.
The military’s first step in both Romania and Bulgaria,however, is conducting Environmental Baseline Surveys(EBSs), which document the past and present environmentalimpacts of all activities in the areas as well as the anticipatedimpacts of all proposed projects.
Maj. Jonathan Hadley, the District’s project manager incharge of coordinating the EBSs in both Romania andBulgaria, shares his thoughts on the progress of those surveys.
Hadley was interviewed by Engineering in Europe editor,Justin Ward.
BIOGRAPHY: Maj. Jonathan Hadley, P.E., graduated from the U.S.Military Academy in 1997 with a degree in civil engineering. His experi-ence with environmental engineering was at his first duty station at theNational Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., where he worked on environ-mental compliance projects. He has since served in Honduras; FortHood, Texas; and Grand Junction, Colo. He joined the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers Reserve Unit in March 2007 and was brought onto activeduty through the PFI (Partnership for Fiscal Integrity) program to work inthe Environmental Section of Europe District.
Maj. Jon Hadley, projectmanager, environmental team
I n t e r v i e w w i t h :I n t e r v i e w w i t h :I n t e r v i e w w i t h :I n t e r v i e w w i t h :I n t e r v i e w w i t h :
Environmental Baseline Study:JOINT TASK FORCE - EAST
Bulgaria
Romania
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How did you get involved in theEnvironmental Baseline Study(EBS) projects in support of JointTask Force - East (JTF-E)?
I am the third project managerin the environmental section towork on JTF-E. It gets passedalong as project managers movein and out. I plan on being here forthree years, so hopefully therewill be no turnover for a while.
I had no previous experience inEastern Europe, and as for EBSs,my experience has been in cleanup and remediation after the EBShas been written. Fortunately thecontractors wrote very concisereports explaining conditions ofthe soil, water, buildings, airquality, and surroundingecological issues.This made iteasy for thedecision makersat USAREUR(U.S. ArmyEurope) tounderstand theEBS and to maketheir decisions.
What were yourexpectations?
Actually Ithought this wasgoing to be asimple project:do the testing,get the results,and send theresults to thecustomer.Instead, therehave been lots ofdiscussions andmeetings aboutthe results andwhat should bedone to clean up the site. So thework has progressed from myexpectation of being boring tobeing interesting.
What are your primary roles asproject manager for the EBSprojects in support of JTF-East?
My primary role with the EBS
projects in JTF-E is managing acontract. I work with the client todetermine their needs, then Idetermine which of mycontractors can best handle theproject, and then I work with thatcontractor to complete the projectand meet the needs of the client.
In JTF-E the work wasn’tsimply “build a structure,” butrather test for pollutants, thenanalyze the data, and thenpresent the issues. The testing andanalyzing was the easy part,because it’s clearly definable;presenting the issues is theproblem. This is where mysecondary role as a technicalexpert comes into play. I took thedata and explained it in such a
way so that non-engineers couldunderstand theengineeringterms andprocesses.
What have beenthe chiefaccomplishmentsso far in terms ofthe EBSs inRomania andBulgaria?
The chiefaccomplishmentsof the EBS havebeen pointingoutenvironmentallypristine areas onthe bases thatthe U.S. Army islooking at. Thesepristine areashave beenmarked ondrawings so that
they are disturbed as little aspossible during construction sothat a nature sanctuary remains.
In Romania there are 10 acresof natural prairie land that isn’tfound anywhere else in the areabecause of the farming andurbanization.
In Bulgaria there is about 50
acres of woods that is biologicallydiverse, which is in contrast to allthe land around it which isfarmland.
Protecting these areas showsgood stewardship of the landand should show that,environmentally,the U.S.governmentis notinvadingthesecountries tomake a mess.
Specifically, what did thereports say about the conditions ofthe soil, water, buildings, airquality, and ecological issues?
Romania adopted the Dutchenvironmental laws andguidelines, and these laws aresome of the strictest in the world.
The level of contaminants thatwere found would not be an issuein the Unites States, but here theyare overly cautious.
Two of three contaminated soilsites will be cleaned up, but thethird will be left in place becauseit is an old heating plant and isbeing abandoned on site so theRomanian government can dealwith it at their leisure.
All buildings withcontaminants except the oldheating plant are beingdemolished. New buildings withmodern conveniences are beingbuilt in their place. The water willhave to be treated beforeconsumption; this is being doneby the local municipality alreadyand is standard practice in thearea.
As for the air, it is pretty clean,occasionally there will beherbicides or pesticides in the airfrom local farms, but there is noreal air pollution.
Having said all this, theRomanian government has beeninformed of the pollution that hasbeen found, and at this time weare waiting for their response. TheCorps of Engineers already has
“This will be one ofthe first times that wehave been invitedinto a country andhave to set up allthe legal frameworkand all the otherprotocols first.Therefore we haveto follow the higheststandard forenvironmentalcompliance,whether it’s U.S., EUor host nation.”
-Maj. Jonathan Hadley,project manager,environmental office
16 Engineering in Europe
SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENTplans for disposing of the contaminants, so thereshould be no hold up on construction.
I hear we had to conduct another EBS in Romania.What was the concern? Is this abnormal?
The initial site inRomania was notowned by theRomaniangovernment, but weconducted an initialstudy at Chubrabefore finding outthat we couldn’t useit. With theremaining money onthe initial contract atChubra, the effortwas shifted to the34th Cazarma.
Of course therewas not enoughinitial sampling, sowe went back asecond time.
We will be goingback a third time todo a pre-constructionsite survey and to characterize two small areasthat have contaminates.
Why have there been multiple iterations?Doing these negotiations is really interesting,
though, because every other time we have goneinto a country and set up a base, it was as part of
active military operations or the end of militaryoperations. For example, Germany, Japan, andnumerous other countries after WWII; CampBondsteel in Kosovo; Kuwait and Saudi Arabiaafter the gulf war; Afghanistan and Iraq for the
global war onterrorism; SouthKorea after theKorean war.
This will be one ofthe first times thatwe have been invitedinto a country andhave to set up all thelegal framework andall the otherprotocols first.Therefore we have tofollow the higheststandard forenvironmentalcompliance, whetherit’s U.S., EU or hostnation.
Part of thesestandards is to do anEBS, but thestandard doesn’t say
what all must be tested - for example, the numberof soil, air, or water samples, the number of wellsto be drilled, etc. - just what the study must lookfor.
Therefore, we do an environmental reviewfirst to get a general idea of the environment inthe area. Then the EBS goes further and states
Photo by Klaus Fiedler,environmental branch
Environmental tests conducted at and around this barren field near Chubra, Bulgaria, will determinethe viability of erecting austere training facilities in support of U.S. Army Europe’s Joint Task Force -East. The desired end result of the JTF-East program is to build interoperability and enhance militaryrelationships with NATO members Romania and Bulgaria.
A close up look at a topographic map of the areanear Chubra, Bulgaria, upper left, shows the generalsite area undergoing environmental tests in supportof U.S. Army Europe’s Joint Task Force - East.
Photo by Klaus Fiedler,environmental branch
Fall 2007 17
what contaminates are presentand what impacts on theenvironment differentconstruction will have andsuggests how to mitigate theimpacts.
The EBS for this size site isn’tdetailed enough to be used as thepre-construction site survey,therefore we domultiple iterationsnarrowing the scopeof work to whereconstruction will beconducted and wherecontaminants arefound at.
People mustunderstand that at anormal constructionsite you have onebuilding going up anda few tests coversthat building, inRomania, they arebuilding more than50 buildings. All thetests could be done atonce at the beginning,but that would beexpensive, where as we are doingthree iterations of testing and willbe able to do what is need for amuch lower price.
What have been the challenges inBulgaria so far?
The challenges in Bulgariahave been everyone’s concernover the use of live chemicalagents on this site five years ago.
Testing has been done forchemical weapons residue and noresidue is present. But the biggerhazard would come from theaerosol spraying of pesticides,herbicides, and fungicides on thenearby fields.
How long do you think the EBSprocess in Bulgaria will go on?
There should be the initial EBSand then a pre-construction sitesurvey in Bulgaria. Right now Idon’t foresee any challenges, buttests results may come back withunexpected data.
How confident are you thatrotating troops to Romania orBulgaria will have anenvironmentally safe home for theduration of their stay?
I am very confident that at theend of the construction process,Soldiers will have an
environmentally safe place to livein Romania and Bulgaria.
The Corps of Engineers buildsto the highest standard, whetheradhering to host nation or U.S.laws. Therefore these locationswill be as safe as being in the U.S.Or even safer.
Photo by Klaus Fiedler,environmental branch
This is a USAREUR project thatyou are executing. From yourperspective, how do you view thepartnership?
Yes, USAREUR’s DCSENG(Deputy Chief of Staff forEngineering) controls the moneyfor the projects for their
commander. They havebeen fair and easy towork with.
However, becauseeverybody want to seedemolition andconstruction, it’ssometimes hard to beartest results that requirefurther testing.
But this is the waythe process shouldwork.
The EBS process is aniterative process whereproblems are identified,defined, andcharacterized so thatthe commander candecide to use theproperty or not and also
tell the construction personnelwhere to conduct cleanupoperations. Part of explaining theprocess involves keeping ourDistrict commander informed sothat she can clearly articulate thefacts and solutions to the USAEURcommander.
Clues such as thisdiscarded fungi-cide packaging,shed light on the tothe environmentalhistory of the fieldsnear Chubra,Bulgaria, currentlybeing consideredas potential U.S.and NATO traininggrounds in supportof U.S. ArmyEurope’s Joint TaskForce - East initia-tive.
“People must understand that at anormal construction site you haveone building going up and a fewtests covers that building. InRomania, they are building morethan 50 buildings. All the tests couldbe done at once at the beginning,but that would be expensive ... weare doing three iterations of testingand will be able to do what is needfor a much lower price.”
-Maj. Jonathan Hadley, project manager,environmental office
18 Engineering in Europe
SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT
Energy Savings PerformanceEnergy Savings PerformanceEnergy Savings PerformanceEnergy Savings PerformanceEnergy Savings PerformanceContracts allow for risk-freeContracts allow for risk-freeContracts allow for risk-freeContracts allow for risk-freeContracts allow for risk-freecost and energy savings, lowcost and energy savings, lowcost and energy savings, lowcost and energy savings, lowcost and energy savings, lowup-front costs, and easyup-front costs, and easyup-front costs, and easyup-front costs, and easyup-front costs, and easyimplementation at anyimplementation at anyimplementation at anyimplementation at anyimplementation at anymilitary installation inmilitary installation inmilitary installation inmilitary installation inmilitary installation inEurope. Do you know enoughEurope. Do you know enoughEurope. Do you know enoughEurope. Do you know enoughEurope. Do you know enoughabout them?about them?about them?about them?about them?
Raising standards,
Here’s thechallenge. TheEnergy Policy Actof 2005 requiresall federal
facilities – including all militarybases in Europe – to cut energyconsumption 20 percent from2003 usage by 2015.
Here’s the problem. Energyprices are increasing. In fact, soare the energy consumptionlevels of federal facilities,making energy one of the largest(and growing) operationalexpenses, especiallyconsidering thatbudgets at mostfacilities haven’tkept pace
with rising costs. To makematters worse, these increasingfinancial constraints often causefacilities to cut back on newinfrastructure – such as heatingand ventilation systems – whichusually means decreasedefficiency and increased energyexpenses.
But through a tool called theEnergy Savings PerformanceContracts (ESPCs) – offeredthrough the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers – federal facilities cansave energy and money at the
same time.“It’s called a
performancecontract,” saidJames ‘Dusty’Stehr, the U.S.Army Corps ofEngineers ESPC
manager forEurope District.
“It’s much differentthat the othercontracts we do; butit’s a really greattool.”
Here’s how it works. Federalfacilities in Europe can sign anagreement with one of threechosen Energy ServicesCompanies (ESCOs) that willswap energy-efficientinfrastructure for an agreed-upon monthly amount ofguaranteed cost savings. Anyadditional cost savings resultingfrom the new infrastructure canbe added to the installation’sbankroll, free of charge.
“It’s a really smart way to dobusiness,” said HunterDandridge, the District’sprevious contract manager. “It’slike a mortgage. But you pay itoff with your savings.”
Other than a smallsupervision and administrativecost, all initial costs for the newinfrastructure are funded by theESCO. This could includeupgrading the existing heating,ventilation, electricity, or watersystems, using renewableenergy technology, installingbetter insulated windows anddoors, or a combination.
Story and graphicsby Justin Ward
ESPC:
18 Engineering in Europe
lowering costs
Fall 2007 19
“Sometimes anautomatic thermostatcould mean bigsavings,” said Stehr.“Or sometimes youhave to gut the wholething. It just dependson the age of thebuilding, what’scurrently there, andhow efficient it is.”
The ESPC program,managed in Europe byInstallationManagementCommand-Europe(IMCOM-E), has beenhelping federalfacilities financeprohibitivelyexpensive large-scaleenergy savingsprojects for over 10years. According toDavid Yacoub,IMCOM-E’s ESPC manager, theprogram’s strength lies in itsability to use privateinvestment for public gain.
“The president hasencouraged federal agencies touse the program extensively toachieve mandated energy andwater reduction goals,” saidYacoub. “Garrisons decide whatthey want to implement,provided that the measuregenerates savings. The onlycriteria to qualify for an ESPCproject is that the projectgenerate savings to amortizewithin the life expectancy of thesystem.”
Most contracts, said Stehr,last five years with optionalthree-year and then two-yearextensions. “We’re actuallydeveloping a new contract nowthat will allow for morecompetitive bidding. So it’ll be alittle different in the future.”
Expectations for the program,implemented through the U.S.Environmental ProtectionAgency, are that each facilityundergoing a comprehensiveupgrade financed through an
Fall 2007 19
ESPC achieves a greater than 50percent reduction from currentenergy consumption levels.
Maintenance on the newinfrastructure is normallyconducted by the ESCO, Yacoubsaid, but could instead be doneby each facility’s Directorate ofPublic Works to cut costs evenfurther.
Currently, the largestexecuted contract is at the U.S.Army Garrison-Vicenza, whereESCO Siemens AG is installing anew boiler plant, whichincludes a cogeneration unitthat will simultaneouslyproduce heat and power byusing the escaping “waste heat”from electricity production toproduce steam that could helpheat the installation.
“The ESPC is absolutely awin-win,” said Stehr. “In fact,every organization involvedwins.”
Yacoub agreed, adding thatEurope District’s projectmanagers, contracting officers,and legal team have been a“tremendous help in making theprogram run easy and smooth.”
According to a February 2007-dated ESPC proposal, Siemens AG identi-fied energy and demand reduction opportunities at U.S. Army Garrison-Vicenza’s Camp Ederle that would improve functionality, reduce mainte-nance, increase infrastructure power capability, and save almost 6 millioneuros over nine years, before annual maintenance and repair costs.
USAG Vicenza (Camp Ederle) ESPCProposed cost savings for new boiler plant
(Euros)
550,000
600,000
650,000
700,000
750,000
800,000
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
“It’s a really smartway to do business.... It’s like amortgage. But youpay it off with yoursavings.”
-Hunter Dandridge,former Europe DistrictESPC manager,
20 Engineering in Europe Photo by Gary Kieffer
A new homefor trainingA new homefor trainingA squad of Bulgarian and Roma-nian troops, and Soldiers fromU.S. Army, Europe, assault asuspected guerilla hideout dur-ing Exercise Immediate Re-sponse 06 in Novo Selo, Bul-garia. The U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers is currently planningthe construction of a permanenttraining site nearby in support ofJoint Task Force-East.
A squad of Bulgarian and Roma-nian troops, and Soldiers fromU.S. Army, Europe, assault asuspected guerilla hideout dur-ing Exercise Immediate Re-sponse 06 in Novo Selo, Bul-garia. The U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers is currently planningthe construction of a permanenttraining site nearby in support ofJoint Task Force-East.
