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ASA(IE&E)
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment)

Environment, Safety & Occupational Health

The office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health (DASA-ESOH) provides policy, programming and oversight of the Army’s ESOH programs; provides recommendations to milestone decision authorities on Army materiel regarding ESOH concerns; executes the Army’s arms control program; and serves as the Executive Agent for several DoD programs.

Army Environment, Safety, & Occupational Health Strategy 2025

The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health has published a holistic Army-wide strategy that incorporates environmental, safety, and occupational health strategy, policies and programs into one comprehensive document: the Army Environment, Safety, & Occupational Health Strategy 2025 (Army ESOH Strategy 2025).

Army Environment, Safety, & Occupational Health Strategy 2025 https://www.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/472081.pdf

Safety, Occupational and Environmental Health (SO&EH) Strategy 2020-2028

Munitions & Chemical Matters

Provides policy, oversight, and technical direction for implementation of the Army’s Explosives Safety Management Program, Military Munitions Response Program, and all other Army business lines in which conventional or chemical munitions have the potential to negatively impact the environment, safety, or occupational health. Scope includes actions to address unexploded ordnance, discarded military munitions, and munitions constituents, including environmental response actions (i.e., munitions responses), operational range clearance activities, explosives and munitions emergencies, safe and environmentally compliant disposal of waste military munitions, and the Army's 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosives Safety Education Program across the Army inventory of active and closed installations. Manages the Recovered Chemical Warfare Material Program on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of the Defense.

Environmental Security Directorate

DASA ESOH formed the Environmental Security Directorate (ESD) in 2022 to enhance strategic military advantage at the interface of the Army’s mission and the physical environment. ESD provides the foresight, strategy, policy, and oversight necessary to anticipate and address the threats of compounding environmental and socioeconomic issues. ESD coordinates internal Army and inter-Service environmental security efforts and is a liaison to external defense, intelligence, diplomatic, civil, academic, allied, and homeland security entities.

Environmental Quality

Provides policy, strategic direction, and oversight for Army Environmental Quality programs and Native American Affairs to include compliance with air, water and waste requirements, conservation of natural and cultural resources, and consultation with Federally-recognized Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.

Safety

Safety assists the DASA-ESOH in setting the strategic direction, goals and objectives for Army Safety; establishes policy and sets standards; proposes programming and funding; and provides program management and oversight. The desired outcome is to ensure the Army, its soldiers, civilian employees, and their family members are educated, and encouraged to employ composite risk management in their on-duty and off-duty activities, to foster a safe and healthy work and living environment.

Occupational & Environmental Health

Provides policy, strategic direction and oversight for Army Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) programs to include occupational health, industrial hygiene, hearing health, and environmental health.

Technology

Oversees programs and provides policy guidance on environmental quality technology, environmental information technology management, and environmental quality considerations in materiel acquisition programs. Additionally provides guidance on arms control treaty compliance issues.

Per - and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Provides policy, strategic direction, and oversight for actions related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with a focus on environmental restoration of PFAS releases, mitigating and eliminating the current use of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), understanding the impacts of PFAS on human health, and expanding PFAS-related public outreach. PFAS refers to a class of substances that includes perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA). PFAS are found in everyday consumer items – from nonstick cookware to water-resistant clothing. They are also found in certain AFFF. DoD and Army began using AFFF that contained PFAS in the 1970s. Historic use of AFFF is the primary mechanism for release of PFAS at Army facilities.

Regional Environmental and Energy Offices

The Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Offices protect and advance the Army and DoD military mission by engaging State governments, regional Federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to identify and address issues and actions that may affect military operations.

Restoration

Provides policy, advocacy, oversight, and outreach to the Army's Environmental Restoration Program to address the release of hazardous substances; pollutants and contaminants; and military munitions resulting from past activities and to protect human health and the environment at Active and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) installations, Army National Guard facilities, and Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) properties.

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Safety OEH Environmental Quality Restoration Technology MCM

Safety

The Safety Directorate assists the DASA-ESOH in setting the strategic direction, goals and objectives for the Army Safety Program; establishes safety policy and sets safety standards; proposes safety programming and funding; and provides safety program management and oversight. The Safety Directorate supports the ASA(I&E) with principal responsibility for all Department of the Army matters related to safety.

Occupational and Environmental Health

Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) provides support and assistance to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health (DASA [ESOH]) with strategic goals, objectives, guidance, program and budgetary recommendations, and policy development for the Army’s OEH enterprise. In partnership with the Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG), Medical Command (MEDCOM), and the Defense Health Agency (DHA) (to include former Army Public Health Center), OEH provides oversight, management, and coordination of programs and services, ensuring that Soldiers, workers, and Family Members work and live in a safe and healthy environment. The DASA (ESOH) serves as the Department of the Army's primary point of contact with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congress, other Federal agencies, for the Army OEH Program.

OEH includes Occupational Health, Hearing Health, Industrial Hygiene, and Environmental Health. OEH Enterprise programs and services: Assess workplace and environmental health hazards and risks; survey health and illness in employee population; track employee occupational exposures to physical, chemical, and physical stresses (vibration, noise, and radiation); develop preventive measures to reduce toxic and radiological exposures and health risks; recommend prevention measures; train/educate commanders, supervisors and employees to avoid risks and health risks; collect and disseminate occupational illness surveillance data; investigate exposures to blood or other potentially infectious materials; ensure new materials and weapon systems are safe for warfighter use; provide medical support to chemical, biological and nuclear surety programs; safety program support; and conduct epidemiological studies in occupational diseases. Provide toxicological evaluation, data, and assessment of new substances proposed for military use. Provide technical and professional consultative support and assistance to activities responsible for identifying, evaluating, monitoring, and correcting health hazards. Includes resources associated with the operation of separately organized occupational health clinics providing medical care to DoD civilian employees.

FY23 Safety, Occupational, and Environmental Health (SO&EH) Objectives focus efforts at all levels on prominent safety and occupational risks affecting both on- and off-duty activities. The annual SO&EH objectives are defined so that each command’s goals and objectives are aligned to execute the Army’s Safety and Occupational Health Program in the most effective manner possible. To that end, objectives were developed in a working group that included representation from ODASAF, OTSG, AMC, FORSCOM, AFC, and TRADOC.

NEW STRATEGY FOR 2020-2028 RELEASED ON 28 APRIL 2020 Recent trends have identified an average $3 billion loss to preventable injuries, illnesses and mishaps across the Army. To reverse this trend, the entire Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) community has been working in collaboration with our industry partners to identify ways to modernize Army SOH and reduce preventable mishaps. The result of this 18-month collaborative effort is the Safety, Occupational and Environmental Health (SO&EH) Strategy 2020-2028.This is the first time in 10 years the Army has issued SO&EH strategy. The strategy makes the health of our Soldiers, Civilians, Families and contracted personnel an Army priority. It also establishes SO&EH priorities through FY28 and focuses on safety and health modernization across all Army commands and organizations.

Environmental Quality

The ODASA-ESOH has the primary responsibility for the Environmental Quality programs in the Department of the Army. Environmental Quality includes Conservation programs associated with managing natural resource and cultural resource legal requirements, and Native American affairs associated with legal, treaty and trust responsibilities. Compliance programs include managing air, water, and waste legal requirements, environmental impact analysis, and environmental program performance auditing. The ODASA-ESOH is the point of contact for the Army Environmental Program and coordinates with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congress, other Federal agencies.

Helpful Links

Army Compliance Program: The Army Compliance Program includes installation compliance activities to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Toxic Substance Control Act. The Army also implements the Environmental Program Assessment System to audit and assist installations in their compliance programs.

Army Conservation Program: The Army Conservation Program supports the military mission by helping to maintain the availability of Army installation lands for critical military training and testing missions. This occurs through compliance with the Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act, among others. The ODASA-ESOH is the Army's Federal Preservation Officer (FPO) and senior policy level official for historic preservation and executes responsibilities associated with those designations. The Story Map below titled The U.S. Army – Protecting the Resources We Defend, provides a pictorial and GIS-based introduction to the Army’s efforts to protect and conserve the natural resources that we defend.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): The ODASA-ESOH is the authorizing official for the Army’s NEPA regulation 32 CFR 651 Environmental Analysis of Army Actions. This regulation defines the Army process for systematic examination of the environmental consequences associated with proposed Army actions.

Restoration

The vision for the Environmental Restoration Program is to be a national leader in environmental cleanup; addressing past environmental releases that limit or prevent reuse of property. The Army’s environmental cleanup efforts are integral to enabling mission readiness by returning Army lands to usable condition and are critical in protecting human health and the environment from risks associated with substances and practices previously used in Army and Department of Defense (DoD) operations.

To enable this vison, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment (ASA(IE&E)) directed that the restoration program areas be managed under a unified strategy. As a result, in 2003, the Army Environmental Cleanup Strategy was developed to create consistency and accountability. To better support the Army as it transitions, adapts, and improves to meet the demands of the future, this strategy has evolved into the Army Environmental Restoration Plan (AERP). The AERP provides a framework for implementing the Army’s vision for environmental restoration and is updated regularly.

Background: Environmental restoration activities at sites owned, leased, or possessed by the DoD within the U.S. fall under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP). Cleanup under DERP is conducted at Active and Reserve Army installations, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) locations, Army National Guard facilities, and Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS). There are two significant program areas under DERP:

  • The Installation Restoration Program (IRP) identifies, investigates and cleans up contamination posing environmental and health risks at or migrating from Active and Reserve Army installations, BRAC locations, Army National Guard facilities, and FUDS.
  • The Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP) addresses potential risks to human health and the environment from munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) including unexploded ordnance (UXO), discarded military munitions (DMM), or munitions constituent (MC), on non-operational ranges at Active and Reserve Army installations, BRAC locations, and FUDS.

Actions: The Army prioritizes cleanup and distributes funding using a risk management approach that assesses relative risk to human health and the environment and seeks to address the sites with highest risk first. The Army conducts environmental remediation in accordance with DERP, RCRA, and the Comprehensive Environmental Restoration, Compensation, and Liabilities Act (CERCLA). The Army and DoD use CERCLA as the primary legislative authority for managing its nationwide program to ensure a common regulatory approach.

In accordance with DERP and CERCLA, the Army actively informs and involves the public in the cleanup process through a variety of outreach efforts developed for each environmental restoration program area. Activities including public meetings; notices and comment periods; fact sheets; mailings and media releases; as well as Restoration Advisory Boards (RAB) give local citizens and other interested stakeholders the opportunity to learn about and have input into the restoration process.

The U.S. Army Environmental Command (USAEC) provides support for environmental restoration. More information on the functions of USAEC can be found at: https://aec.army.mil/.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) executes environmental restoration at FUDS locations. More information can be found at: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Formerly-Used-Defense-Sites/.

Army Environmental Restoration Program Areas:
  • Active and Reserve IRP and MMRP Programs (including DERP-eligible Army National Guard facilities)
  • BRAC Restoration Program
  • Compliance-related Cleanup Program (For non-DERP eligible sites i.e., select overseas and certain Army National Guard facilities)
DoD Program Lead Agent for which Army designated as lead agent:
  • FUDS Program
  • Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement (DSMOA) Program

Technology & International

The Technology Directorate assists the DASA-ESOH on policy, programming and oversight for Army and DoD environmental technology needs. The Office of Technology identifies, promotes and facilitates the implementation of environmental technology solutions that reduce costs, accelerate land use best practices and foster more efficient environmental stewardship, allowing DoD to focus more of its resources on defense. The Directorate oversees several DoD Executive Agencies and DoD and Army programs.

Technology works to:

  • Oversee policy, program management and execution for Army and DoD environmental technology programs.
  • Facilitate technology transfer and technology insertion through field-based acquisition and adoption of new environmental technologies.
  • Serve as the Army Secretariat lead for DoD and Army environmental technology forums.
  • Manage information technology platforms that facilitate corporate reporting, data collection, collaboration, technology dissemination and exchange of ESOH program information.
  • Inform Congress of Army environmental technology priority needs, prepare Congressional testimony for Environmental Quality Technology, Pollution Prevention, and environmental program activities, and act as advisor to Department leadership on Congressional matters.

In addition, the Directorate provides oversight of the following DoD Executive Agencies:

Munitions and Chemical Matters

Cardinal Rule of Explosives Safety

Expose the minimum number of people to the minimum quantity of explosives for the minimum amount of time.

The Munitions and Chemical Matters Directorate provides policy, oversight, and technical direction for implementation of the Army’s Explosives Safety Management Program, Military Munitions Response Program, and all other Army business lines in which conventional or chemical munitions have the potential to negatively impact the environment, safety, or occupational health. The Munitions and Chemical Matters Directorate provides strategic direction related to munitions and integrates the efforts of other Army Secretariat principals, the Army Staff, the Army Commands, and Army installations worldwide.

Scope includes actions to address unexploded ordnance, discarded military munitions, and munitions constituents, including environmental response actions (i.e., munitions responses), operational range clearance activities, explosives and munitions emergencies, safe and environmentally compliant disposal of waste military munitions, and the Army's 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosives Safety Education Program across the Army inventory of active and closed installations. Manages the Recovered Chemical Warfare Material Program on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of the Defense.

Munitions & Chemical Matters Program Areas: