MCAS Beaufort --
The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Hazardous Waste
Recycle Center works to reduce the amount of hazardous material used and
generated through life-cycle control, data management, and material
authorizations.
The HWRC is the first line of defense to ensure the proper
cleaning and storage of hazardous materials. HWRC does this to ensure the
environment remains clean and residents can stay healthy and safe by limiting
exposure to hazardous chemicals.
“We have to be very cautious about how we store and clean up
hazardous materials,” said Corey Jackson, the environmental inspector with the
hazardous waste for MCAS Beaufort. “A
single mistake can cause fires, groundwater contamination, and injuries to
people and animals. Appropriate items for the collection include aircraft fuel
spills, florescent light bulbs, automotive fluids, garden fertilizers and
pesticides, and certain workshop or household products.”
The greatest threat HWRC faces at the Air Station is fuel
spills.
“In the event of fuel spills we work closely with Aircraft
Rescue and Fire Fighting to make sure the scene of the incident is safe and
that all of the fuel is contained, picked up, and containerized,” said Jackson.
“If fuels seep into the dirt we must remove the contaminated dirt so that we
can prevent polluting the water table. If we don’t do our jobs properly we risk jeopardizing
the lives of those near us and future generations of Marines that get stationed
here, plus we would do great amounts of damage to our environment.”
When hazardous waste is contained employees of the HWRC
containerize the contaminant then store the material. Hazardous materials are
stored in 55-gallon plastic drums, or waste containers.
“After containerizing it we either store it at our on base
facility or give the containers to a storage facility out in town to be tracked
through its life cycle,” said Jackson. “Hazardous materials only stay harmful
for certain periods of time. At the end of this time period, the threat would
be neutralized and we can slowly
integrate those materials back into the environment.”
The hard work of the HWRC has given MCAS Beaufort the
ability to further quantify hazardous material usage and waste reduction goals
through more accurate and effective material and waste tracking. They have also
helped reduce the amount of hazardous materials used and hazardous waste
generated aboard the Air Station.
“We couldn’t complete our mission without the help of the
Air Station Marines we work to protect on a daily basis,” said Jackson. “They
are the ones who call us and inform us of an issue and by doing that they begin
the first of many steps needed to keep their fellow Marines healthy and safe.”