Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs

Mission

The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Office (NREAO) mission is to protect and enhance the natural resources and the environment. MCAS operates according to the Commanding Officer’s policy on environmental management and conservation. It is Marine Corps policy to comply with all applicable environmental requirements and to protect and sustain our installation's natural and cultural resources in support of combat training and operational readiness. This is accomplished by use of the Marine Corps Environmental Management System (EMS) to achieve environmental compliance, sustainability goals, and continually improve performance. The EMS “Plan, Do, Check, Act” cycle reduces risk to the mission and protects the health and safety of Marines, their families, and surrounding communities.

Location

The Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Office (NREAO) is located in Building 601, S-4, Second Floor.

Public Outreach and Updates

The Navy and Marine Corps are hosting an Open House on December 8, 2022, between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm at the Holiday Inn & Suites, 2225 Boundary Street, Beaufort, South Carolina to provide information to the public about the Navy and Marine Corps’ offer to sample drinking water wells near Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort. The sampling is for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which may be present in these drinking water wells due to past use of firefighting foam or other PFAS-containing materials on base.

The Navy and Marine Corps are working in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

To schedule a sampling appointment, please call 800-818-8455.

We are committed to keeping the public informed of the Navy and Marine Corps’ drinking water sampling. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Divisions/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Mid-Atlantic/Beaufort-MCAS/

Notice of Intent to Request a Class 3 Modification to the Hazardous Waste Permit:

A Public Meeting on this modification request will be held on June 22, 2022 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1500 Queen St., Beaufort, SC 29902 from 7 - 8 p.m.

• Notice of Intent to Request Class 3 Modification

• RCRA Class 3 Permit Modification Fact Sheet

Education

Useful Links:

• CETEP

• Environmental Coordinators Training Request Form

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Overview

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal decision-makers, at all levels, to consider the environmental consequences of a proposed action in the planning process, prior to decision making.  Full public disclosure of expected environmental impacts, alternatives, and mitigation measures from proposed actions is required by this procedural statute.  It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to use all practicable means and measures to achieve productive harmony in cooperating with local and state governments, as well as other concerned public/private organizations.  All new and some continuing/recurring activities to include projects, exercises, programs fully or partly funded, assisted, conducted or regulated by a federal agency are actions subject to the NEPA process.

In coordination with command, staff sections, action proponents, subject matter experts (SME), and the Environmental Impact Review Board (EIRB), the Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Office (NREAO) manages and ensures compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Council on Environmental Quality regulations, and Department of the Navy/U.S. Marine Corps/MCAS Beaufort policies, procedures and directives.

Environmental Requirements

All actions which may have an impact on the human environment (includes the natural and physical environment and the relationship of people with that environment) apply to the NEPA requirements.  Alone, the social and economic impacts are not sufficient to trigger NEPA.  Any action meeting the NEPA requirements and ones not considered exempt, must be documented in accordance with the procedures established in the MCO 5090.2 Vol. 12.

Any command/staff section planning to conduct an action/activity/project shall complete and submit a Request for Environmental Impact Review (REIR) form to NREAO with details of the proposed action, objectives, and expected results.  Program managers and SME’s will evaluate the REIR to assist in determining the level and detail of NEPA required.  The EIRB will then vote on the proposed recommendation and level of NEPA required. 

For actions where a categorical exclusion (CATEX) can be applied with no extraordinary circumstances present, a Decision Memorandum would be used for documentation.  For actions where a CATEX does not apply and the impact is unsure, an Environmental Assessment (EA) would be conducted.  If the EA results in no significant impacts, a Finding of No Significant Impact would be used for documentation.  In contrast, if the EA results in significant impact, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would then be conducted.  For actions where a CATEX does not apply and it is known that the impact will be significant, an EIS would be conducted and the Record of Decision would be used for documentation.

Please see the links below for further details on the NEPA process.  

Resources

42 U.S.C. 4321:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title42/pdf/USCODE-2010-title42-chap55-sec4321.pdf

32 CFR 775:

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=c1b646951709bb58292d934dfdb3bc08&node=pt32.5.775&rgn=div5

40 CFR 1500-1508:

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=c1b646951709bb58292d934dfdb3bc08&node=pt40.33.1500&rgn=div5

MCO 5090.2 Vol. 12:

https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/MCO%205090.2_Vol_12.pdf?ver=2018-06-19-093529-433

Final Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements

F-35B East Coast Basing Environmental Impact Statement:

https://www.beaufort.marines.mil/Portals/53/Docs/Volume_I_Final_EIS.pdf?ver=2012-05-10-121441-413

Environmental Assessment for Proposed Air Installation Compatible Use Zone Land Acquisition at Beaufort, South Carolina:

https://www.beaufort.marines.mil/Portals/53/Docs/BeaufortFinalEA_June2011.pdf

Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Modernization and Expansion of Townsend Bombing Range, Georgia:

https://www.beaufort.marines.mil/Portals/53/TBR/EIS/Vol.%20I%20(Complete).pdf

Airfield Seizure Exercise Environmental Assessment:

https://www.beaufort.marines.mil/Portals/53/Airfield%20Seizure%20Exercises_Finding%20of%20No%20Significant%20Impact%20and%20Final%20Environmental%20Assessment.pdf

Environmental Assessments & Environmental Impact Statements In Progress

Environmental Assessment for Ambulatory Care Center Replacement at MCAS Beaufort

• MCAS Beaufort Ambulatory Care Center Final Environmental Assessment

• MCAS Beaufort Signed FONSI for Ambulatory Care Center Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessment for Pier Replacement at MCAS Beaufort

• MCAS Beaufort Pier Factsheet

• MCAS Beaufort Pier Replacement Final Focused Environmental Assessment

• MCAS Beaufort Signed FONSI for Pier Replacement Environmental Assessment

Comments may be submitted by emailing to BFRT_JPAO@usmc.mil

Radon Assessment

Mission Statement

It is the mission of MCAS Beaufort, in unification with the Navy, Marine Corps, and the Commanding Officer to prioritize the health of its military personnel, civilians, and their families.  Navy Radon Policy instructs all Navy installations to implement Navy Radon Assessment and Mitigation Program (NAVRAMP) worldwide.  US Marine Corps Radon Policy states that all Marine Corps installations must implement all phases of the NAVRAMP.  Under this program MCAS Beaufort will ensure the proper implementation and measures are taken to protect our health to the fullest.

Radon Assessment at MCAS Beaufort

The NAVRAMP overall objective is to test all Navy & Marine Corps Installations worldwide using a sampling protocol that would ensure an overall 95% statistical confidence that no single building would have elevated radon potential.  Under this program, the Air Station will be conducting a radon assessment with the purpose to test all ground contact, occupied (>4 hours/day) or easily occupiable rooms (vacant room or office space that can be easily converted into occupiable or living space).

Radon detectors are planned to be placed in testable buildings in April 2021.  They will be kept in place for 1 year and will be retrieved approximately one year after they are placed in the buildings.

If you have questions about the details of the assessment, please see the following resources:

• Radon PowerPoint Presentation

• Infographic

• FAQs

• Navy Radon Policy (established in Chapter 25, Section 3.2 of OPNAV M-5090.1 (US Navy 2014))

• US Marine Corps Radon Policy (established in Volume 6, Chapter 3, Paragraph 0307 of MCO 5090.2 (11 June 2018)

• https://scdhec.gov/environment/your-home/radon

• https://www.epa.gov/radon

Radon Assessment Timeline

• April – May 2021

  • Radon Detector Placement (Approximately 4 weeks in length)

• October – November 2021

  • Radon Detector Attrition Check (Approximately 4 weeks in length)

• April – May 2022

  • Radon Detector Collection (Approximately 4 weeks in length)

• July 2022

  • Radon Detector Analysis

• October – November 2022

  • Final Radon Test Report

Radon Assessment Results

• Radon Assessment PDF

Water

Mission Statement

From MCO 5090.2, Volume 20, Marine Corps installations in the United States will comply with all substantive and procedural wastewater and stormwater regulations established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or those states that have been granted primary enforcement responsibility. These requirements include federal, state, interstate, and local laws, executive orders, and regulations respecting the control and abatement of water pollution such as load reduction requirements resulting from the development of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for impaired water bodies.

Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA) owns and operates the drinking water and wastewater systems at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort.  McIntosh County, GA operates the drinking water system at Townsend Bombing Range (TBR)

Stormwater

Industrial and construction activities at MCAS Beaufort are subject to the Clean Water Act and South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) Pollution Control Act. Stormwater at MCAS Beaufort is managed by a system of best management practices, which convey stormwater to various ponds and other structures that remove sediment and other pollutants, before discharging to receiving waters off-site. This includes structures designed to prevent erosion of soil from stormwater. Construction projects are reviewed and designed to limit erosion and sedimentation throughout the design and construction process.

MCAS Beaufort operates under the Industrial and Construction General Permits for South Carolina:

MCAS Beaufort Industrial Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP Industrial)

SC Industrial General Permit

https://des.sc.gov/sites/des/files/Documents/BOW/Stormwater/BOW_IndustrialStormwaterGP2022.pdf

SC Construction General Permit

https://des.sc.gov/sites/des/files/Documents/BOW/Stormwater/SCDESCGP2026.pdf

Other SCDHEC Forms and information can be found at the following site:

https://des.sc.gov/programs/bureau-water/stormwater

Drinking Water

Drinking water at MCAS Beaufort is supplied by BJWSA.  Drinking water at TBR is provided by McIntosh County, GA.  For more information on water quality and regulatory requirements, please see the links below:

• https://bjwsa.org/

• https://www.bjwsa.org/military/

• BJWSA Consumer Confidence Reports

• 2025 TBR Consumer Confidence Report

3T Sampling (Lead in Priority Areas):

Per MCO 5090.2, Vol 16, Paragraph 0317, Marine Corps installations are required to follow EPA guidelines when sampling and testing water for lead from water fountains, faucets, and other outlets used primarily by children. These “priority areas” are defined as outlets in primary and secondary schools, Child Development Centers (CDCs), School Age Centers, and Youth and Teen Center. Priority areas do not include on-base or off-base residences (e.g., Family Child Care Homes) used for childcare purposes, out-patient medical centers, or schools that are not owned or managed by the Department of Defense.

MCIEAST initially sampled for lead in priority areas at MCAS Beaufort and Laurel Bay in 2014.  The latest round of testing by MCIEAST took place in March of 2021. Results and information for the latest round of sampling are available below, as well as information on USMC and EPA policy for lead in priority areas.

It is important to note that this is a voluntary program for the USMC, which goes beyond EPA regulations for lead in drinking water.

Links

• Marine Corps Policy Letter

• MCAS Beaufort CDC and Laurel Bay Schools Results from 2021

• MCAS Beaufort CDC and Laurel Bay Schools Notification of Results

• Laurel Bay Family Services Center (Temporary CDC) and Bolden Annex (Temporary Youth Center) Results 2021

• Laurel Bay Family Services Center (Temporary CDC) and Bolden Annex (Temporary Youth Center) Notification of Results 2021

• Drinking Water Assessment 

• https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/3ts-reducing-lead-drinking-water-toolkit

PFAS

For more information on MCAS Beaufort’s PFAS efforts please see the link below:

• https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Business-Lines/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Mid-Atlantic/Beaufort-MCAS/PFAS-Sampling/

Wastewater

The service for collection and treatment of domestic sewage and wastewater at MCAS Beaufort is provided by BJWSA. For more information on wastewater collection, treatment, and regulatory requirements, please see the links below:

• https://www.bjwsa.org/collection/

• https://www.bjwsa.org/military/