Niagara contributes to Earth Day

Published April 20, 2012
By Master Sgt. Kevin Nichols
914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, NY- -- As millions of people around the world observe Earth Day April 22 this year, the Air Force is challenging every member of the Air Force family to do their part to conserve natural resources, minimize waste and prevent pollution.

For its part the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station has in place a robust Earth Day informational program which includes a banner at the entrance to the installation and roadside signs; tips for the base population on how to be friendly to the environment; and brochures on environmental conservation tables set up in public areas.

Throughout the year Niagara ARS contributes by recycling paper, cardboard, scrap metal, toner cartridges, cd/dvds and cases, computers, monitors, printers, other electronic waste, appliances, pallets, wood scraps, plastic wrap, plastic and glass beverage containers, batteries, used oil and filters, paint, light bulbs, ballasts and other recyclable construction and demolition debris.

In Fiscal Year 2011, NFARS diverted 99 percent (more than 30,000 tons) of construction debris from being disposed in a landfill primarily due to taxiway and pavement repair projects.

Kim Powell, 914th Mission Support Group Environmental Engineer added another way Niagara strives to reduce its environmental impact is by following the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regulations on stormwater quality and quantity treatment during construction. Powell explained, one example of this is the use of bioretention areas to address parking lot runoff.

At the forefront of design, parking lots were intentionally graded toward these bioretention areas which consist of a layer of native plants and mulch at the surface followed by a thick layer of porous soil followed by an underdrain. This bioretention system as a whole acts to reduce the amount of stormwater discharged to nearby waterways through the uptake of water by plants and water retention in the mulch. The remaining stormwater is then naturally filtered and retained in the thick layer of soil, then slowly released to the nearby waterway at a rate less than or equal to pre-construction.

"I challenge all Airmen to think about pollution prevention in new ways," said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff. "We all need to understand that we can make a difference in managing waste so we can find cleaner, more cost effective ways of accomplishing our mission."

The Air Force fundamentally believes that doing right by the environment - reducing waste, preventing pollution, conserving natural resources - is the right way to do business.

Pollution prevention allows the Air Force to save money, reduce risk, and drive innovation so that we are better able to "fly, fight, and win" now and in the future.

To help emphasize the importance of individual efforts Niagara ARS Airmen and their families are encouraged to visit the Air Force "Blue Acts of Green" social media page site at www.facebook.com/blueactsofgreen to commit to perform an act of "green" at home or work to benefit the environment and prevent pollution.

"We must make a habit of being green, making the most of all the resources we use and looking for opportunities to conserve today for a secure tomorrow," said Erin Conaton, undersecretary of the Air Force and the Air Force senior sustainability officer.