Appendix H
Environmental Officer
AR 200-l defines an environmental officer/Marine Corps environmental compliance coordinator as an individual assigned to an organization or unit to accomplish environmental compliance requirements on behalf of the commander, director, or supervisor. The designated person also coordinates with supporting installation environmental staff for requirements clarification and assistance. The commander determines organizational levels and the required grade suitable for environmental officers. Environmental officers are generally required at battalion and unit (company, battery, or troop) level. In garrison directorates, they are generally required at the division level (branch level if the organization generates HW).
ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER
H-l. Environmental compliance is the unconditional obedience to international, foreign nation, federal, state, and local environmental rules, regulations, and guidelines that affect current operations. In units including a staff officer with similar responsibilities, the environmental officer will usually be given this additional duty. In company-size units, this duty will generally translate to an additional duty.
H-2. The environmental officer manages environmental issues within the unit and ensures environmental compliance. He also coordinates through the respective chain of command with the supporting installation environmental staff to clarify requirements and obtain assistance. The vignette on page H-4 further illustrates the requirement to coordinate with the installation environmental staff.
H-3. While this position of responsibility is not a formal staff position, the environmental officer is critical to the commander's environmental program. The environmental officer-
• Advises the unit on environmental compliance during training, operations, and logistics functions.
• Advises and updates the commander on the unit's environmental consideration integration and performance standards.
• Updates and maintains the environmental portion of the SOP.
• Coordinates between the unit and higher/installation headquarters environmental staffs.
• Manages information concerning unit environmental training and certification requirements.
• Conducts unit environmental self-assessments.
• Conducts environmental risk assessments.
• Serves as the SME to the commander on the integration of environmental considerations into
OPLANs/OPORDs.
H-4. Table H-l, page H-2, provides information relating to the environmental officer and applicable references, required training, and the point of contact for each duty. The environmental officer must identify and assess the status of compliance with any new regulatory requirements enacted since the last assessment and address any special areas of concern specified by higher headquarters.
ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER TRAINING
H-5. The environmental officer will be trained to accomplish assigned duties. Improper training may result in NOVs, fines, and more work (see the vignette for more information about proper training). The training requirements for the environmental officer depend on the environmental issues within the unit and the coordination required through the respective chain of command. Units should consult with their higher headquarters and supporting environmental management office for location-specific training requirements outlined in table H-1.
H-6. Installations (including OCONUS) currently provide installation-specific training programs. Check with the local environmental management office for attendance requirements. The Environmental Compliance Officer's Course (052-E-0036) and other training resources for the unit environmental officer to use are available through the Army's Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library at
<http://www.train.army.mil>.