INTRODUCTION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL TOOLBOX ANNEX FOR MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN COLD REGIONS

The purpose of thecold regions annexis to provide a military unita toolbox of environmental awareness training resources. It will help personnel plan and implement sound environmental practiceswhile conductingland-based military activities in cold regions such as routine training and exercises, protecting a nation’s sovereignty,emergency response, and search and rescue operations. This material should be used in conjunction with the Environmental Toolbox for Deploying Forces.[1]

This annex defines “cold regions” as areas where cold temperatures, unique terrain, orthe presence of snow and ice significantly affect military operations andwhere ground is frozen to a sufficient extent that digging is especially difficult. Importantly, in a cold climate environment, “frost affects engineering systems; ice on rivers, lakes, and harbors interferes with transportation or damages structures; snow load must be considered in the design of structures; low temperatures affect the efficiency of man or machines, safety of roadways and power lines; [and] the manifestations of low temperature affect the economics of engineering design.”[2] Such cold regions exist in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. This annex is not focused on any specific region, although we do recognize that changes in the Arctic and neighboring regions have heightened awareness about environmental conditions and the challenges involved in training and operating there.

Several stipulations about thisannex should be noted at the outset:

  • The annex focuses on environmental considerations for military activities specifically as they relate to cold regions, but understandably does not address the full range of considerations of military operations in such conditions (such as the effects on humans and the need for special protective clothing).
  • This annex is primarily designed for use by planners and environmental officers.
  • It isassumed that forces will deploy in an austere cold weather environment where there is no (or very little) existing infrastructure. Much of the original toolbox can be applied to cold regions where there is already developed, permanent infrastructure.
  • This annex focuses onoperations that will be a maximum of 60 days durationfor up to 1,000 personnel and anticipates primary reliance on field-expedient processes and technologies.

The materials contained in this annex include guidance, methods, technology information, and other resources intended to assist forces in planning, establishing, and properly managing the environmental component of military activities in cold regions.

This productwas developed by subject matter experts from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the United States in 2015-2016 and is an outgrowth of Finnish-Swedish-U.S. collaboration on an initial environmental toolbox for deploying forces. The initial toolbox was focused more on land operations of varying durationsin moderate climates, whereas this annex applies to short-term, land-basedactivities in cold climates.[3]This work reflects a shared commitment to proactively protect the health and safety of deployed forces, reduce the environmental impacts of military operations, and promote the efficient use of resources while ensuring mission success. However, while this effort was supported by the contributing nations’ ministries of defense, the materials contained herein do not necessarily reflect the official policies or doctrine of any nation. Rather, they represent the combined knowledge and ideas of the contributors, who have significant expertise in this area. In addition, the information provided is meant only as guidance, and the authors recognize that different countries will have different procedures, agreements, and regulations for how environmental practices and policies will be pursued.

How Operations in Cold Regions are Different

There are important ways in which operations in cold regions differ from operations in other regions. These were taken into consideration in the preparation of this annex. Among them:

  • Cold regions have very environmentally sensitive ecosystems, with slow growth and very long recovery times. As a result, it is that much more important to integrate environmental considerations carefully into planning and execution.
  • Planning can be more difficult due to rapid, significant seasonal variations.
  • Logistics are generally more complicated due to the lack of existing or maintained infrastructure, the effects of changes in ground conditions (ice-packed roads that become mud, ice-covered waterways that melt, etc.), and generally harsh weather conditions. For example, thawing ground impedes vehicle and personnel movement.
  • Construction of infrastructure (including temporary) is clearly more complex when operating on frozen ground, requiring special equipment, techniques and considerations.
  • There are differences in the way materiel behaves at low temperatures, such asthe strength of materialsand the performance of seals/gaskets, lubricants, and some electrical and electronic components and systems.
  • There are differences in the way pollutants may behave. This is most notable in the case of petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pollution.Their properties and behavior in and under ice or snow are topics of considerable scientific research. For example, oil recovery in icy conditions will be more complicated when oil or oily waste adheres to solid or crushed ice.
  • There is an increasing appreciation for the importance of energy considerations in military activities.Given the supply line challenges and greater energy demands in cold regions, energy and energy-related technologies become an even more important factor to address.Indeed, failure to provide energy can fundamentally jeopardize the mission and human life. Enhancing the energy efficiency of overall operations can contribute to a reduced environmental footprint. For example, using less non-renewable energy—through more efficient insulation, the use of alternative energy sources, energy conservation, more effective energy distribution systems, etc.—reduces transportation and storage requirements, which can in turn help reduce the risk of spills and leaks.

These and other topics relevant to the environmental impact of military operations in cold regions are addressed in this annex.

Structure of this Annex

In addition to this introduction, there is one power-point file which covers the following topics, specifically as related to military activities in cold regions:

  • Special conditions
  • Planning considerations
  • Land use and infrastructure
  • Solid waste
  • Hazardous materials and hazardous waste
  • Water and waste water management
  • Spill response
  • Energy
  • References

Each of the last five categories contains, at a minimum, a general overview of the topic, storage aspects, and disposal options. Remember that this annex should be used in conjunction with the original toolbox to provide a fuller picture of all the environmental aspects that should be considered.

At the end of the power-point file, there are references to relevant cold region-related documents. There are certainly other reference materials available. Indeed, users are encouraged to search for other documents, especially those that are published after this annex was created(July 2016).We hope you find the annex interesting as well as useful.

About the Participants

This annex was developed under the auspices of the established environmental cooperation among the defense organizations of Finland, Sweden and the United States. These three nations have welcomed the participation of subject matter experts from Canada and Denmark as well. As with all such endeavors, any errors are those of the team members and do not reflect the official positions of any of the nations or their departments of defense. All contributors are listed in alphabetical order.

Henry Berghuis (Canada)is a Major in the Canadian Army. From 2010 to 2014, he was employed as the Staff Officer Environmental Management at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe), providing environmental advice to commanders and staff at NATO’s strategic military level. During this time, he was also responsible for the curriculum of the NATO School’s environmental protection courses, and taught extensively on the same. From 2014-2016, he was the Environmental Officer at Canadian Joint Operations Command, providing environmental advice for Canadian international and domestic operations. He has deployed on six international missions, including Kuwait (1991), Croatia (1992-1993), Bosnia-Herzegovina (1994), Macedonia (2001) and Afghanistan (2003 and 2007). He has a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada.

Lloyd Chubbs (Canada)is a retired Majorin the Canadian Army. During his 32 year military career, he was employed as an artillery officer from 1984 to 2000 and a Combat Engineer from 2000-2016. He participated in five international missions: in ex-Yugoslavia (1992-93), Haiti (1997 and 2004), Palestine (2009-10) and Afghanistan (2011). In 2007-09, he worked as Joint Engineer Plans at the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command in Ottawa, Canada. From 2010-14, he was the Environmental Advisor for Canadian domestic and international operations at the Canadian Operational Support Command and then Canadian Joint Operations Command. Since July 2014, he has been employed as SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) Staff Officer Environmental Management in Mons, Belgium. His duties included providing strategic advice on environmental management to NATO HQs as well as being responsible for the conduct of the NATO School’s environmental protection courses. Hewas the chairman of the NATO Environmental Protection Working Group (EPWG) from 2014-2016 and the Allied Command Operations Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Working Groupfrom 2015-2016. He has a Masters in Environmental Engineering from the University of New Brunswick.

Susan Clark-Sestak(U.S. team leader)is a senior research staff member at the Institute for Defense Analyses, a think tank for the U.S. Department of Defense. She has worked on a number of international environmental projects in cooperation with Finland, Sweden and South Africa. She was a member of the Finnish-Swedish-US team that authored the Environmental Guidebook for Military Operations and the Environmental Toolbox for Deploying Forces. She was also the project team leader to create programs of instruction on this same topic for use by African peacekeeping forces. Ms. Clark-Sestak has a Master’s degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian from Middlebury College.

Hans-Björn Fischhaber(Swedish team leader) is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Swedish cavalry and works as Deputy Environmental Director at the Joint Environmental Department in the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) HQ. This is his second period at the Environmental Department; the first period was 1999-2005. He graduated as a Fortification Officer at the general staff course at the National Defense College in Stockholm. Lt Col Fischhaber has worked as Fortification Commander in the county of Stockholm and Gotland and also as Commander for the office of Way and Waterbuilding Corps and Building and Rescue Readiness bureau. He also worked as an environmental advisor for the commander of OHQ Nordic battle group in 2006-08. In 2008-09, he served as the Swedish Liaison officer at the German operations center (Einsatzfürungskommando des Bundeswehr) in Potsdam, Germany. He received his environmental education at the Royal Institute of Technology and Mid Sweden University.

Abigail Goss (U.S.) has been the U.S. European Command Environmental Security Program Manager since Dec 2011. She is responsible for conducting Theater Security Cooperation engagement on behalf of US European Command with NATO and non-NATO partners on environmental security and environmental engineering topics. She has over 20 years of experience with the Department of Defense as an active duty military or reserve officer (currently a U.S. Navy Commander/OF-4), as well as through civil service. She has over 10 years of overseas environmental experience, predominantly in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Masters in International Policy (Energy, Environmental, and Economics) from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Naznoush Habashian(Sweden)is Environmental Director at the Swedish Armed Forces HQ, Joint Environmental Department. Before this position, Dr. Habashian was Head of R&D. In that position, she awarded contracts to the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV), Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI), colleges, and other institutions. Dr. Habashian is currently also Co-Director for two NATO Science for Peace and Stability (SPS) projects, “NATO Smart Energy Team” and “Sustainable Compounds toward a Zero Footprint Compound.” She has two Masters of Science degrees, both from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Machine Design and Environmental Management. She has an Industrial Ph.D. in Recycling and Reuse at Stena Metall AB & Royal Institute of Technology. She also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from IHM Business School in Gothenburg.

Mikell Hager(U.S.) is the Technical Advisor for the Directorate of Environmental Integration at the US Army Engineer School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. She is responsible for providing technical environmental support for the integration of environmental considerations into the doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leader development, personnel, facilities, and policy domains for Army contingency operations. Ms. Hager provided subject matter expertise to the US Army Capabilities Based Assessments to identify environmental considerations issues and solutions for future sustainment, environmental, and engineering capability requirements for military operations. Ms. Hager has worked on environmental and base camp doctrine regarding sustainable power, water and waste issues and was the project lead for Army Techniques Publication 3-34.5, Environmental Considerations. She has taught environmental considerations to the US Army Engineer School Captains Career Course, Basic Officer Leader Course, Warrant Officer Advanced Course, and Warrant Officer Basic Course. She has also provided support to US Africa Command and US Army Africa Command Environmental Security programs and was a member of the Finnish-Swedish-US team that authored the Environmental Toolbox for Deploying Forces. Ms. Hager has a Master of Science degree in Biology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Missouri Southern State University.

Sami Heikkilä(Finnish team leader)is an environmental specialist in the Ministry of Defence. He has been working for MoD since 1999, focusing on national and international environmental issues as a civilian official. Mr. Heikkilä is currently working for MoD in the Community and Environment Unit. This unit is responsible for garrison development matters, which are based on comprehensive planning focusing on military operations and their development, general economy, the life cycle economy of investments, environmental protection and safety and social interaction. Mr. Heikkilä’s primary areas of professional focus are environmental management, climate change and sustainable development. In 1999, he graduated from Espoo –Vantaa Institute of Technology as a Land Surveyor and at the same time started his career in MoD. He has also worked in MTT Agrifood Research Finland and the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute during the last decade, taking part in environmental research programs. He is currently finalizing his Master Degree studies in Environmental Ecology at the University of Helsinki.

Maren Kann Hostrup (Denmark)is an environmental specialist at the Danish Defence Estates and Infrastructure Organisation (DDEIO). She has been working at DDEIO since 2014, as an internal consultant in environmental matters. Ms. Hostrup’s responsibilities include advising on contaminated soil and water with regards to the Danish Defence. She has experience in handling contaminated sites and other environmental issues in arctic areas (Greenland). Before joining DDEIO, she worked as a consultant in environmental matters in the private sector at the consulting firm Grontmij. Ms. Hostrup is also educated as a fire and rescue leader in the Danish Emergency Management Agency, where she taught and trained personnel in fire, rescue and environmental protection. She has a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Aalborg, Denmark.

Sara Kajander (Finland)is the Director of the Environmental Branch at the Construction Establishment of the Finnish Defence Administration (CEDA). She has an MSc degree in geology from the University of Helsinki (1998), and has been working for the CEDA since 2004. Her areas of special expertise include hydrogeology, contaminated soil management, technical environmental protection and environmental management.Ms. Kajander has been working with environmental considerations in contingency operations since 2005. She has co-authored both the “Environmental Guidebook for Military Operations” and the “Environmental Toolbox for Deploying Forces.”

Christian Knutson (U.S.) was the U.S. European Command Environmental Security Interim Program Manager from February to September 2016, and was responsible for developing military environmental engineering capabilities that ensure safe and effective joint military operations and civil-military collaboration. Mr. Knutson is a retired U.S. Air Force civil engineer officer and has worked more than a decade in Europe and the Middle East on engineering programs at both the garrison and regional levels. During a previous posting to U.S. European Command, he worked with NATO on development of several Capability Packages and was a member of the multi-national team of subject experts who re-wrote the Criteria and Standards for Airfields, the first major update since the early 1990s. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University and a Masters in Business Administration from Colorado State University. He is also a licensed engineer in North Carolina and Michigan and a certified Project Management Professional.

Kevin Knuuti (U.S.) is a Technical Director at the U.S. Army’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. In the Army, he served as an active duty engineer officers is various positions and continues to serve in the Army Reserve. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has a Masters from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD from Colorado State University.

Hanna Luhtio (Finland)is an environmental specialist at Construction Establishment of Finnish Defence Administration (CEDA). She has been working for CEDA since 2010, specializing in energy and climate issues, chemicals management and environmental data management and reporting. She has participated in several international cooperation forums and working groups regarding sustainable and efficient use of energy and environmental aspects within the defence sector, such as Nordic-Baltic Defence Estates cooperation and consultation forum facilitated by European Defence Agency. Ms. Luhtio has a Master of Science degree in Technology from Lappeenranta University of Technology where she committed an academic major in Environmental Technology and extensive minors in Business Knowledge and Industrial Engineering and Management.