Environmental ADR in the DON
Welcome to the Environmental ADR Page. Interest in
ADR for environmental matters (also called “environmental conflict resolution”
or “ECR”) has increase in the last few years since President Bush signed
Executive Order
13352, “Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation” (August 4, 2004). As a
direct result of the Executive Order, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
and the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) jointly issued a
“Memorandum on Environmental Conflict.” These policy states, generally
speaking, encourage Federal agencies to use collaborative problem solving and
ADR to address environmental issues.
The DON uses ADR for environmental matters in many ways. In the context of
installation restoration, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)
systemically uses “facilitated partnering.” Using this process, the DON, EPA,
state agencies, and contractors operate under a charter that commits each party
to collaboratively work to achieve jointly defined goals. A facilitator assists
the participants so that communication is productive and timely. NAVFAC uses
this method at hundreds of sites around the country, including for example:
o Cecil
Field
o
Jacksonville NAS
o Mayport
NAS
o
Pensacola NAS
o
Orlando Naval Training Center
See the Online
Training to hear from representatives from the EPA, the DON and the State of
Florida who are members of a Tier II partnering team. (Click on “MORE” and
select “Environmental ADR.”)
The DON ADR uses in a variety of other environmental contexts. See for example,
a clean water issue,
and a Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA) issue. CERCLA cases are also prime candidates for
using mediation. One ripe area for the use of ADR is “consultations” under the
National Historic
Preservation Act.
The DON ADR Program Office can provide
training and help your
organization use ADR effectively. For assistance, contact ADR office via
email.
Environmental
Restoration Partnering in Virginia
Virginia
Environmental Partnering Success Stories, 2006
Desk Top Partnering Success Story, Indian Head
NAVFAC Guide to Partnering for Environmental Projects