The Emerging Issues Program allows AFCEE/TDV to proactively identify and respond to emerging environmental issues that have the potential to significantly impact the AF mission.
Emerging Issues (EIs) are defined as any chemical, material or item that has the potential to affect the Air Force's ability to execute programs, impact schedules, increase cost, alter the technical approach, or necessitate the need to develop new partnerships.
Emerging Contaminants (ECs) are chemicals or materials that are characterized by a perceived or real threat to human health or the environment, for which there is no currently published health standard, or for which the scientific basis of the standard is evolving or being re-evaluated. There may also be new pathways or detection limits.
Contaminants that are already known, have toxicity values, or are already regulated may still be considered "emerging" because the science has evolved to the point where the regulatory climate can be expected to change. Emerging contaminants may be site-specific given state-led regulatory standards and site-specific conditions. The AFCEE EI Program complements and supports the Department of Defense (DoD) approach for identifying and responding to emerging contaminants (DoD's Emerging Contaminants Program). The DoD Emerging Contaminants (EC) Program addresses chemicals or materials determined to be undergoing changes in science that supports existing regulations or health standards. The DoD EC Program identifies, evaluates, and mitigates (when warranted) risk due to possible regulatory shifts that may have consequences for people, the environment, the DoD mission, and DoD business functions. DoD ECs are listed on the DoD "Action List" or "Watch List" depending on the degree of risk identified in one or more of five functional areas (Environment, Safe and Health; Training and Readiness; Acquisition/Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation; Production, Operation, Maintenance, and Disposal of DoD assets; and the Cleanup Program). The chemicals or materials on the Action List present a high probable risk to the DoD mission and risk management options are developed and implemented to reduce risks. For more information on DoD's Emerging Contaminants (EC) Program, please visit :
http://www.denix.osd.mil/cmrmd/ECMR/index.cfm
The AFCEE Emerging Issues Program focuses on issues that impact AF environmental programs and environmental liability. AFCEE's strategy for addressing emerging environmental issues uses a proactive, systematic, and data-driven approach focused on long-term risk management. Goals for the AF Emerging Issues Program include: increasing the awareness of EIs and their potential impact to AF environmental programs, developing proactive data-driven decision support and programmatic recommendations, providing technical support to the AF, ensuring AF-wide consist responses to EIs, and developing effective communication between members of the AF, DoD and interested public.
Emerging Issues of interest to AFCEE
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), 1,4-Dioxane, Hexavalent Chromium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated pesticides
Please contact the Emerging Issues Program Manager for additional information afcee.tdv.afcee.tdemergingissues@us.af.mil
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