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News | May 28, 2019

NSA Naples Completes External Environmental Audit

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Donavan K. Patubo Naval Support Activity Naples

Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples successfully completed its 2019 External Environmental Management System (EMS) and Environmental Compliance Audit, May 23, 2019.

The purpose of the audit is to evaluate the status of environmental compliance requirements and the installation's EMS with respect to applicable regulations and instructions.

Key factors in achieving environmental compliance include maintaining a well-trained and environmentally smart workforce; recommending and implementing environmental program improvements as technologies, regulations and situations change; and meeting EMS objectives and targets.

“Unlike other evaluations, there is no score given and no pass or fail rating,” Installation Environmental Program Director Matt Klimoski said. “The objective is to make sure that we have an effective system in place to ensure compliance with environmental requirements, and that the command understands what the main environmental concerns are and takes them into account when planning future actions.”

The audit lasted from May 20 to 24 and was conducted by a team of representatives from Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. The audit team’s job is to identify issues that may not have been identified by local staff.

“Because you work with it every day sometimes you miss little things that an external person doesn’t,” Klimoski said. “That’s because you’ve walked by it 20 times and you’ve become blind to it. But the external person says, ‘What’s that?’, and they ask further questions. This gives us an extra level of protection for environmental compliance.”

Over the four day evaluation, the audit team visited Capodichino, Support Site, Gaeta, Satellite Communications Lago Patria, and Admiral Robert B. Carney Park, assessing several issues such as hazardous materials, medical waste, and pollution prevention.

“We want to make sure we are being good stewards of the environment,” Regional Environmental Compliance and EMS Manger Dexter Robeson, the audit team lead, said. “People may look through the fence and think we’re not doing what we should be doing, but we’re showing them that we are. These audits show that all the way up the chain of command to Navy Headquarters, where we send the reports.”

Auditors had plenty of positive feedback during the May 28 out-brief, stating that there were no major EMS deficiencies and commenting on how much better the base facilities looked compared to past audits. This falls in line with NSA Naples’ environmental policy, which seeks to continuously improve operational activities and prevent negative environmental impacts.

“It was a good audit,” Robeson added. “There was significant improvement overall and I think they will continue to do well because they have good policies set in place.”

To learn more about environmental compliance requirements or the results of the 2019 External Environmental Management System (EMS) and Environmental Compliance Audit, email the Installation Environmental Program Director, Matt Klimoski, matthew.klimoski@eu.navy.mil or call DSN 626-6644.

NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.