Photo By Keith Hayes | The Exemplar Award presented by the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District is...... read more read more
Air pollution control programs instituted by Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., have earned the base an Exemplar Award from the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District.
The award was presented to representatives of the base during the air district’s Sept. 24 board meeting at its headquarters in Victorville.
“I nominated MCLBB for the award because all of the 101 air permits it administers on both the Yermo Annex and the Nebo side of the base are in compliance with emissions regulations,” May Mamari, MDAQMD air quality specialist, said.
“The Marine Base in Twentynine Palms and MCLB Barstow have the potential for emitting a lot of air pollution if they don’t take the clean air standards seriously,” Mamari added. “The Marine base in Barstow went way beyond what was requested of them in complying with clean air standards.”
Cody Leslie was the Air Quality Program manager for the Environmental Division at MCLB Barstow during the period covered by the Exemplar Award.
“Any source that produces emissions has to have a permit to operate,” Leslie said. “That would be our gas stations, both at the Marine Corps Exchange and the government gas stations, all combustion engine-operated generators, the paint shop and the blast facilities at Production Plant Barstow, they all require permits.”
MDAQMD spokesperson Ryan Orr said there are 35 Air Quality Management Districts in California, and each year only one government or civilian organization from each district is chosen to receive the Exemplar Award.
“The district that MCLB Barstow is located in is the second largest in the state,” Orr said. “It covers 20,000 square miles and has more than 3,000 facilities it oversees.”
The award is a repeat for the Marine Corps, according to the MDAQMD website. Last year the Exemplar Award went to the Marine Corps Air, Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.
On hand to accept the award on behalf of the base at the MDAQMD were Sgt. Maj. Sergio MartinezRuiz, base sergeant major; Cody Leslie, Natural Resources Program specialist, MCLBB; Michael Fernandez, Air Quality Program manager; and Bo Gonzales, division head for risk management, who oversees the environmental and safety departments at PPB, Marine Depot Maintenance Command.
“We have several operations at the Plant that could produce serious emissions,” Gonzalez said, “but we mitigate those with our various programs. It’s the men and women doing the work that are aware of their responsibilities to be good stewards of the environment and it’s them that make it possible to comply with clean air standards.”
“This award shows that all employees at the base work hard to maintain the high standards of excellence that we require,” MartinezRuiz said, “not just in the area of environmental protection but all aspects of operation of the base.”
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2018 17:49 |
| Story ID: | 294700 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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