YOKOSUKA, Japan - Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East onboard Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, celebrated their first environmental fair, April 29.
“It is part of April being Earth Month,” said NAVFAC FE Branch Chief for Environmental Conservation Planning and Natural and Cultural Resources Chuck Sayon, “We wanted to try to have an environmental fair that would showcase the activities in and around the base.”
According to Sayon, the goal of the environmental fair is to educate the local community about various issues and projects in and around the base, and to assure people that they’re not alone in their efforts to improve the environment.
“We have a responsibility with our local community to do things in an environmentally beneficial way,” said Sayon. “That’s why I think these types of fairs are important.”
Contractors from local environmental firms had displays representing local wildlife and insects setup at the event.
Also, according to Sayon, the base community should do something daily to improve the planet that we live on.
According to Ryouko Araki, an environmental technician and natural and cultural resources manager, this is the first year that the fair is being held separately. In the past, this fair was held in conjunction with a summer safety fair.
“We’d planned this fair for Earth Day [April 22], but we had an environmental audit,” Araki said.
NAVFACFE has recently been announced as award winners at both the chief of naval operations and secretary of the Navy levels for their environmental programs for fiscal year 2012.
FLEACT, Yokosuka environmental programs provide environmental stewardship for 83 tenant commands and activities which encompass more than 20,000 military and civilian personnel in 5,000 buildings, spread out over 1,700 acres and 8,200 feet of berths. This includes logistic, recreational and administrative support and services to U. . Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and other western pacific forces.