DOD's environmental technology development

Abstract

This article discusses environmental technology developments in the Department of Defense (DOD) and how the use of innovative technologies can substantially reduce costs and increase the effectiveness of DOD environmental programs. DOD's overall strategy for environmental technology is to identify and establish priorities among users' needs and to implement environmental solutions through the development of technologies and their subsequent transfer to the user community. The authors examine the oversight and management of the Environmental Technology Development Process (ETDP) and the roles of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDRE) and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security (DUSD(ES)). The respective roles of the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, and supporting efforts by the military components are reviewed. The authors also highlight a number of promising environmental technology initiatives and their potential benefits to DOD. The article concludes with a discussion of DOD technology transfer efforts and the mechanisms being used for the collection and dissemination of data on technology availability and performance—including relevant Web site and Internet addresses.