For military organisations globally, environmental protection has become an increasingly critical consideration – whether managing hazardous waste or ensuring compliance with fast-evolving regulations.
Given our expertise in this field, we were appointed to assess the environmental conditions at sites that are currently being used – and those flagged for potential use – by the U.S. Forces in Europe.
All nine sites, which include bases and training areas are situated in three countries in Europe: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Engaging local experts and public resources
Based out of our Poland office, we were well placed to manage teams in all three countries due to the close geographic and cultural proximity.
Our responsibilities involved reviewing historic research, conducting interviews, performing site surveys and building assessments, preparing technical reports, creating graphics with GIS software, and coordinating the project with the client and other stakeholders.
To complete the environmental compliance assessments, we engaged local consultants to conduct interviews with site and Ministry of Defence representatives in the local language of each country.
We also collated data from public databases and used GIS software to visualise the data effectively within our reports.
A proactive approach to project challenges
Part of our work involved dealing with challenges faced by the client, such as the lack of sufficient information for some of the sites and difficulties locating the exact areas for investigation.
To navigate these issues, we led weekly calls with the project team on the ground, relaying any information shared by the site representatives. This ensured that any data gaps – for example those caused by classified information – did not come as a surprise to the client.
Helping the client identify and manage environmental risks
Thanks to the close cooperation between the site representatives and subcontractors, we were able to complete the works successfully within the allocated time and budget.
Our reports not only identified several environmental matters requiring attention, but they also provided actionable steps for the client as well as baseline studies for assessing conditions at U.S. Army sites in Europe.