Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations & Environment) Dennis McGinn presented the P-8A environment, safety and occupational health (ESOH) team with the Secretary of the Navy's fiscal year 2015 environmental award for "Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition, Large Program" category, Aug. 5.

The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Program Office (PMA-290) integrated ESOH into the life-cycle management of its P-8A aircraft systems early in the acquisition cycle and streamlined hazardous materials tracking, among other accomplishments.

"The team's attention to detail, not only on the environmental side, but on how they addressed air pollution and reduced hazardous materials across the program while diving into the details was impressive," McGinn said. "Their dedication, talent and knowledge made a difference."

The team was presented with the Chief of Naval Operations award, June 30. This is the team's fifth CNO award and second SECNAV award.

"Our team's biggest success was establishing a robust ESOH program early-on in the acquisition process to ensure compliance with all technical requirements," said Michele Pok, PMA-290/P-8A ESOH team lead. "In addition, the team engaged multiple stakeholders, at all levels, to ensure that the program's needs and concerns were addressed.

"Our massive communication effort with all the stakeholders was key, addressing all ESOH concerns in a timely man," said Jeanelle Tortorice, a chemical engineer and P-8A ESOH team member.

Currently, the program is focused on completing the transition of all P-3C Orion squadrons to P-8As. As of Aug. 9, the P-8A program has delivered 42 production aircraft, supporting fleet transition and operational deployments. On average, 1.5 production aircraft are delivered per month. There are six test aircraft supporting system development, integration and test of P-8.

Improving the quality and usability of the information in the P-8A Hazardous Material Authorized Use List (HMAUL) was also a major accomplishment. The team collaborated with Jacksonville Fleet Support Team Logistics, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Logistics, and the NAVAIR Materials Engineering Division to reduce the number of line items in the HMAUL by 35 percent and decrease the number of items without national stock numbers by 67 percent.

"Our biggest challenge was consolidating the hazardous materials list," Pok said. Originally, the Navy planned to have Boeing manufacture and maintain the aircraft. However, in the middle of the acquisition process, the maintenance concept changed and the Navy decided to perform the maintenance.

"This resulted in gaps and disconnects between commercial standards and Navy standards, which were resolved through teamwork," Pok said. "This ongoing effort continues to streamline the aircraft's delivered HMAUL to meet the Navy's operational needs."

Other programs are benefiting from the P-8A ESOH team's success because the team members with specialized skill and knowledge also support other acquisition programs.

"Through monthly meetings and regular communication within the team, we are able to apply lessons learned to other programs," Pok said.

The team has also extended its reach to the Royal Australian Air Force, which has purchased the P-8A. With different hazardous materials and regulations than the U.S., the ESOH team is working with RAAF to track these materials and ensure compliance.

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