AIR PROGRAM
The Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield Air Program manages activities on post that affect air quality in order to keep all facilities in compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations. The Air Program oversees operations such as painting, fueling, burning, engine testing, generator usage, and heating and cooling. The Program works closely with contractors and units that provide these services to maintain air quality compliance.
Army Regulation 200-1 incorporates rules from the Federal Clean Air Act and its amendments as well as the Georgia Air Quality Act (391-3-1), and is the Army’s framework for Environmental Management. The Air Program ensures that all Units and facilities on the Installation follow the regulations outlined in these documents in order to be compliant with the state and federal laws that are protective of human health and the environment.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In housing, contact the Housing Property Manager, BBC, at (912) 408-2470 or 408-2480.
Otherwise, contact Industrial Hygiene at (912) 435-5101 or 767-4585 during normal duty hours (Monday- Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.).
While there are many possible explanations for the presence of smoke, those living on Fort Stewart or in surrounding communities may experience drift smoke from controlled burns from time to time. Fort Stewart’s controlled burn season runs from 1 DEC through 30 JUN each year and burns may be conducted on any day during this time. Forestry Branch monitors weather via the National Weather Service in Charleston, Georgia Forestry Commission, five local Remote Access Weather Stations located throughout Fort Stewart, as well as close observation from at least two of the five fire towers located on the Installation. Fort Stewart foresters do everything within their power to manage smoke impacts from these burns and ensure the safety of residents both in and around Fort Stewart. However, there are uncontrollable conditions, such as sudden changes in wind direction and/or intensity that can cause smoke to drift into surrounding neighborhoods or highways. For this reason, the Forestry Branch goes to great lengths to ensure the Installation and surrounding communities are aware of scheduled burns and up-to-date on any changes to the burn plan for a particular day. Controlled Burn Notices and, if necessary, Drift Smoke Alerts are sent via Marne Message, local television news channels, and Facebook and Twitter. If you have concerns about smoke from a controlled burn, please call the Environmental Division at (571) 801-0241.
In general, burn barrels and other open burning is prohibited on Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield in accordance with Georgia Rules for Air Quality. There are two exceptions to this. The first is the controlled burning operations conducted by our Forestry Branch that enhance Threatened and Endangered Species habitat while improving our training platform and reducing fuel loads that might contribute to wildfires. The other exception is for construction clearing operations with or without an air curtain destructor. If you have concerns with smoke coming from a construction site, please contact the Environmental Division at (571) 801-0241. After hours or on holidays, please contact the Fire Department at (912) 767-7006 (Fort Stewart) or (912) 315-5119 (Hunter Army Airfield).