GREEN ARMY TECH
THE GREEN SCHEME “I think COVID brought forth a lot of supply chain enlightenment,” Copp said. “We’re seeing there’s other risks to the supply chain besides a global pandemic and there’s things that we could be fore- seeing and modeling that we haven’t been tracking specifically.”
One hot button item, she said, is per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water, which has drawn public scrutiny and driven TRND data- base development. PFAS have become the poster child for the threat of envi- ronmental contaminants that can cause anything from an altered immune system to kidney and liver disease to cancer. A primary manufacturer of PFAS is 3M Co., who announced in December 2022 that they will exit the market by 2025 in order to avoid further liability. Te Army uses PFAS in munitions parts and formula- tions, but it will take years and millions of dollars to try to find a replacement and requalify items.
“We want to get rid of our forever chem- icals [in general],” Copp said. But certain PFAS are mission critical, ensuring mate- riel performs as intended. “With 3M leaving the PFAS market … they are a supplier and now we’re going to have only a few smaller companies left,” which could affect supply. So, she said, with political pressure to get out of the PFAS market, “What are our other options? What would lead us to another solution that we won’t regret in the future?”
Te TRND database tool generates an in-depth analysis report of the envi- ronmental impacts of a given chemical, chemical type, weapon system or end item, and details the actual and future potential of regulatory impacts through
TRND-ING AT THE SYMPOSIUM
Veronica Copp stands with her poster outlining TRND capabilities and objectives at the Department of Defense Energy and Environment Innovation Symposium, held Nov. 28 through Dec.1, 2023, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo courtesy of Veronica Copp, DEVCOM AC)
a domestic, as well as international, lens. Using the output from the TRND work- sheets, assessments can be made about the environment and health (human health risk, bioaccumulation, permissible expo- sure limits); regulation (United States, EU, private industry); and path forward (short- and long-term solutions, drop-in chemical replacements and onshoring potential).
Before TRND, according to Copp, there wasn’t a central location or database where data could be analyzed both “retrospec- tively” (with consideration of how past events or situations might affect future outcomes) and “prospectively” (accessing
current data sets with consideration of or in preparation for future events). Engineers and program managers would be able to access the impact of emerging regulation and provide data and courses of action for a fact-based decision on mitigation by leadership. Te response to emerging regulation could range from improved environmental practices to redesign of the item to eliminate the material of concern. In instances where no alternatives exist, the database will provide information to support a permitted, continued use request for specific applications of regulated mate- rials in support of national security needs. One of the ultimate goals is for TRND
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