News

402nd MXG introduces clean-up trailers to speed containment of spills

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78 ABW/PA
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Minor hazardous fluid spills are a part of life on the flightline at Robins, but an initiative of the Voluntary Protection Program is expected to vastly improve the speed in which those spills are cleaned up.

Previously, maintenance crew members had to go to different buildings around the enormous flightline area to collect the mops, rags and other materials needed to clean up a spill, and those materials wouldn't always be easily located, said John Daniel, the VPP program manager for the 402nd Maintenance Group. 

Through a recommendation from the group's VPP team, four spill clean-up trailers have been placed at locations around the flightline. A fifth trailer has also been ordered. The enclosed 5-by-10 foot trailers contain a variety of materials to help clean up a spill, plus metal drums to dispose of the waste.

Col. John Bukowinski, commander of the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group, called the trailers a significant improvement over the previous method of dealing with spills. A quicker response, he said, will assure that spills do not end up in drains and run the risk of contaminating the environment.

"This will definitely improve our ability to respond," he said. "This ranks up there, in my time here, as one of the best things that the VPP program has done."

Joe Barlow, the flightline production supervisor, said the bright-yellow trailers will be within easy walking distance of just about anyone working on the flightline. More may be added if needed, he said.

"We are going to have spills but they've got to be cleaned up in a timely manner," he said.

Mr. Daniels said that on average the flightline has a couple of spills a week, with most of those coming from hydraulic fluid leaks. The first two trailers were put on the flightline in early December and have already been used to handle some spills.

Anyone taking items out of the trailers has to put those items back, so there will be no more scrambling around to find things, he said.

Joe Bossi, an environmental specialist on the flightine, said the trailers will make cleanup jobs much more efficient. He said each trailer has about $2,000 worth of supplies and equipment.

"It will really be a lot of help," he said. "This way everything you need is right there and it will be pretty easy to get to."