ALCOAST 019/21 - JAN 2021 COAST GUARD SAFE HOMES INITIATIVE – SITREP-2

R 151352Z JAN 21
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST

UNCLAS
ALCOAST 019/21
SSIC 11101
SUBJ:  COAST GUARD SAFE HOMES INITIATIVE – SITREP-2
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 061410 MAR 20/ALCOAST 072/20
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 221034 MAY 20/ALCOAST 189/20
1. REF (A) outlines the Coast Guard’s Safe Homes Initiative (SHI),
a service-wide effort to ensure Coast Guard housing is compliant
with federal environmental health standards. These include the
new standards for lead dust that took effect in January 2020.
2. REF (B) provides an update and additional guidance to the
field for assignment year 2020. The guidance allows Area Housing
Authorities, in certain circumstances, the ability to request a
waiver to assign at-risk families to Coast Guard owned housing
units that were pending their environmental risk assessment.
3. The purpose of this SITREP is to update the workforce on SHI
progress. To date, the Coast Guard has funded $4.8M in AFC-30 for
SHI, including $2.5M for the contracted state certified
environmental risk assessments for all 1,158 Coast Guard owned
homes constructed prior to 1979. Of these 1,148 assessments have
been completed and all results have been received. The 10
remaining assessments are delayed due to COVID-19 travel
restrictions and are expected to be completed in January 2021.
4. Assessment results receive a multi-layered review, after which
the homes are determined to be 1) within federal standards/Safe
for Occupancy or 2) outside federal standards and requiring
corrective action. The corrective action can either be a one or
two-step process that results in abatement of the environmental
risk assessment finding within 1 to 3 years, in accordance with
the Coast Guard’s Safety and Environmental Health Manual,
COMDTINST M5100.47 (series).
5. In all cases the results are promptly shared with residents,
and additional information or guidance is provided by the local
command. In cases where homes are outside federal standards, the
decision to relocate a family – either temporarily or permanently
– is carefully considered and every effort is made to prevent any
hardship or disruption. To date, only 13 families have been
permanently relocated.
6. As assessments are completed and corrective action requirements
are identified and prioritized, corrective action project planning
and contracting efforts are swiftly executed. In FY20, $1M in AFC-43
funding was obligated for abatement at TRACEN Petaluma housing and
interim controls at Novato housing, STA Umpqua River housing, and
USCGA housing. The recently passed FY21 Enacted Appropriation
includes $8M in AFC-43 Depot Level Maintenance funding and $2.5M in
Environmental Compliance and Restoration (EC&R) funding to address
SHI findings. This is in addition to the FY21 AFC-43 and EC&R annual
appropriation allows COMDT (CG-4) to address SHI findings without
impacting approved projects. FY21 SHI corrective action projects are
in different stages of planning and execution to support families at
Base Cape Cod, Base Borinquen Detachment, Base Alameda, TRACEN
Petaluma, Base Seattle, Base Kodiak and the USCG Academy.
7. The completion of the vast majority of assessments and the prompt
execution of corrective actions demonstrates the conscientiousness
and commitment of stakeholders at all levels of the Coast Guard.
Most notably, CG Personnel Service Center, the Area Housing
Authorities/Officers and the field commanders demonstrated their
unwavering commitment to the health and safety of our members and
their families by keeping SHI a top priority while successfully
navigating the potential roadblocks associated with the COVID-19
pandemic.
8. Continued transparency and effective communications are
imperative throughout this process and we welcome your questions
to the Safe Homes Initiative e-mail address monitored by CGHQ
housing staff at: HQS-SMB-CG-Housing@uscg.mil.
9. For policy questions, contact COMDT (CG-1333) at:
HQS-SMB-CG-Housing@uscg.mil.
10. RADM P.F. Thomas, Deputy for Personnel Readiness (DCMS-DPR) and
RADM K.E. Lunday, Deputy for Material Readiness (DCMS-DMR), send.
11. Internet release is authorized.