Centralized Materials Management

Centralized materials management is the centralized procurement, tracking, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. Often referred to as hazmat pharmacies, the pharmacy tracking system begins when a hazardous material is first ordered and continues through receipt, issue, use, and for unused quantities, collection or return, reissue, recycling and, if necessary, disposal.

The pharmacy is the single point of authorization through which hazardous materials may be requested. Users who require hazardous materials submit their request to the pharmacy, where it is reviewed, authorized, and then, following procurement, tracked through its eventual use or disposal. The pharmacy controls the actual issue of the materials, assuring quantities issued are justified by customer needs. The pharmacy also collects unused quantities and makes them available to other users or for recycling or reclamation.

Centralized ordering, tracking, and storage of materials ensures that:

• The most environmentally preferable products are used,
• Different materials are not purchased that perform the same task,
• Materials do not expire in one area of the facility while being purchased in another,
• The usage and waste is used to evaluate operations to ensure that materials are being used efficiently.

The Marine Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, uses a centralized paint recovery plant to collect used cans of paint which are re-mixed, re-tinted, and redistributed. For more information, contact Kathleen Stiles at (843) 228-3400, stileskm@mcrdpi.usmc.mil.

The USPS's Alabama District, Birmingham, Alabama, implemented an online swap system to allow for better management of inventory. After the Postmaster in the District noticed that certain facilities within the district had surplus inventory of forms, office supplies, furniture and fixtures while other facilities had virtually no inventory, the Online Swap Shop was launched. In the first year after it went online, the swap shop saved the District $40,000 in purchases and reduced the amount of excess materials being discarded as waste. For more information, contact Edward C. Abrams at (205) 521-0405, eabrams@email.usps.gov.

The Air Force developed a computer tracking system to allow the pharmacy to track the use of hazardous materials from the initial request until reuse, recycling, treatment or disposal. The AF-EMIS is now used at 168 Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard bases worldwide. For more information, contact William Kivela at (210) 536-3769, William.kivela@hqafcee.brooks.af.mil.

Hazardous materials pharmacies are also in place at many other Federal facilities, including:

• Camp Lejune (http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/emd/ or contact Tony A. Best at (910) 451-0150, bestta@lejeune.usmc.mil)
• Fairchild Air Force Base (Diane Wulf at (509) 247-2313, diane.wulf@fairchild.af.mil)
• The United States Coast Guard Command Ketchikan, Alaska (Chris Rose at (907) 228-0308, crose@cgalaska.uscg.mil)
• The United States Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City, North Carolina (Michael E. Herring at (252) 335-6356)
• The U.S. Coast Guard's Civil Engineering Unit Providence (Craig Edmunds at (207) 767-0368, cedmunds@gruportme.uscg.mil)
• The U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School in Maryland (Keith Katz, at keith.katz@ocs.apg.army.mil)