Legal Requirements: International Requirements
International environmental requirements must be considered when preparing an EMS for federal facilities and military
installations outside the continental United States (OCONUS). These requirements are a composite of
the environmental criteria and standards of both the host nation and the United States. The strategy of
the Department of Defense (DoD) for environmental management in foreign nations is based primarily on policy and guidance prescribed by DoD
Instruction 4715.5, "Management of Environmental Compliance at Overseas Installations, " and DoD Instruction
4715.8, "Environmental Remediation for DoD Activities Overseas."
- Overseas Environmental Baseline Guidance Document: DOD Manual 4715.5-G (March 2000)
This document is a compendium of current criteria, based on consideration
of laws generally applicable to similarity-situated Department of Defense (DoD) installations within the
U.S., that is designated to protect the environment at DoD installations outside U.S. territory.
- Final Governing Standards (FGS)
For each country where DoD maintains substantial installations,
the Department prepares Final Governing Standards (FGS). The Department develops these standards by
comparing compliance requirements in host-nation treaties, laws, contracts, and other agreements
against DoD's own Overseas Environmental Baseline Guidance Document. DoD adopts the requirements
that are most protective of human health and the environment. In the absence of host-nation environmental
requirements, DoD uses the Overseas Environmental Baseline Guidance Document as the FGS for that country.
Any environmental standard specifically defined and required by Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs),
supplementary agreements to a SOFA, Executive Orders, international treaties, or other bilateral
and multilateral agreements take precedence over the FGS and shall be referred to when determining
priority for environmental issues.
Major Federal Environmental Laws | Additional Federal Laws
| Other Laws | Executive Orders | DoD Directives
| DoD Instructions | Service-Specific Criteria | International Requirements
