Bioenvironmental Engineering

Bioenvironmental Engineering
Active	1947 - Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Motto(s)	"Detect to Protect"
Colors	Yellow and Black
Mascot(s)	BEE

Bioenvironmental Engineering comprises four general areas: radiation, industrial hygiene, environmental protection and emergency response.

During the 1970s the US Air Force saw a need to implement the measures to protect the health of personnel. It took elements of Military Public Health and spun off a separate arm called Bioenvironmental Engineering. From that point Bioenvironmental Engineering has taken the lead in protecting the health of Air Force workers.

The original group of Bioenvironmental Engineers (BEEs) came to the Air Force from the U.S. Army in 1947 when the Air Force was formed. They were an outgrowth of the U.S. Army Sanitary Corps. Until 1964, Air Force BEEs were called Sanitary and Industrial Hygiene Engineers. They were Medical Service Corps (MSC) officers until the Biomedical Sciences Corps (BSC) was created in 1965.

Between 1960 and 1970, the BEE field grew from around 100 to 150. However, beginning in 1970, with the formation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the career field experienced an exponential growth in Federal regulations. These laws require BEEs to monitor Air Force operations for their effects on personnel and the environment. Several major catastrophes and other events focused keen Congressional interest on environment, safety and occupational health (ESOH), leading to new, mandatory compliance programs. Love Canal, Bhopal, atmospheric ozone depletion, and other incidents spawned new laws governing the Installation Restoration Program; Hazard Communication; community-right-to-know; Process Safety Management; and hazardous material inventory, control and reduction. These have continually driven additional, corresponding requirements for BEEs.

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