A military base is like a city, and must deal with many of the same environmental, social and economic problems. Just like civilian communities, Department of Defense facilities must live within the same environmental laws and regulations and must comply to the same extent as any other agency, municipality, private business or individual. The President of the United States has authority, under certain environmental laws, to exempt federal facilities from provisions of the law. However, to date, DOD has not requested exemption from the requirements of environmental laws. DOD has instead established itself as a leader of environmental protection.