After 7 Months Cleanup Plan Still Awaiting Army Brass Signature

Army officials will likely grant final approval this month to demolish the house at 4825 Glenbrook Road, the site of a suspected burial pit of World War I-era debris. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to raze the house in July and excavate the site through summer 2013 ... The cleanup work at the property, which will remove potentially contaminated soil down to bedrock, will also encroach on the neighboring house at 4835 Glenbrook, now occupied by American University’s president. 
   
The Army Corps believes that property may include a possible “hot spot” of hazardous material beneath a retaining wall. Once the 4825 house is demolished, a protective cover will go over the excavation area to shield workers and neighbors from direct contact with possible contaminants. Workers will also install a chemical-agent filtration system, along with a generator and noise-control devices.
Northwest Current
May 16, 2012 (pg. 5)

4825 Glenbrook Road information page

Corps Will Investigate Last Nine "Areas of Interest" in Spring Valley

Plans are currently underway to perform additional soil sampling at four discrete areas, involving 18 residential properties and a portion of the AU campus ... The purpose of this additional sampling effort is to supplement the existing data to ensure sufficient information exists to make human health and ecological risk determinations. All sampling and investigative data, and the subsequent human health and ecological risk evaluations, will be presented in the site-wide Spring Valley Remedial Investigation report and available for public review upon its finalization (which is anticipated in 2014).

Spring Valley FUDS 

Project Summary
May 2012

Area of Interest Status Map

Kathleen Connell (RAB Member): Why was there a substantial delay between 1993 and 1999 and doing it now? If these were identified as properties that had potential interest, why was nothing done at that period of time?

Dan Noble (Project Manager): We prioritized our requirements for the project. Eachyear, as we got our money we spoke with the Partners about what needed to be done  and focused on what we felt needed to be done first. This effort is essentially collecting more data to further address some of the issues that came up during the 1999 EPA Risk Assessment ... This [investigation] would certainly bring an end to our field work, other than continued groundwater monitoring and the work at 4825 Glenbrook.
Spring Valley FUDS
RAB Meeting Minutes
May 8, 2012

Boldface AOI's remain to be investigated

University Says It Paid to Ensure Quicker, More "Focused" Cleanup

AU hired a lobbying firm to ensure the Army Corps of Engineers’ Spring Valley project would remain a priority of the U.S. government and maintain adequate funding ... The University employed D.C.-based Cassidy and Associates from 2005 to 2009. The annual expense for the company’s services was a little under $145,000 ...

"The University’s efforts benefited not only AU but the Spring Valley community by keeping the Corps funded and focused,” [assistant vice president for communications & media Camille] Lepre said. “During the term of the engagement, funding for the cleanup was increased substantially, enabling work to be completed in a much shorter time frame than originally planned.”
Alex Greco
The Eagle
May 1, 2012 (pg. 8)

Cassidy & Associates