Conventional Munitions Will be Destroyed Behind Hospital Soon

Later this fall, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to mobilize a Controlled Detonation Chamber (CDC) to the Spring Valley federal property to destroy the conventional munitions that were recovered during recent investigations at Spring Valley.. . The destruction process begins by wrapping a donor explosive, or rolled sheet explosive, around the munition, placing the munition in the CDC, then closing and sealing the door. Once the door is closed, the donor explosive is remotely detonated.

In addition to the inherent safety measures built into the detonation chamber, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to use sandbag barriers to ensure the safety of the workers and the surrounding community during the operation. The safety and setup plans are currently being reviewed by various organizations within the Department of Defense, as well as the Corps’ regulatory partners.
The Corps'pondent
September 2010

Munitions Investigation Next to Reservoir Nears Completion

Work is progressing on the geophysical investigation that began last summer of a 62-acre section of Dalecarlia Woods, located adjacent to the Dalecarlia Parkway. A portion of the site was used by the U.S. Army during World War I as a target/impact area and for possible munitions disposal ... Earth Resources Techology has completed the geophysical survey on about 70 percent of survey area and plans to finish the geophysical data collection on the entire 62-acres by this fall ... "They are planning to begin the first 10 acres of the intrusive anomaly investigation of the woods by the fall of this year and complete the activity by the summer of 2011,” said Lan Reeser, USACE design team leader.
The Corps'pondent
September 2010

CERCLA Feasibility Study Will Delay Pit 3 Dig at Least 9 Months

Workers in Emergency Containment Structure demobilize Pit 3

Progress was made this month in determining the next step in the administrative process for the Pit 3 Area property on Glenbrook Road ... A decision was made to begin a Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study is the part of the administrative Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act process in which there is a comprehensive review of all information and data generated to date at the property.

In coming months, USACE will draft the Feasibility Study document for the Pit 3 Area property on Glenbrook Road and will analyze all options for final cleanup of the property. A Proposed Plan containing potential options and the recommended approach for conducting the cleanup of the property will then be published and made available for public review and comment.
Spring Valley Project Monthly Update
August 2010

"Nothing Unusual" about Indoor Air Monitoring at AU President's House

4835 Glenbrook Road

AU also announced that it has been conducting periodic air monitoring at president [Neil Kerwin's] residence. Many of the chemicals in the soil at Pit 3 react with the air to give off gas and toxic fumes .... Some members of the community are upset because AU had not told the Army Corps of Engineers or Spring Valley residents that it was conducting air quality tests at the president’s residence, according to [Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tom] Smith.

“I was somewhat stunned … because air monitoring is a very sensitive issue in the neighborhood. Some residents have pushed the Army to conduct air monitoring in their homes, and the Army has refused,” Smith wrote in an e-mail. [David] Taylor and [Jorge] Abud claim there was nothing unusual about air monitoring tests at the president’s house.
Mitch Ellmauer
The Eagle
September 1, 2010

Spring Valley Partners Straying Off US Army Corps Reservation

Paul Chrowstowsi, Ph.D. QEP

P. Chrostowski mentioned that AU feels that in the event of an arsenic trichloride release within the ECS, substantial arsenic trichloride concentrations may remain airborne ... AU recommended specific air monitoring enhancements and an additional air monitoring system to address this concern.

Chrostowski described the AU administration’s position on future work conducted at the Pit 3 property. A comprehensive plan should be developed to address all possible AUES-related property findings, including removal of the house, ancillary excavation underneath the house footprint, and specific recommendations for the next high-probability investigation phase. Removal of the entire structure appears to be the only acceptable course of action, due to uncertainties about the amount of AUES-related items and contamination remaining on the property.

Veolia Environmental Services (Port Arthur)

EPA expressed the need for further discussion and analysis of waste disposal alternatives. Although AUES-related waste is currently shipped to a licensed facility in Port Arthur, Texas, the surrounding area is an environmental justice showcase community where residents and EPA have expressed concerns about waste disposal and overall pollution. Future planning should include a public meeting in Port Arthur with significant input from community members and stakeholders.

Dr. Peter deFur

Peter deFur inquired about EPA’s progress in obtaining information from the builder of the Pit 3 property. EPA explained that a letter was sent to pursue information on AUES-related discoveries during house construction. The builder’s lawyer responded in February 2010 and claimed business confidentiality based on attorney-client privileges ... DDOE replied that DC Councilmember Mary Cheh suggested issuing a subpoena.
Spring Valley Partnering Meeting Minutes
June 29, 2010 (pg, 5)

GAO Recommends Greater EPA Oversight of Military Cleanups

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging EPA and the Defense Department to overhaul the process for cleaning up military bases in order to improve the remediation progress, including the possible creation of a new record-keeping system and revisions to an executive order to boost EPA's oversight of cleanups. GAO in a report released Aug. 16 also reiterates a recommendation it made in 2009 that Congress consider amending section 120 of the Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act to authorize EPA to administratively impose penalties to enforce cleanup requirements at federal facilities.
InsideEPA.com
August 16, 2010

U.S. Government Accountability Office

The extensive use of performance-based contracts at these installations has created pressure to operate within price caps and fixed deadlines. In some cases, these pressures may have contributed to installations not exploring the full range of cleanup remedies, or relying on non-construction remedies, such as allowing contaminated groundwater to attenuate over time rather than being cleaned up.
Cleanup Progress at Key Defense Installations
Government Accountability Office
July 15, 2010

Army Revisits Elementary School to Sample Soil Again for Arsenic

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last month sampled soil from the campus of Horace Mann Elementary School to check for elevated levels of arsenic. Preliminary results show low concentrations of the poisonous chemical, according to Army officials ... The Corps had performed some soil sampling at the school in 2001, finding levels of arsenic far below those seen in nearby areas.

Composite screening for arsenic at Horace Mann
Elementary School (areas 1, 3 & 4 were tested in 2001)

Officials decided to perform the latest testing after several residents and parents questioned why the Corps had not sampled a larger swath of the campus across from American University, where the Army conducted a chemical weapons program during World War I ... Alma Gates [who represents Horace Mann on the Spring Valley Restoration Advisory Board] added that she understood the concerns of those who questioned why the Army Corps had not performed a more complete soil investigation at the school.
Ian Thomas
Northwest Current
July 21, 2010: pg.1