Additional Spring Valley 'Areas of Interest' May Need Army Cleanup

More than two decades after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began cleaning up World War I-era contamination from Spring Valley and American University, the Army has said its work in the neighborhood is mostly complete.  But last week, officials reported that some century-old munitions might remain in the area, and that some residents may be living in properties where there is an “unacceptable risk” from hazardous chemical contamination in the soil ...  During World War I, American University hosted the U.S. Army’s main chemical warfare testing station.  Munitions tests, and the postwar burial of various hazardous materials, contaminated areas of the campus and the surrounding woods, which subsequently became the Spring Valley community ...

About four dozen properties are in an “area of interest” that includes Fordham Road roughly between Sedgwick and Quebec streets ... The Army will also look into a smaller area on the south side of Woodway Lane adjacent to the American University campus, and an adjacent area in the southwest corner of the campus around Kreeger and Watkins halls.  Meanwhile, a 120-acre area elsewhere in the neighborhood, comprising roughly a hundred properties, might still have buried munitions that haven’t yet been recovered ... 

 Three AOI's with "unacceptable risk" (pg. 29)

 

“I suspect there could be some people who will be very upset,” Dan Noble, who is in charge of the Army’s cleanup efforts, said at the meeting, noting that it might take several years to remediate a contaminated property ...  Among the chemicals that could be found at a dangerous level in the soil are arsenic, mustard, lewisite, cobalt, certain heavy metals, antimony and a group of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Northwest Current
January 21, 2015

Range fan may have MEC (pg. 32)

Decades-Long Search for CWM Resumes at 4825 Glenbrook Road

For more than 20 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been conducting clean-up operations to remove World War I materiel discovered at various locations on or near the American University main campus and throughout the Spring Valley neighborhood.  The presence of these materials dates back to 1917–18, when parts of the AU campus and the surrounding area were used by the U.S. government and the U.S. Army to support the war effort as a site to develop and test chemical weapons.  

On December 1, 2014, the Army Corps is scheduled to resume excavation activities along Glenbrook Road, which parallels the southern border of AU’s campus ... This new phase of the project entails the exploration of an area where World War I era munitions were previously discovered; tests conducted on munitions removed from this site indicate the possible presence of chemical agents ... 

Layout at new location on Glenbrook Road

Given the nature of these materials, the Army Corps has implemented extensive safety precautions including a containment structure and filtration units around the excavation area to prevent the release of harmful chemicals into the environment in unlikely case of an accident, and monitors to detect any unusual airborne agent.  The university wants to ensure that everyone knows the excavation is taking place and is prepared to take appropriate actions if necessary.
David Taylor
American University
December 1, 2014

Perchlorate Plumes at AU & Sibley Still Exceed Federal Advisory Level

The quarterly sampling of the wells in front of Kreeger Hall on American University and the Sibley Hospital sump was concluded in September.  The September quarterly sampling detected perchlorate concentrations above 15 parts per billion (ppb) at MW-44 and PZ-4D on AU’s campus ... The wells PZ-4S&D (sampled since 2006), MW-44, and MW-45S&D in front of Kreeger Hall at AU all represent different depths to get vertical delineation of the areas’ groundwater ... 

MW-44 was installed in March 2012.  Its results consistently range from 33 to 50 ppb.  MW-44 is a deeper well.  The groundwater flow at this depth is an order of magnitude less than PZ-4S, which means that the groundwater flow at PZ-4S may be around a foot a day, compared to an inch a day at MW-44.  This means that the contamination seen at MW-44 may take longer to flush out over time ... 

MW-21 and MW-22 are shallow wells along MacArthur Boulevard, and the Sibley sump is in the bottom of the elevator shaft at Sibley Hospital ... When MW-22 was first sampled, the perchlorate concentrations were around 5-10 ppb.  The most recent sampling results in December 2013 and June 2014 detected perchlorate concentrations at 17 and 25 ppb.
Todd Beckwith, USACE
RAB Meeting
November 18, 2014 [pgs. 4 - 6]

 

The other new well was placed in the road on Rockwood Parkway, near the tip of the Rockwood Parkway "island."  This multi-port well will further evaluate if there is any connection between the American University perchlorate plume and the plume detected in the vicinity of Sibley Hospital ... The Groundwater RI [Remedial Investigation] report will provide a summary of the groundwater investigation to include ... the nature and extent of contamination ... If the HHRA [Human Health Risk Assessment] does determine that any of the COPCs [Chemicals of Potential Concern] pose an unacceptable risk, a Feasibility Study will be performed to evaluate alternatives to address the unacceptable risk and identify Remedial Action objectives.

Spring Valley USACE

The Corps'pondent

November 2014 [pg. 3]

Army Backs Away from Key Details of Year-Old Trespass Allegation

HENGST: Thank you, especially, for sharing those photographs of where the Army is now alleging the unlawful entry occurred on September 24, 2013.  As you're well aware, that's not the area described by Officer McElwee at the RAB meeting of November 2013 (see pg. 3), nor is it the area referenced by RAB member Lee Monsein at this year's July RAB meeting (hear audio recording at 7 min. 35 sec.).  At a minimum, I expect USACE to correct the erroneous 11/12/13 minutes and amend or retract the inaccurate 9/25/13 police report (see "Narrative," Part V).  Even if the event took place in the area you now claim it did, that is not the property being intrusively investigated at 4825 Glenbrook Road, but is instead American University's so-called South Campus. 

Allen Hengst

Email to Army Corps

September 30, 2014

USACE trailers on Kreeger Roadway, AU south campus

      

Question from George Vassiliou, RAB Member:  Someone recently mentioned that you would share information with the RAB regarding the outcome of a trespassing incident at 4825 Glenbrook Road.   
             
Officer McElwee explained that this incident occurred several months ago and was defined as a trespassing incident without any threat to the site itself.  A gentleman walked onto the site, past the gate area, into the backyard behind the house.  The guard stationed on site immediately contacted MPDC. Officer McElwee responded to the call and took an official report.  Officer McElwee added that members of the public are entitled to a copy of the report, free of charge.  It can be obtained in person at the MPDC 2nd District’s station on Idaho Avenue. [Office McElwee provided the report number (13137401) for ease of requesting a copy.]  Officer McElwee emphasized that no threat was associated with this incident. 

Restoration Advisory Board

Meeting Minutes

November 12, 2013 (pg. 3)

 RAB meeting minutes (11/12/13)

Very Large Crane Moves ECS to Rear of 4825 Glenbrook Road

This weekend a very large crane will arrive in the project area's parking lot at American University, near Watkins Hall.  The crane will be used to move the Engineering Control Structure.  The crane will need to be built once it arrives on site.  This means there will be about 15-20 trucks coming in this weekend to support the crane construction.  We anticipate these trucks will be in the vicinity of Nebraska Ave. and Massachusetts Ave. starting at 7 a.m. Sept. 20.  We have a plan in place to minimize local traffic impacts during the arrival of the crane.  If the crane assembly is not complete on Sept. 20, we will work on Sept. 21 to finish the assembly.
4825 Glenbrook Road
Weekly Update
September 19, 2014
       

This month crews continued preparing the site for the Engineering Control Structure (ECS) move, including unlacing the ECS tent’s "skin," and building a dirt ramp to access the low probability work area behind the back retaining wall ... The crane is being used to move heavy equipment into place, especially the large ECS tent frame, in preparation for Phase 2 of the high probability excavation effort.  On September 22, the crane passed the load test, demonstrating it will be able to move the large ECS tent frame from the front of the property towards the back, starting on October 3rd.
Spring Valley FUDS
Project Summary
September 2014 

Crews move 1st section of ECS at 4825 Glenbrook Road

East Campus Construction Starts Despite Concern over Chemicals

Over the past few months, crews have been preparing the Nebraska Avenue parking lot for construction activities that will commence this week as part of AU’s East Campus development at New Mexico and Nebraska Avenues ... A field office has been built for the on-site project team, erosion control measures have been installed to mitigate the impact of storm water runoff outside the perimeter of the site, and the necessary permits have been acquired to begin construction.  With this enabling work completed, construction is now under way.
AU in the Neighborhood
September 2014

 Nebraska Avenue parking lot (pg. 28) 

Excavation and building permits for the East Campus project at the site of the school’s Nebraska Avenue parking lot are on hold pending sign-off from the D.C. Department of the Environment ...  Some neighbors and community leaders are pushing for more intensive review of possible contamination at the site due to the university’s World War I history, which has cost some $250 million in cleanup over the last two decades.  The parking lot site was never used for the same Army chemical munitions testing ...  but advisory neighborhood commissioner Kent Slowinski worries that soil could have been taken there from toxic areas.  

 

1918 aerial & AOI 20

“If they moved contaminated soil to the site from another property, you could expect to find the same chemicals,” Slowinski said ... A former owner of the parking lot site had leased other land to the Army, Slowinski said, making it possible that dirt could have been moved around.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said that mercury has not been a widespread contaminant associated with the American University Experiment Station ...  Slowinski, meanwhile, points to a 1922 aerial photo showing ground scars on the property that he says point to disturbances, and neighbors note that mercury has been found in soil (though not groundwater) on the university campus.

Brady Holt 

Northwest Current 

August 27, 2014

2009 trenching over 1922 ground scars

The Area of Interest (AOI) 20 report is based on a 1922 aerial photograph that shows a series of linear ground scars.  AOI 20 is located outside the Formerly Used Defense Site boundary ... There is no historical evidence this parcel of land was ever used by AUES or Camp Leach.  Three trenches (each approximately 50 feet long) were dug through six of the land scars.  No AUES material was observed and no soil staining ... All soil appeared to be native undisturbed soil.
Dan Noble, Project Manager
Spring Valley FUDS
June 5, 2014

Glenbrook Neighbors Incensed by Latest Cleanup Schedule Delay

The Army Corps of Engineers could take until the spring of 2017 to finish cleaning up 4825 Glenbrook Road, followed by several more months of full restoration, officials said last week.  The Spring Valley property has extensive contamination of World War I-era munitions from the adjacent American University Experiment Station.  The total cost of cleaning up the property is estimated at over $56 million .... The Army originally intended to clean the property down to bedrock, but workers are now finding contamination two feet into the bedrock itself. As a result, two more feet of weathered rock will be dug up and tested.

 4825 Glenbrook Road foundation demolished (USACE)

Glenbrook Road neighbor Jill Stern criticized the decision to prolong the work at 4825, saying the project has been a serious inconvenience and is making her home impossible to sell .... The Army tore down the house at 4825 Glenbrook in fall 2012 to remove the contaminated soil from the property.  Working under the protective tent, the Army excavates a defined area before relocating the tent to another part of the property.

Northwest Current

July 23, 2014 (pg. 3)

Jill Stern:  [37:54] I've really lost confidence that you have control of the schedule here.  It's been extended so many times.  Three years from now, you're going to come back and say you need another three years.  I've just never seen such a lack of accountability ... They should be pushed to explore some other alternatives, rather than just say it's going to be another three years ... I just don't understand why this Board is not pushing back at all ... [54:48] The reason I thought it was better to talk about this at the RAB was because it was an open forum and I thought this Board was actually being more questioning than it appears to be.

Spring Valley RAB Meeting

July 15, 2014