Info Sought from Park Service on Spring Valley Dumping in 90's

At Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton's March 25 virtual Town Hall meeting with the National Park Service, officials from your agency were asked about the Fort Circle/Fort Totten pedestrian trail, which has been closed since last summer after heavy rains exposed a World War I-era 75mm artillery shell.  In the response (pgs. 4 - 5) we finally received from your agency on July 9, NPS stated that during trail construction "a specialized contractor will test the soil for any evidence of unexploded ordnance."  I'm writing to you (hopefully) following that investigation to ascertain the precise extent of the testing and to ensure that all soil contaminated with munition debris and laboratory waste will be recovered from this heavily used Park Service land ... Consider this letter to be my formal request for any and all results, reports or other documentation produced by the National Park Service and/or its contractors regarding that investigation.  I want to know what type and how much soil contamination was discovered, whether any munitions debris or laboratory waste was found and, most importantly, the precise extent of the area that was examined ... 

Closed Ft.Totten footpath in March & August

There can be no doubt that the shell discovered at Ft. Totten in July 2020 came from the Glenbrook Road munitions burial pit in Spring Valley, Washington, DC.  The most recent explanation for how this transfer happened was documented on page 13 of the March 10, 2020, RAB meeting minutes by Dan Noble: "It is known that the [munitions] debris [from Glenbrook Road] was sent to the Ft. Totten area when the nearby Ft. Totten metro station was being built [in the 1990s].  Soil was needed at the new metro station to level out an equipment yard for the metro contractor.  Some soil was sent to that area and the contractor began to spread the contaminated soil out.”  After speaking to an official from your agency who was present at Ft. Totten at the time of the dumping, Dr. Albright said that the NPS confirmed the contaminated soil was ultimately moved elsewhere ...

FOIA request for NPS records & data

At the March 9, 2021, RAB meeting I asked [program director Dan] Noble (pg. 13) whether he thought the tons of contaminated soil that were moved from Spring Valley could have been “contained in the one-quarter acre where the foot trail is [now located]?”  If the NPS “only surveys the foot trail,” I suggested, "they’re going to miss [contaminated] soil to the east and west.”  Instead of responding to my understandable concern, the FUDS program director deferred to your agency ... As more than one RAB member opined at our July meeting, whether or not the Army Corps cleanup team considers this issue to be within the official scope of their responsibilities, environmental justice concerns are appropriately raised when one of the wealthier residential areas in our nation’s capital secretly dumps its toxic waste in a working class neighborhood east of Rock Creek Park.

Allen Hengst
FOIA Letter to NPS
September 13, 2021

Despite Unrecovered Munitions, RAB Contemplates Dissolution

PSB cleanup will extend into 2022 (pg. 14)

Most of the Spring Valley remedial actions are wrapping up [and] the project teams know what is required to complete the projects ... At the PSB [Public Safety Building] there is still a significant final remedial action effort to excavate into the hillside to remove as much of the debris as possible.  The PSB project may take more time to complete.  At the last RAB [Restoration Advisory Board] meeting, the RAB began to discuss the idea of how the RAB may wish to close out their work on the site.  The RAB may choose to create a document of some kind or simply conduct a final meeting.  If there is a desire to write a final report from the RAB, USACE can assist with drafting the documents.  If the RAB would like to draft documents but keep the effort authorship by the RAB, USACE will understand.  This will be the RAB’s decision on what to do at the end.
Spring Valley RAB
Meeting Minutes
May 11, 2020 (pg. 11)

Allen Hengst: When will NPS restart work on the path through Fort Totten to the metro. I understand that work stopped when a World War I ordnance was found, and the soil had to be tested for contaminants.

National Park Service: The NPS anticipates construction of the Fort Circle/Fort Totten Pedestrian Trail, located between Gallatin Street NE and Galloway Street NE, will resume this summer.  Soil testing indicates the trail area is safe for people and animals.  For the safety of the public, the area will continue to be closed off through the completion of the construction project.  To further ensure safety, a specialized contractor will test the soil for any evidence of unexploded ordnance during construction activities.
Q & A
Norton-NPS Town Hall
March 25, 2021 (pgs. 4 - 5)

WWI shell closed trail between Galloway & Gallatin streets

Project manager Dan Noble explained that he believes Sgt. Maurer’s pit was within the footprint of the former house at 4825 Glenbrook Road, and the builder excavated into Sgt. Maurer’s pit.  The remaining contamination at the front of the former house represents debris that was pulled forward, moved out of the way, and left behind ... It is known that the debris was sent to the Ft. Totten area when the nearby Ft. Totten metro station was being built.  Soil was needed at the new metro station to level out an equipment yard for the metro contractor.  Some soil was sent to that area and the contractor began to spread the contaminated soil out.  The area is Park Service land, lent to the Metro Authority for the construction project.  The Park Service employee overseeing the land ordered that the contaminated soil be taken away.  Eventually, the contaminated soil was taken away and the final destination of the soil is unknown.
Spring Valley RAB
Meeting Minutes
March 10, 2020 (pg. 13 - 14)

AUES Debris Under Hill Next to PSB Won't Be Removed until 2022

USACE Baltimore provided a brief update on the former Public Safety Building (PSB) ... A "contract modification" is in process to award the investigation work for the American University Experiment Station (AUES) debris observed extending into the northern hillside ... [Project manager] Dan Noble explained that there is a restoration agreement between AU and USACE, but the agreement focused on the footprint of the former PSB, since it was believed that the debris was confined to the footprint boundary ... Now that the same type of debris is observed extending into the hillside, the first step is to determine how far the debris extends. There is a concern that if the debris extends too far into the hillside, excavations to remove the debris would come too close to a major utility corridor ... Additionally, current erosion controls would need to be beefed up to prevent the hillside from collapsing.

Spring Valley 

RAB  Meeting Minutes

January 12, 2021 (pgs. 4 - 5)

 

 

Rig collecting soil cores for AUES screening (pg. 27)

[USACE] conducted Rotosonic drilling and test pit investigation[s] to determine extent of AUES debris north, east and west of the PSB foundation slab.  Completed seven test pit excavations and soil screening east, west and northeast of the former PSB foundation.  Completed six angled Rotosonic borings north of the former PSB foundation and 4-inch diameter soil core screening for AUES debris ... Once funding has been obtained and the work awarded, additional plans will be required before re-starting the soil remediation work.  This will entail a demobilization and delay of many months before the work is awarded and the required planning documents are prepared and approved.  Slope soil removal not expected to begin until late 2021.  
Spring Valley FUDS

Partnering Meeting

April 28, 2021 (pgs. 22 & 33)

Construction of Rotosonic drilling pad (pg. 27)

In preparation for the investigation of debris going into the northern hillside, a drilling pad and access ramp was constructed at the top of the slope of the PSB excavation area.  The pad will stage the drill to be used for soil coring activities as a part of the investigation ... Additional boring work is expected to be conducted in the spring/summer time frame.  Once the additional investigation is complete, the team will have a better understanding of how much debris extends into hillside beyond the PSB footprint.
Spring Valley RAB
Meeting Minutes
March 9, 2021 (pgs. 11 - 12)

 

Proposed & completed angled drill borings (pg. 26)

USACE awarded Rotosonic drilling and test pit investigation "Scope of Work" on 3 February 2021 to determine the extent of AUES debris north, east & west of the PSB foundation slab.  Completed seven test pit excavations and soil screening east, west and northeast of the former PSB foundation ... [Will] conduct Rotosonic drilling of six angled boreholes, collect continuous 4-inch diameter soil cores and evaluate soil cores for AUES debris layers.  [Will] prepare a PSB Slope Investigation report ... Based on the investigation results USACE will determine the scope of work to excavate the extent of AUES debris identified ... Additional plans will be required before re-starting the soil remediation work – this will most likely entail a demobilization and delay of several months. 
Spring Valley FUDS
Partnering Meeting
February 19, 2021 (pgs. 35, 40 & 42)

Rain Exposes AUES-Type Munition, Closing Part of National Park

Allen Hengst: On July 25th it was reported in an UXO newsletter that a 75 mm “World War I-era” artillery shell was exposed by heavy rains at Fort Totten Park [in northeast Washington, DC].  Can someone on the Spring Valley FUDS team please ascertain whether that recovered shell originated at [American University Experiment Station] AUES?

 

WWI shell closed trail between Galloway & Gallatin streets

Dan Noble [project manager] explained that USACE was recently in communication with the National Park Service on that issue.  NPS is preparing to survey the area for any additional munitions.  USACE is serving as a technical consultant for NPS on the project.  NPS has hired a contractor and may have begun survey activities this week.  The project plan is to complete the survey before allowing all of  Ft. Totten Park to re-open.  The survey will include an investigation for additional munitions and sampling the soil for contamination ... USACE inspected and obtained x-rays of the shell.  The shell was found to be a 75mm with a hex plug.  This type of munition was often found in Spring Valley ... 

 

Hengst: If it turns out to be a Spring Valley AUES munition, that is outside the Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) boundary, will you be responsible for the clean-up and cost?

 

Noble explained that, at this time, NPS is taking the lead on the project and is responsible for the cost.  Ft. Totten is also a separate FUDS site, so if a larger problem at the site is detected, USACE and NPS will be in communication to determine the lead on the work, how that work should proceed, and the responsibility for the cost.  So, the answer is, "perhaps."  

Spring Valley RAB

Meeting Minutes
January 12, 2021 (pg. 7)

 

 UXOInfo.com news report from last July

D. Noble explained that he believes Sgt. Maurer’s pit was within the footprint of the former house at 4825 Glenbrook Road, and the builder excavated into Sgt. Maurer’s pit.  The remaining contamination at the front of the former house represents debris that was pulled forward, moved out of the way, and left behind.  Noble believes that the debris was not found where the soldiers buried the debris in Sgt. Maurer’s pit, but where the builder left the debris in the front yard in the early 1990s ... Noble explained that USACE Baltimore is not investigating the final location of the removed debris from the 1990s.  Both USACE Baltimore and DOEE [previously] investigated ... 

 

It is known that the debris was sent to the Ft. Totten area when the nearby Ft. Totten metro station was being built.  Soil was needed at the new metro station to level out an equipment yard for the metro contractor.  Some soil was sent to that area and the contractor began to spread the contaminated soil out.  The area is Park Service land, lent to the Metro Authority for the construction project.  The Park Service employee overseeing the land ordered that the contaminated soil be taken away.  Eventually, the contaminated soil was taken away and the final destination of the soil is unknown.

Spring Valley RAB

Meeting Minutes

March 10, 2020 (pg. 13 - 14)

 

Fort Totten foot trail closed by NPS

4 of 92 Spring Valley Homeowners Still Resist Cleanup Investigation

The Remedial Action progress map for the 92 residential properties and 13 Federal/City lots [on slide #12 of the presentation] shows: 1) properties with no color and highlighted with blue borders indicate residential properties and city lots that have been completed; 2) properties shown in green indicate properties that have active contact and are undergoing the RA clean-up process; 3) properties shown in blue indicate properties where efforts are being made to engage the properties but have not yet reached a firm commitment.  To date, four properties remain unclear whether access will be given ...

Cleanup at 4 properties "remains unclear" (pg. 12)

[Project manager] Dan Noble explained that since the properties are private properties, the only option that USACE has is to explain to the homeowners that the remedial effort is worthwhile.  From USACE’s perspective, the goal is to remediate the four areas associated with the former American University Experiment Station (AUES) testing activities ... In any one of the remaining areas where a property owner has declined, the coverage might still be sufficient for the Partners to determine that the issues in those areas have been addressed ... Noble explained that if a property owner declines remediation activities on their property, that property owner will not receive a property-specific assurance letter. 
Spring Valley RAB
Meeting Minutes
November 10, 2020 (pg. 4 - 5)

Explosive Stokes Mortar Round Unearthed on Quebec Street

During intrusive investigations on September 16, the team encountered an intact 3-inch Stokes mortar round on Quebec Street within Area of Interest (AOI) 13.  The Army Corps’ ordnance and explosives safety specialist and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit from Joint Base Andrews responded to the site.  The item was x-rayed in place, examined, and safely transported offsite by the EOD unit for disposal.  The item was destroyed on the range the same day.  Based on observations of the explosion during disposal, the EOD unit reported that the 3” Stokes mortar contained 2½ pounds of high explosive (HE) filler.  Due to the HE filler, the item was determined to be a munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) item ... Noble explained that the item was located one foot down ... This property was part of the previous remedial investigation in 2006 ...

3-inch Stokes mortar found on Quebec Street (pg. 14)

During the previous remedial investigation, the teams were not removing vegetation for anomaly investigation, only investigating open areas.  The Stokes mortar was located in the footprint of a large mature rhododendron.  During the current remedial action, the homeowner allowed the removal of the rhododendron to scan the ground underneath that had not been previously investigated ... In this case, the Stokes mortar contained a high explosive fill, so there was detonation potential associated with the item ... Based on where the item was found, in AOI 13 bordering the AU campus and the former experiment station, it is likely that the Stokes mortar was not fired.  The item was not found in an impact area.  The item may have been a munition brought in to be worked on and discarded in the area for some reason.  The item was most likely a discarded military munition, rather than UXO [unexploded ordnance].
Spring Valley RAB
Meeting Minutes
November 10, 2020 (pg. 6 - 7)

Munitions & Lab Debris Extend North Beyond PSB Footprint

After resuming field work at American University’s former Public Safety Building in July, the team began digging test pits at the site in order to determine the final excavation boundaries, as well as to conduct confirmation soil sampling ... The team continues to encounter lab grade glassware debris and have followed it into the northern hillside edge of the former PSB footprint.  Through further investigation the debris appears to extend outside of the northwestern footprint and near the existing sump.  The team has prepared work plans and is evaluating the removal of the debris trail into the hillside.  The uncovered material in the test pit sidewall was screened for munition debris and AU items.  The batch glass and metal debris cleared headspace analysis and was shipped for confirmation analysis.  The concrete sump structure was broken down into smaller pieces loaded into a roll-off container, and transported to the staging area at the federal compound pending off-site disposal.
Spring Valley RAB
Meeting Slides
September 15, 2020 (pgs. 15 - 16)

Debris chased 8 ft. north of PSB slab (pg. 20)

Conducted test pitting horizontally into the north sidewall of PSB excavation (grid D-3) to determine the extent of the dark soil layer with American University Experiment Station debris identified at approximately 2 to 3.5 feet below the slab.  Advanced 8 feet north of former PSB slab –  AUES debris was still evident, but Team had to stop due to slope stability concerns ... The bulk of the dark brown soil with abundant AUES glass debris and munition debris has been excavated and removed from below the slab, however, the AUES debris field encountered at 1 - 4 feet below the slab extends north beyond the slab into the soil slope – an as yet undetermined distance ... The AUES debris layer contained dark brown soil, abundant unsealed lab glassware bottles, pipettes & tubes, plus munitions debris from 75-mm projectiles and 4” Stokes mortar rounds.
Spring Valley FUDS
Partnering Meeting
August 2020 (pgs. 22 - 33)

AUES lab & munition debris encountered (pg. 32)