www.epa.gov/swerrfrr/
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101)
deral Facilities Restoration And Reuse Off!
Federal
Cleanups
That Put
Citizens
First
-------
acing the
Challenge
om nuclear weapon;
ants and military
jses to landfills and
iel distribution
ations, the U.S.
ivernment operates
ousands of facilities
ross the country that
•omote the security
id welfare of Americans. Constant
nprovements in technology and national
;curity now permit many of these
icilities y be transformed for other
sneficial uses. After years of vital service,
owever, some of these facilities contain
ivironmental contamination from
jzardous wastes, unexploded ordnance,
tdioactive wastes.
,r other toxic
iubstances. In fact, m<
lan 57,000 federal si
re potentially
;ontaminated—a
' allenge that will co
illions of dollars to
ddress. To reduce th
costs of cleanup and
reuse of such sites, EPA's Federal Facili
Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO)
coordinates creative solutions that prote'
both human health and the environment
Such solutions restore facilities so they i
once again serve an important role in th
economy and welfare of local communi
and our country.
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Department of Interior
'umber of Potentiall
Contaminated Sites
More than 10,000
Estimated C<
to Addres
,160-350 billi
-------
Finding Solutions
In 1994, EPA established FFRRO in response to
the challenges contamination poses at federal
facilities. FFRRO works with the U.S.
Department of Defense (DoD), the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE), and other federal
agencies to develop creative, cost-effective
solutions to environmental problems. FFRRO's
overall mission is to facilitate faster, more
effective, and less costly cleanup and reuse of
federal facilities.
The hallmarks of FFRRO's work—and the keys to
its success—are partnering, innovation, and
community involvement.
FFRRO involves citizens groups, tribal
parties, and state and local agencies in
the cleanup process through dialogue that
respects the unique needs of each
community. This approach has enabled
FFRRO to make progress at federal
facilities while protecting and
strengthening human health, the
environment, and local economies.
I
-------
Developing
Partnerships
FFRRO has formed or participates in several partnerships with DoD, DOE,
and other stakeholders to facilitate faster, more effective, and less costly
cleanups. For example, working through EPA's regional offices, FFRRO helps
DoD implement President Clinton's Fast-Track Cleanup Program. This program
accelerates cleanups and speeds the economic recovery of communities affected
by military base closures.
A major success of this program is the formation of base realignment and
closure (BRAC) cleanup teams (BCTs) at 108 fast-track installations. In these
teams, representatives of EPA, DoD, and state agencies engineer commonsense
approaches to cleanups by setting common goals and priorities. Since 1995,
BCTs have helped eliminate over 250 years of cleanup time and $250 million in
potential project costs.
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site
Denver, Colorado
Rocky Flats was established in 1952 to produce plutonium and other metal
components for nuclear weapons. EPA Region 8, DOE, and the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment formed a strong, collective
partnership to develop the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement, which set cleanup
expectations and clearly defined roles and responsibilities for site closure. This
team approach reduced duplication of effort and will enable DOE to work
toward completing all closure work four years ahead of schedule. A
comprehensive public involvement program at the site ensures the participation
of stakeholders.
Bergstrom Air Force Base
Austin, Texas
This base was placed on a fast-track cleanup
schedule so it could house the Austin-Bergstrom
International Airport, slated to open in 1999. A team
of city and state agencies, EPA Region 6, and the
Air Force Base Conversion Agency is expediting
site investigation and cleanup plans to meet the
airport's opening deadline. Relocating Austin's
airport will save the city the estimated $200 million
it would spend to build a new airport, and ease the
noise problems at the current site.
-------
Fostering
Innovation
FFRRO encourages agencies to use innovative processes to improve
environmental restoration. Presumptive remedies, for example, can hasten the
cleanup of similar types of sites. Presumptive remedies are preferred
technologies, determined by historical patterns of remedy selection, for
common categories of sites. By using them, site managers can narrow the
number of technologies they need to consider, and instead focus on data
collection and site assessment.
To improve site assessment and remediation, FFRRO promotes alternative
technologies. Alternatives to pump and treat systems and landfills, such as
enhanced bioremediation and phytoremediation, can make cleanups faster,
more effective, and less costly.
Umatilla Chemical Depot
Hermiston, Oregon
To clean up explosives and metals
in soil, EPA Region 10 and the Army
successfully advocated the use of
innovative treatment technologies
(such as bioremediation and
solidification/ stabilization) and on-
site analytical technologies. These
methods have slashed cleanup costs
by more than $13 million and reduced
sampling costs from $250 to just $60
per sample.
Fort Ord
Monterey, California
At this facility, EPA Region 9
proposed a creative solution to
cleanup problems that saved $11
million: excavate material from one
area of the site for use in the cleanup
alternative at another portion of the
site. Region 9 also encouraged the
Army to use a streamlined decision-
making process. This and other
innovations put the base realignment
plan five years ahead of schedule.
-------
Promoting Community
Involvement
Experience has shown that cleanups at federal facilities improve when local
stakeholders share information and become involved in environmental decision-
making. FFRRO's Blueprint for Action outlines a comprehensive program to increase
stakeholder involvement. Through regional coordination, training seminars,
cooperative partnerships, research projects, and technical and financial assistance,
FFRRO supports the following key objectives of the Blueprint for Action:
• Foster open dialogue for environmental solutions.
• Promote partnerships among environmental groups, government agencies,
labor organizations, and community groups.
• Ensure environmental justice.
• Strengthen stakeholder involvement networks.
One avenue for meeting these objectives is the formation of Restoration Advisory
Boards (RABs) at military bases. Comprised of representatives from DoD, EPA, the
state agency, and the local community, RABs provide a forum for discussion and
exchange of cleanup information between government agencies and the public. RABs
have been essential to improving cleanups and reducing costs. To date, more than 300
RABs have been formed nationwide at NPL and non-NPL sites.
Like RABs, 12 Site Specific Advisory Boards (SSABs) have been formed to develop
consensus recommendations on cleanup issues at DOE properties. Comprised of
representatives from DOE, EPA, the state agency, and the local community, SSABs
develop consensus recommendations and help DOE make informed cleanup decisions.
Wurtsmith Air Force Base,
Michigan
An active RAB at this facility gave the
community a voice in cleanup and reuse
decisions. The community identified the
housing area of the base as one of the most
valuable properties to be transferred to private
hands for use as low-income housing. The
BCT responded by giving the housing area the
highest priority in preparing property for
transfer. Working with a local community
service agency, the BCT moved and renovated
base housing to replace substandard housing in
six counties. About 75 families benefited from
what is now a national model for reuse of
military housing units.
I
-------
Information
For more information about FFRRO,
call or write:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Respon
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse O
(5101)
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 202 260-9924
Fax: 202 260-5646
U.S. Army Cameron
Station Alexandria,
Virginia
Keeping local residents informed
about cleanup actions at the base
was important to Cameron Station's
RAB. Comprised of private citizens
and local government officials, the
RAB worked cooperatively with the
Army, EPA, and state
representatives to write a report that
educated nearby residents about
remedial activities at the site. The
first of its kind, the report became a
model for other RABs. As a result
of the RAB's involvement in the
cleanup and reuse plans for Cameron
Station, the community is gaining
2,000 new housing units and
commercial and recreational facilities.
Additionally, the city of Alexandria
gained increased property tax revenues
and commercial growth.
151
www.epa.gov/swerffrr/
Visit the FFRRO home page for more
information about federal facility cleanups,
initiatives, policy and guidance documents,
a calendar of upcoming meetings and
conferences.
------- |