U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
FEDERAL FACILITIES RESTORATION AND REUSE OFFICE WITH
REGION 6 FEDERAL FACILITIES SECTION
Reuse at Air Force Base Maintains Prior
Employment Levels; Strengthens Community
England Air Force Base
Memorial to former use as an air force base
After more than 50 years in military operation, the England Air Force Base in Alexandria, Louisiana has been
reinvented as a major community attraction and employer. Through collaboration between a dedicated
community and federal, state, and local agencies, much of the former base was declared Ready for Reuse
and now supports a medical center, residential areas, golf course, and the Alexandria International Airport.
History
The England Industrial Airpark and Community
(England Airpark) has had many names over its 70-
year lifespan. Located five miles northwest of the
City of Alexandria, Louisiana, this 2,604-acre facility
has played a vital role in ensuring prosperity to the
surrounding community. In 1939, it began as a simple
emergency airstrip for Esler Field, the regional airport
serving the Central Louisiana area. As the threat of
World War II approached, the Army Air Corps leased
the facility from the City of Alexandria. The facility
The Goose Bay Band at England Air Force Base in 1954
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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became the Alexandria Army Air Base. After the end of the war, the base was placed in a standby status. In
1950, the base was reactivated in response to the outbreak of hostilities in Korea and assigned to the Tactical
Air Command. In 1955, the name of the base was changed to England Air Force Base, to honor a former
squadron commander.
Closure and Cleanup
The base was closed on December 15, 1992 as a
result of the Base Realignment and Closure process.
England AFB was an integral part of the community's
economy - employing 3,000 military and 681 civilian
personnel. The base brought in about $100 million
annually to the local economy. The closure of the
base posed an economic challenge for the region.
In 1993, a Baseline Realignment and Closure Team
(BCT) was created to oversee the investigations and
corrective actions that were a part of remediation
activities at the facility to make it ready for reuse.
The BCT was a three-person team that included
Project Managers from the State of Louisiana, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S.
Air Force. They held monthly meetings to discuss the
results of past and current actions, as well as potential
future actions. The BCT worked closely with the
redevelopment authority to coordinate activities.
i
Aerial view of runways at England Air Force Base
Environmental cleanup activities at England Air Force Base
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USE CAUTION
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Initial environmental studies conducted in the
decade leading up to the base's closure identifec|
over 330 potential areas of concern. These areas
included landfills, above- and below-ground storage
tanks, fire training areas, oil-water separators, a
sewage treatment pond, a low-level radiological
disposal site, and a suspected chemical warfare
training material burial site. In preparation for
issuing a permit for storing hazardous wastes at the
base, EPA prepared a Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Assessment (RFA), which
identified 59 solid waste management units (SWMUs)
and five areas of concern. A Hazardous and Solid
Waste Amendment (HSWA) corrective action permit
issued in 1995 included 33 SWMUs and all five areas of
concern identified by the RFA.
EPA took an active role in the cleanup and
remediation process at England Airpark; two
particular examples highlight this involvement. In the
first, EPA collected and analyzed the DMA of bacteria
found in groundwater contaminated by chlorinated
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solvents. The analysis showed that the bacteria were breaking down the solvent, providing natural attenuation
of contaminants. The second example is EPA brought in a team of scientists from New Jersey to check for
vapor intrusion at a hospital on site. Using advanced detection technology, it was demonstrated that the
hospital facility and nearby school were safe for use.
Reuse
The former England Air Force Base has survived
as a vibrant and essential part of the Central
Louisiana economy. The facility is now a mixed use
development centered around the regional airport,
with a golf course, residential and commercial
space, manufacturing, and transportation. The
base is now known as the England Airpark and
Community. Development has been overseen by
the England Economic and Industrial Development
District (England Authority or EEIDD), an independent
political subdivision of the State of Louisiana. The
EEIDD was formed by business leaders and elected
officials. The elected officials on the EEIDD board
served as the local communities' link to and voice in
the redevelopment process.
Control tower at the Alexandria International Airport
The England Airpark now houses the Alexandria International Airport (AEX) which offers a flight school, four
major commercial air service providers, a fixed base operator (FBO), and an ISO 9000 calibration laboratory.
AEX has made public its Draft 2009 Master Plan, which outlines targeted industries and areas of development
that can continue to fuel the reuse of the facility. The Master Plan recommends that England Airpark target
the following industries: Aviation, Corporate Training and Shared Services, a Rail Car-Related Cluster, Plastics
Manufacturing, Regional Distribution, and Homeland Security and National Defense.
Although closed as a military base, AEX continues to
serve the military as a loading and unloading station
supporting nearby Ft. Polk through a commercial
lease with the military. This arrangement has resulted
in approximately $60 million being invested in the
airfield's facilities. England Airpark and AEX proved
their value as a disaster relief staging and support
area in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and
Gustav.
As the regional airport serving central Louisiana, AEX
serves over 250,000 passengers with over 50,000 air
operations per year through commercial and private
airlines. England Airpark continues to be successful at
drawing investment to the park and the surrounding
community. According to the Louisiana Economic
Quarterly, England Airpark has leveraged $502.8
million in direct private investment and employs more
than 2,000 people. Direct sales revenue has been
reported as $2.8 billion.
Oak Wing Golf Club
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The eight-parish region surrounding the EEIDD - referred to as the Central Louisiana Region (CENLA) - has been
positively impacted by the reuse at England Airpark. From 1992 through 2007 total investment and operational
revenue at EEIDD generated over $7.3 billion in additional business sales within the CENLA economy. This
investment has contributed to producing over $1.8 billion in additional household earnings for residents within
the CENLA region. By 2007, EElDD-associated entities supported about 7,437 permanent and temporary jobs
with average annual earnings of about $36,457. Over the 15 years up to 2007 that the England Authority has
overseen the development of the former military base, parish sales tax collections increased by a total of $36.94
million.
On June 4, 2004, the Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Region 6 declared a large portion of the former
England Air Force Base "Ready for Reuse." The
declaration was commemorated by the opening
of the 220-acre OakWing Golf Club, a public 18-
hole course located along the scenic banks of
Bayou Rapides and Bayou Le Tig. The England
Airpark also offers residential and service facilities.
The Louisiana State University Medical Center at
Alexandria is also using the former base hospital
to serve the needs of the local community.
Currently, about 300 housing units are occupied,
and a daycare facility, a restaurant, and a hotel
have been completed.
Residential units on the former England Air Force Base
For more information, call or write:
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office
1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Mail Code: 5106P
Washington, DC 20460-0001
Phone: (703) 603-0048
www.epa.gov/fedfac
Region 6 Federal Facilities Section
1445 Ross Ave, Ste 1200
Mail Code: 6PD-F
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 665-3170
http://region6.epa.gov/websave/earth 1 r6/ready4reuse
http://www.epa.gov/earthlr6/6pd/rcra_c/pd-n/index.htm
Visit the FFRRO Web site for more information about federal facility cleanups, including success
stories, descriptions of new initiatives, policy and guidance documents, and our newsletter.
EPA-505-F-09-013 November 2009
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