&EPA Camp Minden Site Environmental Protection Removal Action Agency Camp Minden - Explo Systems, Inc. Removal Action Webster Parish, Louisiana November/December 2015 This Fact Sheet will tell you about: Current Actions Future Actions Past Actions Site Timeline For More Information... Contacts The safety of the public is our most important consideration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strongly believes that public engagement makes for better informed decisionsboth for the EPA and for the community. The EPA remains committed to finding ways to increase the involvement of local officials and the community in the remedy as we move forward in addressing the cleanup actions at Camp Minden. Current Actions Foundations for the Contained Burn System (CBS) are being prepared at Camp Minden. The crews have been preparing the soil, framing the slabs, and pouring the concrete. Roads on the Camp are also being surveyed and widened to allow for the delivery of the contained burn chamber. The 100 feet long and 23 feet in diameter chamber is expected to be delivered to the Camp after the first week in January. The construction of the chamber and the various components of the pollution abatement system are on schedule. The components will soon be delivered and staged for installation at the Camp. The control room, air monitoring trailers, and other support structures are also being assembled. Future Actions Future Actions include the assembly of the CBS. Crews will connect the contained burn chamber to the pollution abatement system which includes a cyclone, catalytic reaction chambers, bag house, and HEPA filter. When the CBS is complete, the crews will run a series of tests as they begin ramping up the system. A Comprehensive Performance Test will be performed according to the prevailing regulations and that will set the parameters for the CBS to meet the strict emission standards. Air sampling and monitoring equipment will be deployed throughout the area. This is in addition to the Continuous Emission Monitoring that will take place right at the stack of the CBS. Once the system is operating, Citizens can view the daily status at the Geauxguard.com webpage. Through a Technical Assistance Services to Communities (TASC) contract, the EPA is working to provide independent technical expertise to the Citizens Advisory Group (CAG). The December Camp Minden CAG meeting was moved to December 8, 2015, and will be attended by TASC, the EPA (which will include the former Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant [LAAP] Remedial Project Manager), and the Army National Guard Project Manager (LAAP Site). During the meeting, there will be a discussion regarding the request from the CAG to sample water wells outside the post ------- and collect surface water as it leaves the installation boundary. A late January 2016 community meeting is being planned in conjunction with the CAG. Public notice and postcards announcing the meeting will be sent in early January. Past Actions On November 19, 2015, the EPA held Environmental Workshop #5, Baseline Data Results, at Camp Minden. The workshop gave a detailed presentation of the air and soil sampling results and air monitoring results from the EPA's baseline assessment. The samples that were taken came from various locations on the Camp Minden Facility and at six locations in the surrounding community. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) and EPA Toxicologists attended to address health issues. The workshop also included a demonstration of the EPA's Camp Minden interactive data website that shows a map of the eight locations. Viewers can zoom in and out, select a location on the map, and see a list of links to the data from that location (air monitoring data, air sampling data, and soil sampling data), which can be downloaded. The EPA continues to attend the monthly CAG meetings to ensure concerns from the community are addressed, and to provide both technical information and coordination of general information on the path going forward. The EPA Region 6 Superfund Division Director, Carl Edlund, attended the Camp Minden CAG monthly meeting on October 12, 2015. He answered the CAG's questions and concerns for future site activities. Between April 2014 and August 2015, respective Potentially Responsible Parties General Dynamics and Orbital ATK removed and properly disposed or recycled approximately 3,070,809 pounds of explosive materials, including Nitrocellulose, Tritonal contaminated debris, St. Marks Pit Powder, M-30 Propellant, Extracted Aluminum, TNT and H6 explosive material. Site Timeline October 2012 - A bunker explodes at the Explo site at Camp Minden May 2013 - Explo secures all explosives under Louisiana State Police order August 2013 - Explo abandons materials at Camp Minden October 2013 - To protect the community, EPA begins negotiations with the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) April 2014 - Administrative Order of Consent (AOC) is signed with the commercial PRPs October 2014 - AOC signed to address M6 and CBI December 2014 - Camp Minden Website goes live December 2014 - Community Meeting January 2015 - Minden Dialogue Committee formed February 2015 - 1st Alternative Remedy Meeting for Minden Dialogue Committee March 2015 - 2nd Alternative Remedy Meeting for Minden Dialogue Committee March 2015 - Minden Dialogue Process Facilitators' Report released April 2015 - Environmental Workshop #1, Air Monitoring April 2015 - Environmental Workshop #2, Response Preparedness May 2015 - Began collection of background environmental data ------- May 2015 - Public Announcement of alternative remedy and contractor May 2015 - Citizen's Advisory Group Meeting May 2015 - LMD began the best and final negotiations with the contractor May 2015 - Public Meeting: Contained Burn System June 2015 - Contract Award June 2015 - Public Meeting July 2015 - Work Plan submitted to the EPA August 2015 - Environmental Workshop #3, Work Plan and Sampling Plan September 2015 - Environmental Workshop #4, LAAP Groundwater Discussion October 2015 - Carl Edlund met with the Citizen's Advisory Group November 2015 - Established TASC contract for the Citizen's Advisory Group November 2015 - Environmental Workshop #5, Data Results For More Information... If you would like more information about Camp Minden, visit our website at http://www2.epa.gov/la/camp-minden. You can also review copies of information at: Webster Parish Library 521 East and West Street Minden, LA 71055 318.371.3080 Doyline Branch Library 333 Main Street P.O. Box 8 Doyline, LA 71023 318.745.3800 Contacts Citizens can call 800.887.6063 during normal business hours (9 a.m. - 4 p.m. weekdays) or send an e-mail to our dedicated mailbox r6_camp_minden@epa.gov. All inquiries from the news media should be directed to the EPA Region 6 Press Office at 214.665.2200 or by email to R6press@epa.gov. ------- &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 1445 Ross Ave. (6SF-VO) Dallas, TX 75202 ------- |