JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
The effort to remove fuel from a drainage ditch outside Joint Base Charleston entered a new phase July 21, 2014, as Moran Environmental Recovery stood down its four-day operation, handing over the final stages of the cleanup to the 628th Civil Engineer Squadron.
Base personnel will concentrate on removing any remaining fuel at the first of three sites, located between Dorchester Road and the Air Base, by using "booms" to separate the fuel from the water. They will also continue to monitor the other two sites regularly for the next couple weeks, according to Luis Classaviles, 628 CES chief of environmental management.
The two downstream sites ceased showing any significant amounts of fuel, as of an inspection early July 19. As a result, crews completed their work at these stations and have since removed the booms laid in place to catch fuel at the second site. The Ashley River booms will remain in place as a precaution until the cleanup is complete, Classaviles said.
Advisors from the Environmental Protection Agency returned to Atlanta early July 21, due to the success of the cleanup effort, he said.
"I'm very satisfied with the work I've seen and grateful for the help of our partners in Moran Environmental Recovery, the Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Health and Environmental Control," said Col. Jeffrey DeVore, 628th Air Base Wing commander. "They've been instrumental in making this cleanup effort proceed safely and swiftly."
Classaviles noted that the latest test of the air quality at the sites occurred on the evening of July 19, revealing no significant findings.
For more information on the recovery, please call the Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs office at (843) 963-5608.