CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
A team of Air Force and consulting scientists recently reviewed the environmental cleanup program on Charleston AFB and found the program to be ahead of schedule in meeting key milestones.
The accelerated progress made at Charleston AFB means base environmental officials are on track for early compliance with the Air Force goal of implementing "Remedy-in-Place" at all bases by 2012.
The Dec. 8-11 expert review was part of a unique program sponsored by the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment to assist bases by providing an intense, week-long evaluation of cleanup efforts to ensure they are protective, efficient, timely and that decision-makers are informed. This Environmental Restoration Program Optimization review was sought out by Charleston remedial program managers Al Urrutia and Luis Class, both with the 437th Civil Engineer Squadron, to accelerate the closure of sites poised to enter the final stages of environmental cleanup.
ERP-O led to the closure of 45 specific polluted sites at Air Force bases in the last two years and has sped up the pace of closures by a minimum of five years across the board. The reviews promote cost-effective cleanups with an emphasis on effectiveness. This ensures cleanups are protective and promote a range of other health, community, administrative and pollution-reduction benefits.
The ERP-O team of engineers, scientists, regulatory specialists and water experts tour base sites where contamination is being addressed, study reports, and perform new analysis of information before briefing regulators, the base and other Air Force environmental officials after five days of careful review. In addition, they collaborate with base officials in discussing the recommendations with regulators and can also get out in the field to measure results upon request.
The ERP-O team that evaluated Charleston AFB recommended some reviews of long-term monitoring while continuing to ensure areas undergoing solvents and fuel cleanups make progress. Other challenges identified included updating conceptual site models at each site, although the base has been aggressive about optimizing remedial issues to date. The team also found that the few remaining technically challenging sites should be prioritized in collaboration with South Carolina regulators as they map a path forward.
The ERP-O team also focused on addressing contamination in the flightline ditch and other restricted areas. The base's approach to cleaning up these areas has been effective to date and the ERP-O advisers urged the base to continue to develop the program by making several adjustments to the cleanup approach, which could lead to $660,000 in savings throughout the life of the effort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, updating missing information pictured in a conceptual site model, which depicts the types of soil and the movement of underground water and pollutants, will help guide cleanup efforts as base managers prepare to discuss the closeout of cleanup efforts with the approval of South Carolina regulators, the advisers said.
Charleston cleanup managers, Mr. Urrutia and Mr. Class, are working with cleanup contractors and are ahead of broader Air Force goals of having cleanups in place at all bases by 2012. As their work approaches finalization, the Charleston AFB environmental team can begin planning for the future by preparing exit strategies, which are plans to closeout cleanup efforts. The process needs to meet both state and federal standards and AFCEE is providing support to the base in addressing this with the relevant authorities.
According to AFCEE Restoration Program Management Office representative John Ekhoff, "The ERP-O review points the way toward key steps that will improve the performance and management of the Air Force cleanup program, accelerate discussions with state regulators and foster a collaborative effort to meet program goals."
The ERP-O team recommended continuing until closeout is warranted, especially as responsibility for the next phases of site cleanup will be assumed by AFCEE in 2009. For more information on ERP-O programs, see the program description on the AFCEE Web site: http://www.afcee.af.mil/resources/restoration/rpo/index.asp.