I '·· · I • • r tt0 ~1 ~ ,I '.' •::·1. : ·w~eO't3vZit'dMlf!)•)~ fJ.~"n~su DOCUMENT DEPO r liBRAR 0433 Contents Overview .......................... 2 Restoration .......................... 5 Compliance ........................ 15 Technology Demonstration and Transfer ........................ 21 Information Management ........................ 25 Future Environmental Challenges ........................ 27 Supporting the Army's Environmental Program • USAEC ... ..,.. By 1980, when "Superfund" was established, the Army already had several years' experience in environmental cleanups. The Agency responsible for spearheading the Army's environmental restoration program in 1975 continues to offer environmental program support today. On February 5, 1993, further emphasizing the Army's commitment to protecting our natural resources heritage, the U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency was redesignated as the U.S. Army Environmental Center (USAEC), under the direction and guidance of the Director of Environmental Programs, a newly created Department of the Army General Officer staff position. Our original environmental mandate -the restoration of active Army installations -today extends beyond installation restoration to include environmental compliance support and more. We also devote extensive resources and expertise to environmental technology demonstration and transfer. The USAEC is located at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Edgewood, Maryland. We work hand-in-hand with the environmental staffs of the Army's major commands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' divisions and dis tricts, field operating activities, installations, and facilities nationwide and around the world. USAEC's support encompasses the four pillars of the Army's environmental strategy for the 21st century. • Compliance • Restoration • Prevention • Conservation • USAEC .,. ... Supporting the Army'sEnvironmental Program This environmental support takes many forms . The USAEC team...conducting site investigations .. . testing ground water...reviewing Army environmental requirements .. .implementing new sampling technologies .. .is drawn from a staff of over 200 mili tary and civilian professionals. Physical scientists, safety and health experts , chemists, biologists, geologists, engineers, attorneys, and other professionals work together at USAEC to provide the environmental services needed by the Army and the Department of Defense (DoD). Because of its history and mission activity support, USAEC provides a unique combination of technical and management expertise from one source. o Supporting the Army's Environmental Program • TWIN CITIES ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT INSTALLATION RESTORATION PROGRAM TGRS INTERIM REMEDIA L ACTION INITIATED OCTOB ER 1987 The TCAAP Groundwater Recovery System (TGRS) utraets contaminated groundwater at the source an d Installation boundary to prevent luture off-TCAAP contamination. The extracted groundwater is treated (a lralrlpped)andreturnedback totheaqulfe r. (ffii'ffil "''"'" vThe system lreats over 3,000,000 gallons ol m :,;;.:,•• groundwater per day, us Army Corps ~• ~~ ! " ..D!::ers f ... l ...:-. ---= Restoration ..,. USAEC has traditionally provided support to installations to identify, evaluate , and determine the best means for cleaning up hazardous waste contamination caused by past waste disposal practices. The Army's Installation Restoration Program activities have encompassed over 1,630 Army properties. We provide day-to-day support to Army installation commanders for meeting their environmental regulatory obligations. These obligations include Federal requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Superfund Amendment and Reaut horization Act (SARA); requirements of the DoD's Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP); and state requirements. USAEC's Installation Restoration division also functions as a clearinghouse for technical information required by DERP. !> USAEC's staff supports work every day at a variety of Army sites in the United States as well as sites overseas . • Ammunition plants • Proving grounds • Laboratories • Depots • Arsenals • Forts • Warehouses • Ordnance works • Housing areas • USAEC II> USAEC's project officers manage extremely complex restoration investigations. Typical activities include obtaining samples of representative site soils (top photo), followed by thorough analysis using state-ofthe-art laboratory techniques (center photo) to detect the presence of specific contaminants. Once the type and extent of contamination is determined, planning for cleanup begins. All remediation is done in accordance with regulatory guidelines, and with regulatory agency participation. At some sites, such as the photo at the left, interim cleanups are performed to speedily abate further soil or groundwater contamination. t> We work closely with the installation's staff during all phases of a restoration project. USAEC applies comprehensive project management to every restoration project. Project officers manage experienced professional contractors to assess the nature and extent of contamination on installations and to evaluate and recommend methods for cleanup. For Department of the Army Headquarters, USAEC's installation restoration staff develops prioritized annual and multiyear work plans for all environmental restoration projects based on requirements identified by the installations. The Army places the highest priority on protecting human health and cleaning up the worst sites first. Two divisions at USAEC, the Installation Restoration Division (IRD) and the Base Closure Division (BCD), devote resources and expertise to the Army's environmental restoration efforts. The primary service provided by the IRD staff is support to the Army in satisfying its obligations under the CERCLA and the DERP. The BCD staff perform tasks comparable to those performed by the IRD staff with a concentration on bases identified for closing under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRA.C). One aim of BRAC is to eliminate any potential threat to human health and the environment at Army sites legislated for closure or realignment. The goal of the BRAC restoration program is to transfer the properties without restrictions on future use. o • Supporting the Army's Environmental Program Investigation and Remediation of Hazardous Waste Sites ~ Managing hazardous waste sites is a significant challenge for an installation commander. USAEC assists installation commanders in meeting this environmental challenge. For every restoration project, there are three potential phases to include a preliminary assessment/site inspection, a remedial investigation/feasibility study, and aremedial design/remedial action. For each phase, USAEC provides technical and management support. During restoration efforts, state-of-the-art sampling, monitoring, and remediating methodologies and equipment are used. • Ground penetrating radar and magnetometers • Hot gas decontamination ofexplosivescontaminated equipment • Computer modeling • Surface-towed ordnance locator system, • Cone penetrometer, a subsurface sensing device a prototype unexploded ordnance (UXO) • Aerated static pile composting survey device. o Composting is an alternative to incineration for remediating explosives-contaminated soils and sediments at a lower cost. Aerated Static Pile, Mechanical In-Vessel, and Windrow are some com posting technology designs. Current composting R&D efforts include an Optimization study and a Windrow demonstration at the Umatilla Army Depot Activity. The Optimization test results encouraged regulators to request use ofcomposting to remediate explosives-contaminated washout lagoons on the National Priority List. STOLS is an automated magnetometer array based ordnance locator system used for recon naissance of large areas ofunexploded ordnance. The STOLS tow vehicle is a low mag netic signature, six-wheel, all terrain prime mover that carries the computerized data ac quisition system, operator control panel, track finder, and microwave positioning system. The computer provides a record ofan estimate of size and depth of the detections. • Supporting the Army 's Environmental Program UXOs are often found at firing range impact areas. USAEC uses geophysical techniques, such as ground penetrating radar, to determine the extent of the UXO contamination before drilling and field sampling. USAEC's ordnance removal techniques minimize the impact to the environment. At the Materials Technology Laboratory, the installation was surveyed for radioactive contamination. Decommissioning plans for a nuclear research reactor and for depleted uranium machine shops were developed. Staff members worked closely with representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on this project. • USAEC 1JJo USAEC At Work In the Field USAEC oversees field investigations. Almost all field investigations involve the sampling ofsoil at different depths. Scientists and engineers determine the source and path ofcontamination. Soil samples are collected as part ofa soil boring process. The cuttings from the borings are continuously monitored visually and with instrumentation. Once the samples have been taken, the boring is backfilled. Preliminary Assessments/Site Inspections ~ During a preliminary assessment, a USAEC project team visits the site, reviews historical data, and interviews past and current installation employees. With this data, USAEC staff develop a preliminary assessment of known and suspected contamination. o To sample groundwater, wells are installed . The direction and rate that the groundwater is moving is assessed to determine the sources and concentrations ofcontamination that may be present. Similar testing is performed for contamination ofsurface water in streams, ponds, and lakes. Testing of these surface water bodies is important because many contaminants exist in sediments. Supporting the Army 's Environmental Program Work Plans .,.. The versatility of USAEC's capabilities is evident at the different sites where we provide restoration support. Before field investigation of a restoration site begins, we work with the installation to develop its detailed work plan for the restoration project. Once the work plan is approved by regulatory agencies, it incorporates all technical, health, safety, and quality assurance issues for the project. o Remedial Investigations/ Feasibility Studies .,.. We work with experienced contractors in field investigations to identify, test, and monitor groundwater, surface water, sediment, soil, air, and biota for contamination by hazardous materials. After field work is completed and samples have been analyzed, a detailed risk assessment that identifies the magnitude and extent of contamination is prepared. We ensure that laboratory personnel employ proper analytical methods of testing. We also ensure that the data collected from sampling is of the highest quality and that it is an accurate reflection of the site conditions. USAEC provides quality control and quality assurance support. o Remedial Designs/Remedial Actions .,.. If the risk assessment indicates that health hazards are present, then the options available to remedy the contamination are evaluated . The options are compared based on their effectiveness in reducing the short-and long-term health hazards. Based on USAEC's thorough study, public input and, in coordination with the regulators, the most appropriate remedial action is selected. Then the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' divisions and districts execute the remedial action. o • USAEC ., USAEC public affairs staff facilitate public meetings like these nationwide in support of the Army's environmental restoration program. Public Affairs ..,. Maintaining good relationships with the Army's neighbors, especially where sensitive environmental issues are concerned, is a prime objective of all installation commanders. USAEC's experienced public affairs project officers assist by offering detailed public involvement planning and management support to individual commanders and as USAEC project team members. We provide the expertise and contracting support for site-specific Community Relations Plans, answer media queries about USAEC activities, provide information for responses to Congressional inquiries, and facilitate public meetings nationwide to meet regulatory requirements. In addition to public involvement activities, the USAEC Public Affairs Office develops environmental public affairs training media, provides speakers on environmental public involvement, and maintains an active exhibit schedule nationwide. o Supporting the Army 's Environmental Program • Compliance ..,. Numerous and increasingly stringent state and federal environmental laws and regulations have been enacted in the past 20 years. They impact almost every operation at an installation, including training, engineering and housing, logistics, and test and evaluation activities. Issues such as water discharge, sewage treatment, noise abatement, air quality control, hazardous waste management, national historical preservation; land, forest and recreation area management; and protection of endangered species are subject to regulatory controls. Commanders can expect future requirements to continue to be complex and increasingly stringent. The USAEC offers commanders a single source for support. Our specialists keep current on the growing number of environmental regulations and are prepared to answer any compliance question. Our support helps commanders: • Develop compliance strategies and management plans • Resolve noncompliance situations • Negotiate with regulatory agencies • File regulatory permit applications • Design compliance training programs o Regulatory Expertise Essential to an installation's environmental mission is compliance with the regulations and reporting requirements issued by various regulatory agencies. USAEC regulatory specialists review new rules and regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies to determine their impact on the Army. We help installations prepare, file, and report important compliance documentation on time. This documentation often includes permit applications and responses to notices of violations. Environmental experts at USAEC are members of numerous professional organizations and scientific associations and are frequent guest speakers at environmental workshops. o Army Environmental Compliance Assessment System In 1992, the Department of the Army initiated the Environmental Compliance Assessment System (ECAS), a program to perform comprehensive, multimedia environmental compliance assessments at all of its facilities in the continental United States and overseas. The USAEC, in conjunction with other Army agencies, manages and coordinates the ECAS program. Program execution is the responsibility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Designed as a support program to help installations achieve and maintain compliance with applicable environmental regulations, ECAS helps the commands identify problem areas and resources to achieve environmental compliance. The program offers guidance on the use of the protocol and on the conduct of environmental compliance assessments. o • Training Support The USAEC is leading the Army's efforts in identifying and developing the environmental training requirements for the Total Army-Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, Army National Guard, and civilian personnel. We also lead development of training needs analysis for the Army's Environmental Master Training Plan, and develop formal and exportable video-based training packages on a variety of environmental issues, such as hazardous waste management and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. o USAEC Publications The Army Enwfrtw~ m~lCnm ptlanc: e USAEC publishes reference documents for guidance and regulation, as well as Ac: hkvc:mt:nt Program for information on lessons learned from experienced installation staffs. Th e Commander's Guide to Environmental Management The Commanders Guide to Public Involvement The Army Environmental Compliance Achievement Program "Th e Environmental Update" The Environmental Coordinators Handbook Installation Restoration and Ha zardous Waste Control Technologies Notebook o Environmental Response Line Since 1989, USAEC environmental experts have provided prompt, definitive, up-to-date answers to questions received over the Army's 24-hour toll-free environmental response line. Examples of some questions asked: What is the definition of lead-based paint? Is Halon 1301 a hazardous waste? What is the disposal procedure for M9 paper? o Environmental Alerts USAEC's regulatory specialists issue Environmental Alerts, via electronic mail, to the Army community as changes occur in federal environmental laws and regulations. A brief explanation of the significance of the new rulings and their effect on the environmental community are given in the Environmental Alerts. o Supporting the Army's Environmental Program • Pollution Prevention Program ..,. The objectives of the Army's Pollution Prevention Program are to reduce the quantity of waste generated and hazardous materials used. The Army generates pollutants from different sources, including spills, motor pool operations, surface treatment (such as plating and painting operations) and ammunition production and disposal. the USAEC oversees the development of new Pollution Prevention technolo gies and demonstrates new Compliance Technologies. The USAEC is the focal point for the Army's Pollution Prevention Program. We lead the Army's efforts for developing Pollution Prevention R&D user requirements and information. By integrating all pollution prevention efforts throughout the Army, we stay at the forefront of pollution prevention program initiatives. o Compliance with Clean Air Act Amendments ..,. The USAEC leads the Army's task force charged with assessing the impact of Clean Air Act amendments. These amendments pertain to air emissions from many operations, including fuel handling and transfer operations, open burning/open detonation of waste explosive material, engine tests, hazardous waste incineration, heat and power generation, and explosives production . To help Army commanders meet air qual ity standards at their facilities, we are de veloping a management plan and protocol for performing air emission in ventories. o • USAEC .,_ Chesapeake Bay Initiative The Army's Chesapeake Bay Initiative devotes extensive resources and vigilant efforts to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay watershed, a 64,000 square-mile drainage area, supports a variety of finfish, shellfish, waterfowl, and other wildlife populations throughout the northeast. 111> The USAEC is working with 21 active Army installations, various Army agencies, and major Army commands to: • Improve water quality • Restore and protect Living resources • Promote public participation and awareness We provide program oversight, assist installations and major Army commands in identifying requirements, and ensure the Army Bay Initiative is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Chesapeake Bay Program. o Technology Demonstration and Transfer ~ The USAEC is the Army's focal point for environmental technology demonstration and transfer to the field. Our efforts are geared toward exploring and testing innovative and more cost-effective technologies for remediating hazardous waste contamination at installations and for minimizing hazardous waste generation at Army industrial operations. Field evaluations of new Army-developed technologies are conducted before transfer to the user. Then, workshops and operator training are conducted to familiarize users with the new technology. New sensing devices, field methods, and portable analysis devices are some of the recent technological advances resulting from USAEC's environmental technology demonstration and transfer program. New applications for existing technologies are also sought. t> C> The USAEC sponsors the Army's annual Environmental Quality R&D Symposium, a forum for technical exchange among R&D managers and developers from the Army, the other Services, the EPA and other federal agencies, and the private sector. The symposium is well attended andreceives high ratings from participants who work in a variety of environmental areas. o Sample Innovative USAEC Technologies Recovering Energy from Explosives ..,.. The USAEC is conducting a demonstration test at the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant to determine the feasibility of using waste explosives as fuel. Test re sults indicate that TNT can be safely and effectively used to supplement fuel oil in an industrial boiler. Future implementation of this technology could prove to be a cost-effective disposal alternative to incineration. Several commercial corporations see applications of this tech nology as a way to recover energy from their industrial wastes. o Aluminum Vapor Deposition ..,.. During this process, vaporized aluminum bombards the charged surface of the part to be coated in a vacuum chamber. This process, an alternative to using cadmium as cor rosion protection, reduces the amount of hazardous waste gener ated. o Anniston Army Depot has installed an alumi num ion vapor deposition unit that is reducing the amount of hazardous waste being generated as well as saving the depot substantial funds each year. Subsurface Sensing Device .,.. The USAEC is leading a joint DoD and Department of Energy effort in development of the cone penetrometer, a subsurface sensing device to aid in the placement of monitoring wells. Specifically designed for use at hazardous waste sites, the cone penetrometer also characterizes subsurface contamination. o Remediating Soil Contamination .,.. In past remediation practices, contaminated soil was removed and shipped to landfills. Today, this practice is no longer used because of increasing disposal costs and new regulatory restrictions. USAEC has been demonstrating methodologies for on-site remediation of contaminated soil. For example, USAEC evaluated technology for remediating soil contamination by heating the soil and vaporizing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs. ) The VOCs are then destroyed by a low temperature thermal stripping process. o Risk Management .,.. Safety, risk management and industrial hygiene professionals at USAEC contribute to the safety and health characterization of contamination at U.S. Army installation restoration and base closure sites. Environmental risk assessment professionals at USAEC provide expertise for the development of cleanup standards. USAEC actively partipates in the Army Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health Consortium, which promotes interaction among all levels of Army organizations. The Consortium's role is to bring the various organizations together to achieve their mutual goal of protecting the Army community's health, safety, and environment. o Supporting the Army 's Environmental Program • Information Management IJII. Environmental information management has become a critical part of the Army's environmental program. The Army's centralized Automated Environmental Management Information System (AAEMIS) is being developed and maintained at the USAEC. AAEMIS incorporates numerous automation modules. The system is designed so that each module uses common architecture and data definitions. AAEMIS interfaces with other Army systems that support functions such as civilian 1> t> personnel, safety, and logistics. New modules are continually under development. Plans are underway to add data from other Army programs related to the environment, such as the Natural and Cultural Resource Program. One recent additional component, TANKMAN, is an inventory system for managing underground storage tanks and piping . Anothe r module , the Army Compliance Tracking System (ACTS), is used to generate the Quarterly Environmental Status Report which the DoD submits to Congress. AAEMIS has become an indispensible part of the Army' s environmental program. It provides rapid access to vital information for personnel Armywide from the installation level to headquarters, Department of the Army. o • USAEC ~ Future Environmental Challenges The USAEC team is committed to implementing the Army's environmental strategy into the 21st Century, through its support of the four pillars of compliance, restoration, prevention and conservation. U.S. Army Environmental Strategy Into the 21st Century Leadership Give immediate Simultaneously Focus efforts on Conserve and priority to continue to pollution preserve natural sustained restore previously prevention to and cultural compliance with contaminated reduce or resources so they all environmental sites as quickly as eliminate will be available laws. funds permit. pollution at the for present and source. future generations to use . • USAEC ~~>