JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VA. –
The United States Army Corps of Engineers - Norfolk District, and the United States Air Force, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and United States Environmental Protection Agency, completed the fourth Five-Year Review of environmental remedies at JBLE-Eustis.
The purpose of the Five-Year Review is to evaluate the implementation and performance of a remedy to determine if the remedy is or will be protective of human health and the environment. Five-Year Reviews also identify issues discovered during the review, if any, and provide recommendations to address them.
The focus of the fourth Five-Year Review included evaluation of the following 7 Operable Units:
OU1-Bailey Creek: The selected remedy for Bailey Creek included focused excavation of sediment, supplemental clean fill for enhanced natural recovery, land use controls, and long-term monitoring. The fourth Five-Year Review determined the remedy is currently protective of human health and the environment in the short-term because the site has completed remedy construction. Excavation and capping of the Outfall 18 swale have reduced polychlorinated biphenyls to the goal concentrations making the Explanation of Significant Differences remedy protective of receptors previously exposed to hot spots. The LTM program will show the long-term impacts to the rest of Bailey Creek, but the exposure pathway and risk have been addressed.
OU2-Brown’s Lake: The selected remedy for Brown’s Lake included excavation of the Upper Ditch, storm water controls, LUCs and LTM. The fourth Five-Year Review determined the remedy is currently protective of human health and the environment in the short-term because exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks are being controlled through a combination of LUCs that prohibit fish consumption and swimming/wading, and the Vortech sediment control structure is functioning as intended. For the remedy to be protective in the long term, erosion repairs and future routine inspections and maintenance of the dam need to be implemented. The dam is not part of the restoration site, but any future work will be coordinated with the USEPA and VDEQ to ensure protection of the site. Additional monitoring is required to determine whether conditions at OU2 reflect a recovering ecosystem following the implementation of the sediment cap.
OU4-Eustis Lake: The selected remedy for Eustis Lake included excavation of sediment, supplemental clean fill, revegetation, LUCs, and LTM. The fourth Five-Year Review determined the remedy is currently protective of human health and the environment in the short term because exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risk are being controlled through a combination of LUCs that prohibit fish consumption and site access. Supporting LTM data indicates a decreasing trend in PCBS contamination that is or may be bioavailable. For the remedy to be protective in the long term, erosion repairs and future routine inspections and maintenance of the dam need to be implemented. The dam is not part of the restoration site, but any future work will be coordinated with the USEPA and VDEQ to ensure protection of the site. Evaluation of the subsequent LTM reports are required to confirm that PCBS concentrations remain below the remedial goal in surface sediment that is or may be bioavailable and to evaluate ongoing exceedances in fish tissue.
OU9-Landfill 7: The selected remedy for Landfill 7 included the implementation of landfill post-closure care requirements, preparation of a survey plat by a professional land surveyor registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia, LUCs, and LTM. The fourth Five-Year Review determined the remedy is currently protective of human health and the environment. The soil cover at Landfill 7 is preventing direct contact with landfill contents. Exposure pathways that could result in an unacceptable risk are being controlled through a combination of the landfill soil cover and enforcement of LUCs.
OU10-Landfill 1: The selected remedy for Landfill 1 included soil sampling of existing soil cover, supplemental clean fill, revegetation, the implementation of landfill post-closure care requirements, preparation of a survey plat by a professional land surveyor registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia, LUCs, and LTM. The fourth Five-Year Review determined the remedy will be protective of human health and the environment upon completion of additional soil cover. In the interim, enforcement of LUCs adequately addresses all exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risks from exposure to landfill waste and contaminated groundwater.
OU11-Skeet Range Upland: The selected remedy for Skeet Range Upland included the installation of vertical barriers and surface water diversion, excavation of contaminated soils, dust control, off-site disposal of excavated soils, site grading and erosion control, ground cover restoration, and annual long-term vegetative monitoring. The fourth Five-Year Review determined the remedy will be protective of human health and the environment upon evaluation of the Final Remedial Action Completion Report. The removal of contaminated soil is expected to eliminate exposure pathways for ecological and human receptors.
OU12-Skeet Range Wetland: The selected remedy for Skeet Range Wetland included excavation of contaminated sediment, installation of vertical barriers and surface water diversion, on-site sediment stabilization, site grading and erosion controls, ground cover and wetland restoration, off-site landfill disposal, LUCs, and LTM. The fourth Five-Year Review determined the remedy will be protective of human health and the environment upon evaluation of the Final RACR. Exposure pathways that could result in unacceptable risk are being controlled through a combination of LUCs that prohibit fish consumption and site access.
The fourth Five-Year Review and USEPA independent determination are available for public review on the AFCEC Administrative Record at https://ar.cce.af.mil or at:
733d Civil Engineering Squadron
Environmental Element
Attention: D. Malama Chock
1407 Washington Blvd
JBLE-Eustis, VA 23604
Should members of the community have questions or comments about the JBLE-Eustis Five-Year Review or are interested in additional information, please email 733MSG.733CES.EUSTISRESTORATION@us.af.mil.