All News Releases By Date

EPA Proposes Agreement to Cleanup McGuire Air Force Base Superfund Site

Release Date: 09/18/2009
Contact Information: Media Inquiries Only - Elias Rodriguez (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y.) Working to protect human health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the signing and public availability of an inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Air Force for the cleanup of the McGuire Air Force Base Superfund Site in New Hanover Township, New Jersey. The federal facility agreement signed by officials from the EPA and the U.S. Department of the Air Force ensures that cleanup activities proceed under EPA oversight and in a manner that protects the public health and the environment.

"Today’s agreement is a significant milestone that will benefit the people of New Jersey and the environment,” said George Pavlou, Acting EPA Regional Administrator. “The agreement shows that EPA and the Air Force are in accord on a way to move forward to clean up the site."

In 1937, then called Rudd Field was developed as an adjunct to the Fort Dix U.S. Army Training Center and was operated by the U.S. Army Air Corps. At that time, Rudd Field was a dirt-strip runway with a few maintenance and administrative buildings. In 1948, the site was transferred to the Air Force and officially designated McGuire Air Force Base. The determination that solid and hazardous waste had been generated, stored and disposed of at the site led to its inclusion on EPA’s National Priorities List of the most hazardous waste sites on October 22, 1999.

The federal facilities agreement, signed by EPA on September 15, 2009, ensures that the environmental impacts associated with past and present activities at the site are thoroughly investigated and that proper remedial actions are taken. It also establishes a framework and detailed schedule for developing, implementing, and monitoring appropriate response actions at the site according to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund law, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Finally, the agreement will ease cooperation, exchange of information and participation of the parties and the public. CERCLA requires federal agencies to investigate and clean up contamination at their facilities. Once a federal facilities agreement has been signed, EPA monitors the cleanup schedule and milestones and oversees its requirements.

Interested members of the public are encouraged to comment on the agreement during a 45-day public comment period. Comments should be submitted in writing by November 2, 2009 to Paul G. Ingrisano, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway New York, New York 10007-1866, (212) 637-4337, ingrisano.paul@epa.gov. Written comments submitted to EPA by the close of the public comment period will be considered.

The agreement is available on EPA’s web site at https://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/mcguire.

09-124