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Region 3 Develops a Unique Corrective Action Permit for the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Virginia
Radford Army Ammunition Plant (Radford AAP) is a government owned/contractor operated (GO/CO) industrial complex located in Radford, Virginia. Construction of the production facilities began in 1940 with the impending participation of the United States in World War II and the need for increased ammunition production facilities. Since the need for ammunition production has decreased, the Army is trying to diversify the operating capabilities of the facility. Radford AAP is a RCRA permitted facility which is subject to Corrective Action and, due to the magnitude and extensive operating history, maintains areas potentially subject to cleanup via the Superfund program. While clean-up of Federal Facilities is typically done under CERCLA authority, in this particular instance, there were concerns that an NPL listing would decrease the economic development potential for this GO/CO facility.
Recognizing this problem, EPA Region III worked cooperatively with facility representatives and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and developed a unique RCRA Corrective Action Permit that addressed both RCRA and CERCLA concerns yet allowed economic development to continue at the site. In an effort to reduce duplication of effort and investigation costs, the Permit contains provisions which closely parallel those typically found in Federal Facilities Agreements negotiated in the CERCLA program. In addition, remediation of the site will be integrated under the direction of one Project Manager in the Region's Superfund program. The economic development of underutilized Army plants is paying off, under the Armaments Retooling and Manufacturing Support ( ARMS ) Initiative. At Radford, 19 commercial tenant activities have located or relocated/expanded there. These businesses include commercial powders, pyrotechniques, metalworking, wholesalers of pipe, valves & fittings, hardware, tools and fasteners, a wellness center, and office activities. A total of 360 tenant jobs have been created, of which over 300 are manufacturing. This philosophy of diversification has brought new jobs to the surrounding community. The estimated economic impact of each new good manufacturing job is 1-3 indirect support jobs for the community Radford AAP is owned by the U.S. Department of the Army and is operated by Alliant Ammunition and Powder Company LLC under a facility use agreement and contains approximately 1969 buildings and occupies over 6900 acres. The facility is located in Pulaski and Montgomery counties approximately 10 miles west of Blacksburg and 47 southwest of Roanoke. Radford AAP manufactures solid propellants used in small arms (sporting and military), anti-aircraft, tanks, artillery, and small rockets. Radford AAP also Loads, Assembles, and Packs medium caliber ammunition and mortar cases.