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Fact Sheet

October 2011

Public Notice of Proposed Remedies and Permit Modification, Golf Course Drum Site and Skeet and Trap Range, Offutt Air Force Base, Sarpy County, Nebraska

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces a public comment period for the proposed cleanup actions for the Golf Course Drum Site and Skeet and Trap Range areas at Offutt Air Force Base (AFB), Nebraska. Alternate cleanup options were also considered for these sites and are described in the Statements of Basis for each site. EPA also proposes to modify Part II of the Offutt AFB Hazardous Waste Storage Permit to incorporate the requirements of these remedies.

The public comment period will run from October 26 to December 9, 2011, to enable the public to participate in the remedy selection process.

A public availability session, which is intended to allow the public an opportunity to discuss the proposed final cleanup actions with EPA and Offutt representatives, has not been scheduled. A public availability session will be scheduled if one is requested by members of the public. A public hearing, which provides an opportunity for the public to formally comment on the proposed cleanup actions, is also not scheduled at this time. If the public requests a public hearing in writing with a statement of issues to be raised at the hearing, EPA will conduct a public hearing and receive both oral and written comments.

Written comments should be sent to:

Jeff Johnson
U.S. EPA, AWMD/RCAP
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
johnson.jeff@epa.gov

and should be received by December 9, 2011. Comments received will be summarized in a Response to Comments document, and responses will be provided to those individuals providing the comments. The Response to Comments will be drafted at the conclusion of the public comment period and incorporated into the administrative record. EPA may modify the proposed final remedies or select other alternatives based upon new information and comments from the public.

BACKGROUND

Offutt AFB is located just south of Bellevue, Nebraska. In 1987, EPA issued a federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hazardous Waste Management Permit to Offutt AFB, which allowed for the operation of a hazardous waste storage facility at the site. This permitted storage facility was recently cleaned and closed under RCRA.

This fact sheet describes remedies that are proposed for two areas at Offutt AFB where contaminants have been released and require cleanup. In both areas, contamination is confined to the Base and does not extend significantly beyond the area of the release. See map for locations.

Contamination in the form of lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been found in soil at the Skeet and Trap Range as a result of the lead shot and clay pigeons used at the range. Contamination at the Golf Course Drum Site consists of PAHs in groundwater that is the result of a release from a crushed drum containing creosote which was discovered buried at the site. The drum, its contents, and contaminated soil around the drum have been excavated and disposed of at an off-site landfill.

The levels of lead detected in the Skeet and Trap Range and PAHs detected in both areas pose a threat to human health if site workers or future residents were to repeatedly come into contact with the contamination or ingest contaminated groundwater.

PROPOSED REMEDY

The proposed remedies for the two sites are outlined below:

Golf Course Drum Site:

  1. Land use controls (LUCs) to prevent residential usage, drinking water well installation and incidental exposure to contaminated groundwater;
  2. Groundwater monitoring to verify that contaminant concentrations are attenuating and not expanding beyond their current extent.

Skeet and Trap Range:

  1. Excavation and consolidation of lead-contaminated soil exceeding the residential lead cleanup value and PAH-contaminated soil exceeding industrial cleanup values using standard construction equipment;
  2. Recovery of lead shot through physical sieving, which will then be containerized and recycled;
  3. In situ stabilization of consolidated lead-contaminated soil exceeding the leaching standard by mixing a treatment amendment into the soil pile;
  4. Disposal of excavated and stabilized lead-contaminated soil and PAH-contaminated soil at a Subtitle D (solid waste) landfill;
  5. Disposal of any lead-contaminated soil not meeting the leaching standard after stabilization at a Subtitle C hazardous waste landfill;
  6. Collection of confirmation samples to verify that all soil exceeding the cleanup standard have been adequately removed;
  7. Grading and re-vegetation of the excavation area after cleanup;
  8. Establishment of LUCs over the PAH-contaminated area cleaned to industrial standards.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

For each area, the proposed cleanup actions and alternate cleanup options were evaluated using the following criteria:

Based on this comparison, EPA has determined the proposed cleanup actions meet all selection criteria and present the best balance of cost and protectiveness among the alternatives considered. Detailed information on these comparisons is presented in the Statements of Basis for each area, available at the locations below.

EPA also proposes to modify Part II of the Offutt AFB Hazardous Waste Storage Permit to incorporate the requirements of the Golf Course Drum Site and Skeet and Trap Range remedies. The permittee’s compliance history during the life of the permit being modified is available from the Agency contact person.

The cleanup actions proposed for these two areas will conclude the remedy selection process for all known areas of contamination requiring action at Offutt AFB. Other solid waste management units/areas of contamination at the site have previously had remedies selected and implemented. All remedies selected for the site will continue to be monitored and evaluated until final cleanup objectives are attained.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Copies of the documents describing the proposed remedies for the Golf Course Drum Site and Skeet and Trap Range are available to the public during normal business hours at the following locations:

Bellevue Public Library
1003 Lincoln Rd.
Bellevue, NE  68005
(402) 293-3157

EPA Region 7 Library
901 N. 5th St.
Kansas City, KS  66101
Jeff Johnson: (913) 551-7849
Library: (913) 551-7979

If you have questions, or want to join the mailing list, please contact Beckie Himes, Community Involvement Coordinator, at (913) 551-7253, or toll-free at (800) 223-0425. Joining the mailing list will allow individuals to receive any updated information related to this site.

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