1985-04-12 GAO – Efforts To Clean Up DOD-Owned Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites

Since 1975, DOD has been assessing its inactive hazardous waste disposal sites to determine if any pollutants have been escaping and causing harm to humans or the environment. These efforts have been carried out under DOD’s Installation Restoration Program, which is designed to identify and clean up inactive hazardous waste sites on military bases. GAO reviewed the program at the request of two congressional subcommittees and found that (1) DOD estimated the program will cost between $5 billion and $10 billion, (2)groundwater pollution standards were informal and varied considerably among states, and (3) DOD has not adequately involved regulatory agencies in its program to clean up inactive DOD-owned hazardous waste sites. Also, GAO noted that the Air Force monitoring of contractor performance under the program could be improved.

http://www.gao.gov/assets/150/142680.pdf

---

The following statement “Since 1975, DOD has been assessing its inactive hazardous waste disposal sites” is important because the Air Force has not released or acknowledged any environmental assessment or remediation work that was done prior to or outside the Air Force Installation Restoration Program (IRP).

• The first document listed in the AF Administrative Record for George AFB is dated 09/10/1981.
  “Re Needed Investigation Of Waste Disposal Sites Having Received Hazardous/Toxic Materials,” Hampson, Roy C / CRWQCB 09/10/1981
• The first Air Force report in the AF Administrative Record for George AFB is dated 01/01/1982.
  “Phase I, Records Search Report, Vol I of II” CH2M Hill 01/01/1982

Source http://afcec.publicadmin-record.us.af.mil/