January 2026:
USACE will begin closure of all of the groundwater monitoring wells that were installed as part of the Spring Valley FUDS Groundwater project over the past 20 years. The Final Record of Decision for the Spring Valley Sitewide Groundwater project was approved, and determined that No Action was required for the Groundwater project based on the conclusion that there were no unacceptable risks posed by the groundwater.
There are 49 monitoring wells that require abandonment, and each of the wells will be abandoned in accordance with District Department of Energy and Environment requirements, which includes pulling (or perforating) the casing and filling the hole with grout. After grouting, the surface will be restored to create a final cover similar to that of the surrounding area (eg., cold patch, or native soils).
Most of the wells are located on Washington Aqueduct, American University, and Sibley Hospital properties, and other wells are located in the Spring Valley neighborhood. For wells located in the neighborhood, the locations are in the street or just off the curb, and not on private property. Where necessary, USACE will have appropriate traffic control plans in place. The work will look very much like any other utility work, with a drill rig (large truck) located over the monitoring well. Most of the wells will take approximately 4 hours to abandon, although a few of the deeper wells may take up to 2 days.
Well abandonment on American University will begin the week of Jan. 5, 2026. Work on wells in the neighborhood, where traffic control will be implemented, is expected to start on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and will take a total of approximately 3 weeks to complete.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District has released the Final Record of Decision (ROD) for the Spring Valley Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) Groundwater Project, Washington, DC:
This Record of Decision (ROD) presents the decision of No Action required for Sitewide Groundwater at the Spring Valley Formerly Used Defense Site (SVFUDS) in Washington District of Columbia. The No Action decision is supported by the following evidence gathered during the Remedial Investigation (RI) and additional work documented in an RI Addendum:
• Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) – The No Action decision is the appropriate decision for the SVFUDS groundwater project because the RI addendum did not identify unacceptable risks to human receptors to groundwater. Therefore, no CERCLA action is necessary to ensure protection of human health and the environment. USACE expects the No Action decision will satisfy the following statutory requirements of CERCLA §121(b):
- Be protective of human health and the environment;
- Comply with Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements; and
- Be cost-effective.
The other CERCLA requirements (e.g., treatment as a principal element) do not apply to a No Action decision because the RI Addendum and HHRA did not identify any contaminants of concern (COCs) in the SVFUDS groundwater that would require a remedial action.
This decision is based on the Administrative Record file for this Site. The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and Region 3 of the EPA concur with the No Action decision.
This ROD will be incorporated into the larger Administrative Record File for Spring Valley, which is available for public view at:
USACE, Baltimore District
ATTN: Public Affairs
2 Hopkins Plaza
Baltimore, MD 21201