Work on the Site-Wide Remedial Action is now underway in Spring Valley to mitigate remaining risks posed by soil contamination and unacceptable hazards due to munitions that may remain within the Spring Valley FUDS . The Remedial Action is based on the finalized Decision Document which is based on the previously conducted Remedial Investigation and subsequent Feasibility Study. The Decision Document also addresses the site of the recently removed Public Safety Building on American University's campus and overall educational outreach in the Formerly Used Defense Site.
See below for more details on the four main aspects of the ongoing Site-Wide Remedial Action.
Regarding unacceptable risks posed by soil contamination, the Decision Document identifies Alternative 4, Excavation and Off-site Disposal, as the selected remedy of the four alternatives analyzed. This alternative entails excavation of contaminated soils in the areas identified, and backfilling the areas with clean soil. Please see the fact sheet prepared to accompany the release of the Proposed Plan for more information on how this remedy was selected.
Regarding unacceptable explosive hazards due to munitions and explosives of concern (MEC), the Decision Document identifies Alternative 6, Digital Geophysical Mapping (DGM) of Accessible Areas, Remove Selected Anomalies, as the selected remedy of the six alternatives analyzed. This alternative entails conducting DGM/anomaly removal on a subject property, specifying a DGM coverage standard of ‘accessible areas’ and an anomaly removal quantity standard of selected geophysical anomalies. Please see the fact sheet prepared to accompany the release of the Proposed Plan for more information on how this remedy was selected.
Property owners where either of these preferred alternatives would be implemented have been notified and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is committed to continuing to communicate with impacted property owners and the community as a whole. Anyone wishing to learn more about the Proposed Plan or the Spring Valley FUDS in general, or wishing to be added to our project email list, is welcome to call our Community Outreach Office at 410-962-2210.
Additionally, the Decision Document also addresses the Public Safety Building on American University's campus and overall educational outreach in the Formerly Used Defense Site.
- The old Public Safety Building on American University’s campus has been removed by the university. As a reminder, a disposal area we called ‘Lot 18’ was directly adjacent to the Public Safety Building. While Lot 18 was cleaned up in 2006, the Army Corps planned to investigate and remove any potential Army related contamination (whether that be laboratory glassware, munitions debris, or contaminated soil) if the basement slab were to ever be exposed. Now that the PSB has been removed, the Army Corps team will step in to investigate alongside the other Remedial Action efforts. The Army Corps will then replace any soil that may be removed with clean backfill and return the property back to AU. Site-Wide - Public Safety Building Fact Sheet
- Within the larger Spring Valley community, the Army Corps will continue to be involved in protecting public health and safety through the Army’s 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosives Safety Education Program, though this will not entail additional activities on private properties.