The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is proposing an amendment to the 1993 Record of Decision (ROD) for the United States Air Force (USAF) Sunset Annex, Landfill Area at Sunset Golf Course, Formerly Used Defense Site, also known as Olmsted Air Force Base (Sunset Annex). This Proposed Amendment considers additional information developed since the original 1993 ROD was approved.
The Sunset Annex Landfill Area is situated on Sunset Hill in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, located approximately 1.5 miles southeast of the Harrisburg International Airport, and just east of Pennsylvania Route 441 and the Susquehanna River. The site currently functions as the Sunset Golf Course driving range area. The non-contiguous Sunset Hill was acquired by the USAF in 1956 as part of a program to upgrade the former Olmsted Air Force Base (AFB) to accommodate jet aircraft. To create a proper glide angle for jets, the top of Sunset Hill was removed. Following the removal of the hilltop and prior to construction of the golf course, the USAF used approximately 15 acres of the property as a landfill to dispose of metals, wood, paper, and liquids wastes, including spent solvents generated at the AFB. The landfill was used from 1956 to 1964. Olmsted AFB was retired in 1966, and in 1968, the Sunset Golf Course, including the Landfill Site and the Hillside Dump, were sold to Londonderry Township, a municipal subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1983 nearby residents were integrated into the public water supply after the discovery of a drum labeled "TCE" (i.e., trichloroethene) and collection of water samples indicating the presence of various solvents in ground water in the landfill area. The original ROD called for the installation of a groundwater extraction system using a line of extraction wells located downgradient of the Hillside Dump Area. Extracted groundwater was to be treated on site by air stripping, with discharge of treated water to the Susquehanna River. After encountering access issues with adjacent landowners, the groundwater extraction system could not be implemented. Data collected since the 1993 ROD indicates that site conditions have significantly changed, and that natural attenuation of groundwater contaminants has occurred. In 2007, it was determined that groundwater at the Sunset Annex Landfill Site attained the Residential Statewide 19 Health Standard for organic and inorganic contaminants. Environmental monitoring confirmed that the site is safe for recreational use. Groundwater contaminant concentrations are now all below the residential Statewide Health Standards (SHS) applicable to this site. Based on this recent data, the USACE proposes to amend the 1993 Record of Decision to a remedy of No Further Action for groundwater for the Landfill Area at the Sunset Golf Course.
The proposed amendment to the 1993 ROD is available for public review HERE, and at the Londonderry Township Building located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania at 783 South Geyers Church Road - Middletown, PA 17057, and at the USACE Baltimore District Office at 2 Hopkins Plaza Baltimore, MD 21201. The point of contact for further information is Mr. Kendrick Nelson, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District at (443) 666-0633 or Kendrick.J.Nelson@usace.army.mil . Once the ROD amendment is approved, anticipated date sometime in May 2024, the amendment document will be available on the Baltimore District environment Public Notice site https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Formerly-UsedDefense-Sites/, and at the Londonderry Township Building located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania at 783 South Geyers Church Road -Middletown, PA 17057, and at the USACE Baltimore District Office at 2 Hopkins Plaza Baltimore, MD 21201.
Contact Information: For further information please contact Mr. Kendrick Nelson, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District at (443) 666-0633 or by email at Kendrick.J.Nelson@usace.army.mil.