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EnSafe Played Major Role in Readying Closing Navy Plant for Reuse
 A U.S. Navy project for which EnSafe Inc. developed precedent-setting
perchlorate remediation technologies is making history again as the first Navy
property in the nation to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
(USEPA) "Ready for Reuse" (RFR) determination.
According to Kelly M. Burdick of NAVAIR, the Navy is prepared to divest the
last parcel of the 9,700-acre Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP)
McGregor.
"This divestiture was made possible by an unprecedented environmental
remediation project. NAVAIR, NAVFAC SE, and NAVSEA's NSWC Indian Head all
played vital roles in the remediation and property successes, achieving a
number of goals , goals once considered as inconceivable , through effective
partnering with local and state agencies and special legislation undertaken by
Congressman Chet Edwards that authorized the property transfer for economic
redevelopment," Burdick said.
NWIRP McGregor, an inactive facility initially owned by the U.S. Army, then by
the U.S. Air Force, and finally the U.S. Navy, manufactured weapons and
solid-fuel rocket propulsion systems from 1942 until its closure in 1995.
EnSafe, on behalf of the Navy, implemented an aggressive multi-phase Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) and used
innovative technologies for perchlorate, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
energetics remediation.
This historic divestiture will be marked by a ceremony Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. at
the McGregor High School. U.S. Rep. Edwards will be participating in the
"Ceremonial Signing of the Deed" and presentation of a "Key to the Facility" to
the City of McGregor. A reception and tours will follow.
Four key elements contributed to the success of this award-winning project:
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The exceptional collaboration among USEPA, the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ), local municipalities, the Navy and its
contractors (including EnSafe), and other local and government agencies (Army
Corps of Engineers, Texas A&M, Texas Tech);
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Special legislation to facilitate property transfer and economic redevelopment
(spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Edwards);
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A solid and trusting relationship between the project team and the public; and
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The progressive regulatory strategy of the Post-Closure Order (PCO) that scales
the 3,700-acre RCRA permit down to 16.4 acres, accelerating the City of
McGregor's ability for economic redevelopment and revitalization.
The Navy's divestiture ceremony will recognize the many achievements of
McGregor project, which set several precedents in advancing economic
redevelopment and environmental remediation efforts, among them:
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An investigation, remediation, and management strategy for the world's largest
Permeable Reactive Barrier application (nearly 3 miles of biowall);
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First Navy non-Base Realignment and Closure "Operating Properly and
Successfully" determination (approved June 2006);
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First Navy facility to receive a USEPA "RFR" determination;
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First full-scale biowall application for groundwater remediation of perchlorate
and VOCs;
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Economic redevelopment that created more than 1,000 new jobs for the City of
McGregor (new tenants include two Fortune 500 companies);
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Accelerated remediation timeframes with predicted reduction of cleanup times by
10 years or more;
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Savings of $20 million in construction costs and more than $3 million annually;
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More than $20 million in contracts issued to specialized small and
disadvantaged businesses;
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Spotless health and safety record with more than 1 million construction
man-hours with no reportable health and safety incidents;
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Largest Department of Defense-approved energetics decontamination in the Navy;
and
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First Navy and State of Texas PCO (approved September 20, 2006 by TCEQ).
Jeff James, PE, and Alan Jacobs, PG, led EnSafe's efforts on behalf of the U.S.
Navy. |
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