Restoration Advisory Board

Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP)
Restoration Advisory Board (RAB)
March 15, 2001

Meeting Minutes

Attendance

Agenda Item #1. Introductory Remarks, Approve Minutes of 18 January 2001

Mr. Jim McKenna convened the meeting at 7:15 p.m. and asked if there were any comments or questions about the 18 January 2001 RAB meeting minutes. There were none, and the minutes were approved as written.

Agenda Item #2. Installation Restoration Program (IRP) Status

Mr. McKenna referred to the RFAAP IRP Status Report Update handout. He explained that the handout included activities conducted to date from most of the past year, while the full report is available on the RFAAP IRP website (http://www.envnet.org/rfaapirp). Mr. McKenna identified five recent additions to the status report update from January and February activities.

Mr. McKenna provided some detail on a new area of concern near Hazardous Waste Management Unit (HWMU) 5. He said the ground water around HWMU 5 has been monitored for several years with regular reporting. Trichloroethene (TCE), a degreasing chemical, was found in the groundwater. It was originally thought that HWMU 5 was the source of the TCE; however, TCE doesn’t seem to be tied to HWMU 5. Recent studies indicate there is probably a different source, possibly a nearby Valve Shop where TCE would have been used for cleaning processes in the past. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have been informed of the new area. Alliant has proposed to EPA and DEQ that natural attenuation be considered for remediation.

Mr. Steve Cole asked if TCE is soluble in water. Mr. Jerry Redder replied that TCE is soluble in water if found in small concentrations, which is true in this case. There was some further discussion about the TCE concentrations in this area and how natural attenuation might work.

Mr. McKenna added that a further study of this area is needed. The site screening process—a method of determining potential human health and environmental risks—for this new area is being discussed with EPA. Depending on the results and whether it is eligible for Environmental Restoration Account, Army (ER,A) funding, the new area could be added to the Installation Restoration Program (IRP).

Agenda Item #3. Question-Answer/Community Input

Mr. McKenna introduced Ms. Elizabeth Lohman of DEQ, Waste Compliance Office. Ms. Lohman is currently monitoring permitted units that are not involved in the IRP, such as Solid Waste Management Units (landfills) and HWMUs (incinerators and open burning grounds). She will likely become more involved with the IRP during cleanup phases.

Mr. Cole asked about the scope of the IRP. Mr. McKenna said that the IRP only covers areas of past contamination that may require restoration and are eligible for ER,A funding. Other agencies and organizations are responsible for active areas, ensuring regulatory compliance for areas like permitted landfills. Mr. McKenna, Mr. John Tesner, and Mr. Redder said that information gathered for different sites is shared to eliminate duplicated efforts, regardless of which agencies or organizations are involved. Ms. Sharon Wilcox added that EPA and DEQ oversight is consistent across all restoration and active regulatory matters. Discussion among the meeting attendees continued regarding organizational cooperation and responsibilities.

Agenda Item #4. Closing Remarks, Schedule Next Meeting, Adjourn

Mr. McKenna invited RAB members to the Installation Action Plan workshop May 16–18, 2001. He also stated that if RAB members are interested, they could go on a site tour at the July meeting.

Mr. McKenna adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m. The next RAB meeting will be held at RFAAP on Thursday, 17 May 2001, at 7 p.m.

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