June 30, 2004 Mr. Albert F. Lowas Jr., Director Mr. Wayne Miller, Chairman of the Board Air Force Real Property Agency England Economic and Industrial AFRPA/DR Development District 1700 N. Moore St., Ste 2300 1611 Arnold Drive Arlington, VA 2209-2802 Alexandria, LA 71303-5636 Dear Messrs. Lowas and Miller: The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 together have determined that a portion of the former England Air Force Base, Alexandria, is Ready for Reuse. We congratulate you on this noteworthy accomplishment! Each agency would like to express their deepest appreciation to the Air Force Real Property Agency (AFRPA), and the England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD), for their cooperation. A Ready for Reuse Determination is an acknowledgment by both agencies that environmental conditions on the property are protective of human health and the environment based on its current and anticipated future use. The subject of this Ready for Reuse Determination is the expanded golf course that encompasses a portion of the former England Air Force base. The Oakwing Golf Club is a public eighteen-hole course located along the scenic banks of Bayou Rapides and Bayou Le Tig. The expanded golf course is comprised of approximately 220 acres. Additionally, the course is a member of the prestigious “Audubon Golf Trail” and has recently completed construction of a new state-of-the-art clubhouse. One of the common goals of EEIDD, AFRPA, LDEQ, and EPA Region 6, is to make use of assets of the former base to offset the local economic impact of closure of the base. The EEIDD and AFRPA have excelled in reaching these goals. The Ready for Reuse Determination by LDEQ and EPA Region 6 is a "measure of success" to demonstrate that the AFRPA and EEIDD, in cooperation with EPA Region 6 and LDEQ, have remediated numerous locations within the area now occupied by the expanded golf course and have demonstrated that environmental conditions on the specified portions of the property are protective of human health and the environment based on its current and anticipated future use. It should also be noted that many other locations across the former base have been remediated and put back into constructive use through the diligent efforts of the AFRPA and the EEIDD. The former United States Air Force Base, located on approximately 2,604 acres northwest of Alexandria, Louisiana in Rapides Parish, was involved in flying and maintaining military aircraft. The Base included all the facilities and infrastructure of a small town to support those activities, the personnel, and the families that resided at the base. The base was closed on December 15, 1992. To date, 45 percent of the former base has been transferred to the EEIDD with an additional 150 acres scheduled for transfer. The remainder of the acreage is leased to the EEIDD until the property becomes available for transfer. The base has been redeveloped and reused under the administration of the EEIDD. The airport facility now serves as the Alexandria International Airport and England Airpark. Other portions of the base, which have been redeveloped and reused for civilian purposes, include the Louisiana State University Medical Center at Alexandria, housing units, a daycare facility, a restaurant, a new hotel, and numerous light industrial and commercial businesses. The EEIDD is also working in cooperation with the United States Army to construct facilities for use as a debarkation point for the Army’s elite new “Stryker Brigade”. Most recently, Union Tank Car announced the construction of a major rail car manufacturing facility immediately adjacent to the Airpark. This announcement will bring over 900 jobs to the local community. This Ready for Reuse Determination is based on information contained in the Administrative Record that demonstrates the risk-based remedial actions in concert with the current and expected future commercial/industrial (non-residential) use of the property are protective of human health and the environment in the area of the expanded golf course. The Administrative Record documents activities carried out pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program. Copies of relevant documents may be obtained from LDEQ or the AFRPA at the addresses provided in Enclosure 1 to this letter. The “Current Environmental Conditions Table” at Enclosure 2 provides information regarding the remedial actions taken on the Property. A list of relevant documents is included as Enclosure 3. A figure of the entire former England Air Force Base, depicting the current location of the expanded golf course, is provided as Figure 1. The undersigned expressly reserve all rights and authorities to require future action by owners or operators if new or additional information comes to light that materially impacts this Ready for Reuse Determination, whether such information is known as of this date, or is discovered in the future. Congratulations again on this noteworthy accomplishment! Sincerely yours, Mike D. McDaniel, Ph.D. Carl E. Edlund, P.E. Secretary Director, Multimedia Planning Louisiana Department of and Permitting Division Environmental Quality EPA Region 6 Enclosures ENCLOSURE 1 Agency Contacts For a copy of the Administrative Record providing detailed information regarding environmental conditions at former England Air Force Base, please contact: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Public Records Center Galvez Building, Room 127 602 N. Fifth St. Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 Former England Air Force Base Air Force Real Property Agency Norma J. Landez, Base Environmental Coordinator AFRPA/DC-Kelly 143 Billy Mitchell Blvd, Ste 1 San Antonio, Texas 78226-1816 www.adminrec.com/AFRPA.asp For information regarding the Golf Coarse or other available real estate for lease by England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD), please contact Mr. Jon Grafton, Executive Director for England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD) at the address below: England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD) Jon Grafton, Executive Director 1611 Arnold Drive Alexandria, LA 71303-5636 www.englandairpark.org Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 1 – Agency Contacts ENCLOSURE 2 Current Environmental Conditions Table a (Please see footnotes at end of Table for a full discussion of “Screening / Cleanup Standards” b and “ Institutional Controls” c related to this determination.) Remedial Action Contaminants of Concern (COCs) / Site Number(s) and Name(s) Cleanup Status Taken Impacted Media COCs: • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), • Semi-volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), Interim Removal Action Area of Concern (AOC) No. 2 – and Land Use • Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), Underground JP-4 Line Leak, Restrictions and Completea Site (POI # 178) • Metals Media: • Soil, and • Groundwater COCs: • Trichloroethene, Monitored Natural • cis 1,2 - dichloroethylene, Attenuation (currently Area of Concern (AOC) No. 39 – under evaluation) and • trans 1,2 - dichloroethene, Trichloroethylene Groundwater Site-Wide restriction on • 1,1 - dicloroethane, and Ongoing ad Plume d use of shallow • Vinyl Chloride groundwater at the former base Media: • Groundwater Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 2 – Current Environmental Conditions Table Page 2-1 Remedial Action Contaminants of Concern (COCs) / Site Number(s) and Name(s) Cleanup Status Taken Impacted Media Points of Interest (POIs): e Interim Removal Action and Institutional COCs: Controls • Arsenic (As) Completea (“EPA concurrence on NFA for POI 157 (small Media: arms range)” dated • Soil POI 157 – Small Arms Range 7/20/1998 (EDMS Document No. 8473033) COCs: • Chlordane, • Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, POI 187- Construction and • Dibenz(a,h)anthracene, and Grounds Maintenance Debris Institutional Controls • Arsenic Completea Landfill Media: • Soil COCs: POI 248 – Skeet Range/Practice • Metals Grenade Range Institutional Controls Completea Media: • Soil “Request for Concurrence NFRAP for POI 52, 69, 70, 71, 72, 130, 109, 117, 118, 119, 120, 131, 149, 150, POI 249 (UST 5010) 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, Completea 148, 156, 160, 249, 269, and 272” dated 3/12/1997 (EDMS Document No. 8487193) Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 2 – Current Environmental Conditions Table Page 2-2 Remedial Action Contaminants of Concern (COCs) / Site Number(s) and Name(s) Cleanup Status Taken Impacted Media COCs: • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), POI 289 -- Combat Arms Interim Removal Action • Metals Training Maintenance Building and Institutional Completea Septic Tank System Controls Media: • Soil ST-08; POIs 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 (SS- 43), 163 (LF 28), 246 (OTH- 2530), 247, 253, 273, 287 (SPT- No investigation or remedial action was required for these sites. 2520), 290, 293, 294, 305, 306, 309, 330 a LDEQ, EPA Region 6 and AFRPA and EEIDD have collaborated as a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Closure Team (BCT) to conduct investigation, risk management, and remediation activities pursuant to the RCRA/HSWA provisions of the permit. With this Ready for Reuse Determination, LDEQ and EPA Region 6 agree the AFRPA has successfully conducted investigation and remedial actions within the area now occupied by the expanded golf course including a chlorinated solvent plume. Remedial actions have been implemented to address the plume with no expected impact to the golf course. b Screening / Cleanup Standards – The determination of these standards is based on the Administrative Record for England Air Force Base (see Enclosure 1 for information regarding access to this information.). Screening / Cleanup Standards have been developed in accordance with LDEQ’s Risk Evaluation / Corrective Action Program (RECAP). These regulations provide the mechanism for addressing releases at a facility in the State of Louisiana. They were promulgated by LDEQ on December 20,1998 at LAC 33:I.Chapter 13 and were revised on June 20, 2000 and again in October 2003. RECAP is a tiered framework that consists of a Screening Option (SO) and three risk Management Options (MOs), referred to as MO-1, MO-2 and MO-3. The SO provides LDEQ-derived Screening Standards (SSs) for soil and groundwater. The MO-1 provides LDEQ-derived default RS for soil and groundwater that are protective of human health and the environment. MO-2 and MO-3 are more intense evaluations that include site-specific data for the evaluation of exposure and environmental fate and transport at the site. The RECAP Standard utilized by the Air Force and concurred upon by the BCT to ensure protection of human health and the environment is equivalent to a Management Option 3 (MO-3) under LDEQ’s RECAP program. MO-3 site specific RECAP Standards (RS) for soil and groundwater represent constituent concentrations in media that are protective of human health and the environment. The MO-3 RS were derived for industrial land use scenarios using site-specific exposure parameters and toxicity criteria. The decision document developed by the BCT was prepared in accordance with RECAP MO-3 in order to establish screening / cleanup standards for the former England Air Force Base. This document is entitled “Revised Final Human Health Risk Assessment Consensus Statement, dated November 1996 (HHRACS, Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 2 – Current Environmental Conditions Table Page 2-3 1996) and available in the afore-mentioned Administrative Record. This document provides media-specific screening levels for Constituents of Concern at the former base, and has been formerly approved through the BCT process. c Institutional Controls – The former England Air Force Base facility will be subject to several forms of institutional controls in order to ensure continued protection of human health and the environment. These will include conveyance notifications, restrictions on land use, appropriate restrictions on the use of shallow groundwater, security, fencing, and signage, and other appropriate restrictions to be determined by the BCT and formally established in the AFRPA Land Use Control/Institutional Control Management Plan prior to transfer of the property by deed to the EEIDD. Required conveyance notifications will be implemented in accordance with LDEQ’s RECAP Regulations. d The Trichloroethene (TCE) Plume – AOC No. 39 will be the subject of an upcoming RCRA/HSWA Corrective Action Permit. The current England Air Force Base RCRA/HSWA Permit (EPA ID No. LAD9572124452) was issued on April 22, 1992. The DRMO Containers Storage Area was the only operating permitted RCRA unit on the facility; this unit was clean-closed on June 15, 1995. There were 38 SWMUs and/or AOCs listed in the HSWA provisions of the permit requiring a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI). Most of these sites, with the exception of AOC No. 39, have been investigated and remediated, and require no further action. Some sites may require monitoring, inspection, operation & maintenance, and compliance with institutional controls. These requirements will be incorporated into the new permit. e POI Sites – Point of Interest (POI) sites listed above are non-RCRA sites assessed as part of the environmental baseline survey (EBS) required at BRAC installations. The EBS is similar to a RCRA Facility Assessment and recommends if further investigation is required at the site. Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 2 – Current Environmental Conditions Table Page 2-4 ENCLOSURE 3 References Air Force Base Conversion Agency (AFBCA), 2001a. “Decision Document – Multiple Installation Restoration Program Sites and Points of Interest”, September 2001. Air Force Base Conversion Agency (AFBCA), 2001b. “RCRA/HSWA Permit Renewal Application for England Air Force Base”, October 30, 2001. AFCEE, 1996a. Letter from Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality: Subject -Replace Oil/Water Separator, February 28, 1996. AFCEE, 1996b. “Revised Final Human Health Risk Assessment Consensus Statement – England Air Force Base, February 28, 1996. (HHRACS, 1996) AFCEE, 1997. Claiborne Range Burn Pit Memorandum, Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, 28 November 1997. AFCEE, 2002. “Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report, OT-22 – Scrap Metal Disposal Site”, AFCEE, Brooks AFB, Texas, November 2002. Base Realignment and Closure Team (BCT) Meeting, 2003. Personal communication, June 26, 2003. Engineering-Science, 1983. "Installation Restoration Program Phase I Records Search, England AFB," Engineering- Science, May 1983. FEC, 2001a. "Final Installation Restoration Program Site SS-42 and SWMU No.45 Remediation, SWMU No.47 Investigation, and SWMU No.38 Investigation and Interim Removal Report," Foothill Engineering Consultants, Inc. Golden Colorado, September 2001. FEC, 2001b. "Final SS-45 LTM Program Report – August 2000”, Foothill Engineering Consultants, Inc. Golden Colorado, October 30, 2001. FEC, 2001c. "Annual Report SWMU No. 41 – 2000-2001”, Foothill Engineering Consultants, Inc. Golden Colorado, December 3, 2001. FEC, 2002a. "Final Installation Restoration Program Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation – POL Yard, 6JTL, Fuel Hydrant System, and South Apron Hydrant System Sites”, Foothill Engineering Consultants, Inc. Golden Colorado, April 2002. Geo-Marine, Inc., 1997. "Site Characterization and Technical Report, Closure of the Fuel Hydrant System", England Air Force Base, Louisiana. Geo-Marine, Inc., 2001. "Draft Report, Soil Removal, Treatment, and Site Restoration via Soil Replacement within the POL Yard and along the Fuel Hydrant System Lines", England Air Force Base, Louisiana. Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 3 – References Page 3-1 LAW, 1994. "Final Installation Restoration Program Phase I RFI -Technical Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Environmental, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia. April 1994. LAW, 1996a. "Revised Final Human Health Risk Assessment Consensus Statement," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, November 1996. LAW, 1996b. "Draft Constructibility Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, February 1996. LAW, 1996c. "Revised Final Installation Restoration Program Comprehensive Background Study Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, November 1996. LAW, 1997a. "Revised Final Phase I RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, March 1997. LAW, 1998a. "Final Ecological Risk Assessment Screening Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, June 1998. LAW, 1998b. "Characterization Report for Miscellaneous Sites," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia. March 1998. LAW, 1998c. "Final England Air Force Base Additional SWMU Characterization Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, February 1998. LAW, 1999a. "Final Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report, SWMU No.56 - Fire Training Area No.1," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, August 1999. LAW , 1999b. "Final Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report, SWMU No.47 - POL Yard Sludge Weathering Pit and Bulk Fuel Storage Area No.1," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, March 1999. LAW, 1999c. ."Final Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report, SWMU No. 19- AGE Shop Washrack and Oil/Water Separator," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Environmental, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, August, 1999. LAW, 1999d. "Final Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report, LF-28 - Construction Rubble Disposal Site," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, August 1999. LAW, 1999e. "Final SS-45 RCRA Facility Investigation Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, September 1999. LAW, 1999f "Final Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report, ST-08 -Waste Oil Storage Tank," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, August 1999. LAW, 2000a. "Final Ecological Risk Assessment Screening Report for Group II Sites," England AFB, Alexandria, Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 3 – References Page 3-2 Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, January 2000. LAW, 2000b. "Final Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation Technical Report, SWMU No.38 - Fire Training Area," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, January 2000. LAW, 2000c. "Final Additional Site Investigation Technical Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, November 2000. LAW, 2000d. "Final Ecological Risk Assessment Findings Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, January 2000. LAW, 2001a. "Draft Installation Restoration Program Site Characterization Technical Report," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, February 2001. LAW , 2001b. "Final Human Health Baseline Risk Assessment Report for Fuel Hydrant System 42 Underground JP-4 Leak," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia. LAW, 2001c. "Final Corrective Measures Study for SWMU No.29 -Wastewater Lagoon," England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, February 2001. LAW, 2001d. "Final Human Health Baseline Risk Assessment Report, SWMU No.47 POL Yard Sludge Weathering Pit and Bulk Fuel Storage Area No.1", England Air Force Base. LAW, 2001e. "Draft Human Health Baseline Risk Assessment Report for ST-18 Former Motor Pool", England AFB, Alexandria, Louisiana, Law Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia, February 2001. LAW, 2002a. “LTM Report, October 2002 Groundwater Sampling Event – SWMU No. 41”, LAW Engineering and Environmental Services, Kennesaw, Georgia, January 30, 2002. LAW, 2002b. “LTM Report, March 2002 Groundwater Sampling Event – SWMU No. 41”, LAW Engineering and Environmental Services, Kennesaw, Georgia, August 3, 2002. LAW, 2002c. “LTM Report, June 2002 Groundwater Sampling Event – SWMU No. 41”, LAW Engineering and Environmental Services, Kennesaw, Georgia, September 30, 2002. LDEQ, 2000. "Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Risk Evaluation/Corrective Action Program," Baton Rouge, Louisiana, June 2000. Newcome and Sloss, 1996. Water Resources of Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Louisiana Geological Survey Water Resources Bulletin No. 8.NOAA, 1990. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Potential for Biological Effects of Sediment -Sorbed Contaminants Tested in the National Status and Trends Program.1 Technical Memorandum NOSOMA52, Seattle, Washington. Ogden, 1994. "England Air Force Base Final Report for Oil/Water Separator Cleaning," Ogden Environmental and Energy Services, Inc., Oak Ridge Tennessee, March 1994. Former England Air Force Base “Ready for Reuse Determination” Enclosure 3 – References Page 3-3