CE wins AMC General White environmental cleanup award

  • Published
  • By 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
  • 60th Civil Engineering Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Cleaning up the environment while using less energy, saving money and maintaining great community relations earned Travis the Gen. Thomas D. White Environmental Restoration Program Award for the Air Mobility Command. The base will now compete for the Air Force level award.

"We've got our fingers crossed to be recognized as the number one restoration program in the Air Force," said Lt. Col. Wade Lawrence, 60th Civil Engineering Squadron Commander and base civil engineer. He said the Air Force will announce winners in December.

The General White award is named for the former Air Force chief of staff who changed the course for Air Force environmental programs. The award is presented annually for the best and most improved restoration program.

"We've come far since we started in 1984 and we are more efficient now than ever," said Mark Smith, base restoration program manager. He listed a slew of projects that have been completed or are currently underway making Travis a strong contender for the Air Force award. Projects include cleaning up nine major soil sites and identifying cost-effective remedies to clean up 23 groundwater sites. The proposed remedies will be ready for regulatory and public review in 2010.

The Air Force set a deadline of 2012 for all bases to clean up or reduce the risk of contaminated soil and groundwater left by past industrial operations and practices.
During the year, Travis participated in several studies involving innovative cleanup strategies, such as phytoremediation and bioreactors, said Glenn Anderson, one of two base environmental project managers.

Phytoremediation uses eucalyptus trees to remove solvents from the subsurface while bioreactors use biological and chemical processes to do the same thing.

A team from an environmental and engineering consulting firm and Utah State University conducted field tests this summer to see how well the roots of the largest trees are absorbing contaminants. Travis will find out next year if phytoremediation works well enough to be part of an overall groundwater remedy, Mr. Anderson said.

Travis is also a test site for vapor intrusion assessment. VI is the movement of dissolved chemicals from groundwater through basements and foundation cracks to mix with the air inside buildings.

"The solvents in our groundwater are odorless so evaluating them as a health issue is important to protect base workers," said Mr. Smith.

Technical experts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency office in San Francisco provided "valuable technical support for VI assessment of several buildings on base," said Mr. Smith. In addition, Travis hosted two academic studies in hopes of streamlining the VI assessment process, improving accuracy of vapor data collection methods and reducing project costs.

Study results are currently undergoing peer review by academic experts and will be published early next year, Mr. Smith said.

Reducing the size of the base's "carbon bootprint" is also a priority with the environmental restoration program staff. A carbon footprint, the actual term, is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by people, organizations, events or products.

"The Air Force is trying to reduce the size of its carbon bootprint by using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power," said Lonnie Duke, the base's other environmental project manager. Travis has installed new utility meters on facilities to track energy, and new buildings are being designed to take advantage of natural lighting. "We're also evaluating opportunities to partner with local businesses and contractors to produce renewable energy," Mr. Duke said.

Travis' energy conservation efforts took third place and $50,000 in this year's AMC energy conservation contest. Scott Air Force Base, Ill., took second place with a $75,000 cash award and Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., took first place with a grand prize of $100,000.

The base environmental restoration program includes not only the efforts of staff members but those of two environmental consulting companies, the Omaha District Army Corps of Engineers, state and federal regulatory agencies and Solano County community members, Mr. Smith said.

"The relationship with the community is outstanding because of the involvement and dedication of restoration advisory board members," he said. The board meets semi-annually to review the progress made by the program team, make recommendations and report back to the general public and their affiliates.

"Because of this team of professionals and the spirit of cooperation and collaboration they promote, our chances of winning the General White award on the Air Force level are looking good," said Mr. Smith.