In 2007, Travis AFB completed the third and final phase of the construction of the Corrective Action Management Unit (CAMU). A CAMU is a designated area within a facility that is designed to carry out a corrective action, such as the management of contaminated soil. This action combined contaminated soil that had been excavated from eight other soil sites and covered it with a four-foot thick evapotranspiration cap. This type of cap uses vegetation and tight clay layers to retard rainwater from percolating through the contaminated soil. The CAMU is located at restoration site LF007, a closed municipal landfill.
The CAMU is protective of human health and the environment and provides a number of benefits over the transport of contaminated soil by truck to an off-base landfill:
· The CAMU keeps the soil on base and avoids its transport across major roads and highways. This reduced air emissions, noise, and the risk of vehicle accidents.
· The CAMU keeps a large volume of soil out of commercial off-base landfills and helps to extend the functional life of these landfills.
· The CAMU cuts down on the paperwork and cost of managing contaminated soil.
Currently, the CAMU is in a monitoring and maintenance phase to verify that it is performing as designed. Maintenance activities include methane vapor monitoring, chemical analysis of groundwater samples, evaluation of data from monitoring devices, and periodic inspections of the soil cap.
In 2010, a fence will be built around the CAMU as a physical land use control. Two gates will be placed on both sides of the CAMU to allow access by field technicians for routine monitoring and maintenance. These site improvements will prepare the CAMU for post-closure activities.