Overview

The purpose of the 2010 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to establish responsibilities and funding for EPA's assistance and support in accelerating environmental restoration and cleanup decisions in support of reuse at selected Department of Defense (DoD) BRAC Rounds I-IV installations. If you need assistance in obtaining the content of this document, please contact Mary Cooke (cooke.maryt@epa.gov) or by phone at (703)-603-8712.

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Defense and Amendment #1 to the MOU

Under the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 (BRAC) a number of communities have military installations that are slated to close. Turning Bases Into Great Places: New Life for Closed Military Facilities outlines the steps for creating a redevelopment vision using smart-growth principles.

• Turning Bases Into Great Places: New Life for Closed Military Facilities

EPA helps accelerate the transfer of federal property by coordinating environmental cleanup activities and crafting innovative property transfer arrangements.

• Transfer of Federal Property

BRAC Sites

To sustain and streamline military readiness, the Department of Defense (DoD) recognized the need to close some installations and redefine the department’s mission at others. To date, DoD and Congress have implemented five Base Realignment and Closure BRAC rounds: 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 2005. In BRAC rounds I-IV, EPA assists in the transfer of both BRAC and National Priorities List (NPL) sites, also known as Superfund Sites.

Because these facilities often encompass hundreds of acres with buildings, roads and other infrastructure, their effective and efficient cleanup and reuse can play a pivotal role in a community's economic development. A large portion of BRAC property was designated for transfer to other federal agencies or non-federal entities, such as states, tribes, local governments or private industries. Thirty-four DoD installations from BRAC I-IV are also listed on the NPL. You can view the different BRAC site locations by state or agency at the Federal Facilities National Priorities List (NPL) and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Sites Where You Live Web page.

• Federal Facilities National Priorities List (NPL) and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Sites Where You Live
• Frequently Asked Questions about the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Program

Key Base Closure and Property Transfer Documents

• Turning Bases Into Great Places: New Life for Closed Military Facilities
• 2010 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Policies and Guidances

• Interim Guidance for EPA’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Program (April 27, 2006)
  This guidance supersedes the February 1996 EPA Guidance for Implementing the Fast-Track Cleanup Program at Closing or Realigning Military Bases.

BRAC 2005 (BRAC 5)

• U.S. Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure 2005
• 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission Report

The BRAC Commission’s recommendations for reshaping the Defense Department’s infrastructure and force structure officially took effect on November 9, 2005. The 2005 BRAC recommendations represent the most aggressive BRAC ever proposed, affecting more than 800 installations. Whether a DoD facility is included in the BRAC 2005 (BRAC 5) list for realignments and closures does not change EPA’s core environmental responsibilities relative to characterization and cleanup of an installation on the Superfund NPL. However, EPA’s involvement at non-NPL BRAC is limited to site-specific situations.

On August, 11, 2005, the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission met to receive testimony from federal, state and local government officials, professional associations and the general public regarding the issues related to the appropriate environmental stewardship of installations recommended for closure and realignment. The meeting was open to the public. See the EPA’s prepared statement before the commission.

• Prepared Statement
• Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission

BRAC 2005 Documents

• 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission Report
• Program Snapshot for BRAC Facilities with EPA Involvement
• 2005 Proposed Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Installations on the NPL
• U.S. Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure 2005

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Other Agencies

Department of Defense (DoD) BRAC Cleanup and Property Transfer

• Memoranda of Understanding Between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense:
  • Support for DoD Cleanup Implementation for BRAC Installations Rounds I-IV - 2008
  • Support for DoD Cleanup Implementation for BRAC Installations Rounds I-IV - 2005
  • Support for DoD BRAC Cleanup Implementation - November 2002
• Transmittal of "Interim Guidance for EPA’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Program"
• Fast-Track Cleanup at Closing DoD Installations
• DoD Guidance and Policies on Fast Track Cleanup at Closing Installations (9 September 1993)

Additional Federal Agency Resources

• U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Resources
  • Military Base Closures: Observations on Prior and Current BRAC Rounds - May 3, 2005
  • Military Base Closures: Updated Status of Prior Base Realignments and Closures - January 2005