Hazardous Waste Cleanup: United States Army Engineer Proving Ground in Springfield, Virginia
On this page:
- Cleanup Status
- Site Description
- Contaminants at this Facility
- Institutional/Engineer Controls
- Land Reuse
- Site Responsibility
In September 2, 2005 EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order under Section 3013 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to investigate contamination at the North Area (NA). Forty four SWMUs and 21 Areas of Concerns were identified at NA. Almost all have been addressed with no further actions, completions or have moved into the remedial phase
Cleanup Status
In 2012, construction was completed on the Fairfax County Parkway, which was built on 170 acres of the Engineer Proving Ground (EPG), now known as the North Area (NA). The Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) 26, 27 and the Former Aboveground test Tank Site (FATTS) were located in the Parkway Right of Way (ROW) and the environmental investigations and remediation of these Units were completed prior to construction. Ordnance and explosives clearance in 2004 cleared the ROW of anomalies such as mine fuses, mortars and scrap metal. The primary contaminants of concern were petroleum hydrocarbons from product releases. Institutional controls and groundwater monitoring are part of the ROW long term remedy.
Ft. Belvoir has completed environmental investigations for most of Units and Areas of Concern identified under RCRA Corrective Action as Ordered by EPA's 2005 Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) proceeding under Section 3013. The UAO will be closed out in 2015 and the remedy activities for the Units requiring clean-up are moving forward using the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) process.
Site Description
Interactive Map of the U.S. Army Engineer Proving Ground, Fort Belvoir, VA
The Engineer Proving Ground (EPG) is now known as the North Area (NA) and is part of the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Belvoir, located in Fairfax County, Virginia, 14 miles south of Washington, DC. The NA is an 804-acre tract located 1.5 miles from the Installation's Main Post. The NA is bounded on the east by Interstate 95. Commercial and residential properties border NA to the north, west, and south. The U.S. Army acquired the EPG in the early 1940s and used it as a testing and engineer training site. The testing and training included deployment, detection and neutralization of land mines.
Contaminants at this Facility
Contaminants identified in soil and groundwater include petroleum hydrocarbons, Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX), RDX break-down chemicals, metals and tetrachloroethylene.
Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility
The Installation's Master Plan contains the Land Use Controls used to notify, manage and protect areas where remnants of contamination remain.
Land Reuse Information at this Facility
The facility is under continued use.
Site Responsiblity at this Facility
RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3 with assistance from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ).