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FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES | Program Summary OCTOBER 2018 Preliminary Assessment Site Inspection Remedial Investigation Feaslblllty Study Proposed Plan Decision Document Response Complete Public Involvement Long-Term Management Project Closeout DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PROGRAM FOR FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES Across the country, the Department of Defense acquired properties, often during times of war, to use for military training, testing and demonstrations. When no longer needed, many of these properties were cleaned up according to the best practices available at the time and then transferred to other owners such as private individuals or other government entities. These Formerly Used Defense Sites can range from privately owned farms to National Parks. They also include residential, industrial and educational properties. The Department of Defense is committed to protecting people and the environment and improving public safety by cleaning up these sites if hazards from the former military operations remain. The Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites was established to evaluate and, if necessary, to remediate Formerly Used Defense Sites. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) manages the program on behalf of the Department of Defense. Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as Superfund, in 1980 and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act in 1986. These laws give the Corps the authority for certain cleanup activities and dictate the process we must follow. The Corps conducts investigations to determine the potential risk to people and the environment from the military’s use of the property. Public involvement and community participation are important components of the process. We partner with stakeholders throughout the process, including congressional representatives, state and local governments, regulatory and environmental agencies, and affected property owners. FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITE PROJECT PHASES The Formerly Used Defense Site program has three major phases: inventory, study and removal/remediation. Inventory: The inventory phase includes searching real estate records to verify previous Department of Defense use or ownership. A Preliminary Assessment is made to determine the site eligibility, severity of environmental problems and need for cleanup. If there is no contamination, no further action is needed. However, if the property owner or regulators later find military-related contamination, they may contact us to reevaluate the site. Study: The study phase consists of several investigations including a Site Inspection, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study. A Site Inspection is used to confirm the presence or absence of contamination. The purpose of a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study is to determine what type of contamination may be present as a result of the military’s use and where it is located. This is known as characterizing the nature and extent of contamination. The selection of the appropriate FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES | Program Summary response to what is found is part of this phase. At sites where numerous parties may have contributed to the contamination, the share of Department of Defense liability is also determined. Removal/Remediation: This phase consists of the engineering design and the necessary action to clean up the site. Sometimes it also includes additional operations and maintenance phases. After the work is completed and it is confirmed that the site no longer poses a risk to people or the environment, remedial action is considered complete. However, if the property owner or regulators later find military-related contamination, they may contact us to reevaluate the site. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT The Corps manages the Formerly Used Defense Site program on behalf of the Department of Defense. Policies are developed based on Department of Defense guidance, and funds are allocated to the Corps to do the work. Projects are prioritized based on risk to people and the environment, with the sites posing the greatest potential danger receiving the highest priority. Normally these higher priority projects are located in areas where people live, work or attend school. The project duration depends on the size of the site, the complexity of the cleanup and available funding. No two projects are ever quite the same. The one constant is the need for strong partnerships between the Corps and regulatory agencies and stakeholders, and the active involvement of those living or working on the Formerly Used Defense Site. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Public values and concerns are an important element of the cleanup process. The Corps works closely with property owners and residents prior to and during the restoration of a site. Personal contacts, small group meetings, workshops and public meetings facilitate the two-way communication that is critical to the decision-making process. The Corps keeps the public informed of the work through various methods including meetings, web sites, and fact sheets. A Restoration Advisory Board may be established at a site where there is sufficient community interest. The purpose of the board is to review the progress of the restoration activities and to establish a collaborative dialogue among the local community and the government agencies responsible for the cleanup. Restoration Advisory Boards are jointly chaired by representatives from the Corps and the community. Looking for Munitions SAFETY FIRST: REMEMBER THE 3RS Depending on how the military used a site, buried munitions could be present. These could be dangerous and may not be easily recognizable. Never touch, move or disturb something you think may be a munition. Remember the 3Rs of Explosive Safety. RECOGNIZE - The item you found could be dangerous. RETREAT - Do not touch it in any way, and leave the area. REPORT - Call 911 immediately. US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FUDS.Florida@usace.army.mil 800.710.5184 (Toll Free) www.saj.usace.army.mil US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FOR MORE INFORMATION .... a ecognize OGetreat O eport FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES MUNITIONS RESPONSE SITES PRIORITIZATION PROTOCOL PROCESS October 2018 BACKGROUND Across the country, the Department of Defense acquired properties, often during times of war, to use for military training, testing and demonstrations. When the military no longer needed the land, it was transferred to other entities. These Formerly Used Defense Sites can range from privately-owned farms to national parks and urban areas. They also include residential, industrial and educational properties. There are more than 9,000 Formerly Used Defense Sites throughout the country. Some of these sites have little or no environmental risks, but others have known hazards. MUNITIONS RESPONSE SITE PRIORITIZATION PROTOCOL PROCESS The Army created the Military Munitions Response Program to address the potential hazards if munitions remain on Formerly Used Defense Sites and other properties used by the Department of Defense. The program encompasses more than 3,300 project areas within these Formerly Used Defense Sites, covering 28 million acres with some of the sites dating to the 18th century. Most of them are from World Wars I and II and the Korean conflict. To help prioritize restoration activities across the country, the Department of Defense created the Munitions Response Site Prioritization Protocol. A Munitions Response Site is a specific area within a Formerly Used Defense Site. The Protocol has three modules to evaluate the unique hazards posed by munitions and the materials inside of them (known as munitions constituents). The three modules are Explosive Hazard Evaluation, Chemical Warfare Material Hazard Evaluation and Health Hazard Evaluation. These modules evaluate the potential hazard, how readily accessible the hazard is to people and the environment and the potential impact on people and the environment. Each module is scored from 38 to 100 and is assigned a rating from G (lowest) to A (highest). Besides the letter ratings, there are three other possible outcomes of scoring for each module – evaluation pending (insufficient data are available to score the site or the site is currently being investigated), no longer required (a response has already been completed or this risk is minimal), or no known or suspected hazard. Each site is then assigned a number between one and eight indicating a relative priority with one being the highest potential hazard and eight as the lowest potential hazard. The priority number does not have an assigned action. In other words, one does not signify RECOGNIZE - The item you found could be dangerous. RETREAT - Do not touch it in any way, and leave the area. FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES a need for immediate removal, and eight does not mean no action is required. After a site is given a priority rating, it must be “sequenced” for response action. SEQUENCING Sequencing refers to the process of determining which project will be addressed first. The sequencing for response action is based on the site’s relative risk. In general, a Munitions Response Site that presents a greater risk to people or the environment will be addressed before a site that presents a lower risk. Factors such as local land use needs, community interest, funding and available technology may also influence the sequencing. The priority is reviewed at least annually and will be revised to reflect any new information. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT No two projects are ever quite the same. The one constant is the need for strong partnerships among the US Army Corps of Engineers, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders and the active involvement of those living or working on the Formerly Used Defense Site. The Department of Defense believes that a proactive public involvement program will facilitate the munitions response process and help ensure the protection of people and the environment. Involving the public, local and state governments, and regulators in the process of developing the prioritization and sequencing is an effective way to identify and address environmental and safety concerns of those living and working in and around the impacted area. Anyone wishing to comment on the prioritization, sequencing or seeking more information on the process is encouraged to contact the Corps by calling 800.710.5184 or emailing FUDS.Florida@usace.army.mil. SAFETY FIRST If you are on a Formerly Used Defense Site, it is vitally important, in the unlikely event that potential munitions are encountered, to follow the simple 3Rs of explosives safety: Recognize, Retreat, Report. REPORT - Call 911 immediately. US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FUDS.Florida@usace.army.mil 800.710.5184 (Toll Free) www.saj.usace.army.mil US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FOR MORE INFORMATION a..m _ ■ecognize OGetreat r.'Pr.'1 ~ eport FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES | Fort Segarra PROPOSED PLAN APRIL 2020 DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION PROGRAM FOR FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES Across the country, the Department of Defense acquired properties, often during times of war, to use for military training, testing and demonstrations. When no longer needed, many of these properties were cleaned up according to the best practices available at the time and then transferred to other owners such as private individuals or other government entities. These Formerly Used Defense Sites can range from privately owned farms to National Parks. They also include residential, industrial and educational properties. We are committed to protecting people and the environment and improving public safety by cleaning up these properties. The Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites was established to evaluate and, if necessary, to remediate Formerly Used Defense Sites. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) manages the program on behalf of the Department of Defense. Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as Superfund, in 1980 and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act in 1986. These laws give the Corps the authority for certain cleanup activities and dictate the process we must follow. We conduct investigations to determine the potential risk to people and the environment from the military’s use of the property. Public involvement and community participation are important components of the process. The Corps partners with stakeholders throughout the process, including congressional representatives, state and local governments, regulatory and environmental agencies, and affected property owners. BACKGROUND The U.S. government acquired Water Island in 1944 for a coastal defense installation. Water Island is the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands and is approximately 1,800 feet from St. Thomas, south of Charlotte Amalie. The Army constructed barracks, gun emplacements, watch towers, underground bunkers, and various other structures, and the installation became known as Fort Segarra. The Army constructed Battery 314 at the top of a hill in the southern portion of the island and the 818th Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery at Druif Point and Providence Point. The batteries were not completed before the end of World War II, and the guns were never installed. The Army deactivated the 818th Battery in 1945 and Fort Segarra in 1946. The Army used Fort Segarra again between 1948 and 1950 for tests associated with the San Jose Project. Most of the land comprising this Formerly Used Defense Site is now privately owned. ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS The Corps has conducted a number of investigations of the former Fort Segarra over the years, and a removal action to search for and remove any munitions-related items was completed in 2009. In addition to the removal action, the Corps installed signs at the public ferry and deep water docks to make sure the public is aware of the military’s use of the island. The Corps conducted a review in 2012 to see if the remedial action implemented in 2009 was still effective in protecting people from potential risks associated with the military’s use of the island. That led to the Corps replacing the two signs. While no munitions or munitions debris have been identified in more than 20 years, to ensure public safety, the Corps conducted a Remedial Investigation to determine if anything from the military’s training remains in the area and to identify appropriate future actions. During the recently completed Remedial Investigation, the team analyzed all the available data from various Fort Segarra Munitions Response Site 01 D Approximate Fort Segarra Boundary (Formerly Used Defense Site Property Boundary) FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES | Fort Segarra sources including historical documents, reports from the Department of Interior, and the Corps’ previous investigations. The Corps did not identify any munitions at Fort Segarra nor any other hazard associated with the military. No guns were installed in the fort, and no munitions training was conducted there. While limited chemical warfare materiel and chemical agent use is documented, previous studies and investigations confirmed that the few chemical warfare materiel related items on Water Island were removed, and environmental sampling verified that chemical agents are not present at the site. PROPOSED PLAN The next step in the federally mandated process the Corps follows is the Proposed Plan. It summarizes the Remedial Investigation and provides the basis for supporting the selection of the Preferred Alternative. Since there are no hazards or risks associated with the military’s use of the fort, no further action is warranted. The Preferred Alternative presented in the Proposed Plan is No Action. Please see the Proposed Plan for further information. D YOUR OPINION MATTERS The Corps encourages you to comment on the Proposed Plan during the public comment period. Please submit your comments no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 6, 2020, by calling 800.710.5184, emailing FUDS.Florida@usace.army.mil, or mailing your comments to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Frank Araico (PM-M), 701 San Marco Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32207. Mail postmarked by July 6, 2020, will be accepted. Public comments received during this period will be considered in the final decision-making process. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District 800.710.5184 FUDS.Florida@usace.army.mil www.saj.usace.army.mil/FortSegarra Project documents are available at the Corps’ website: www.saj.usace.army.mil/FortSegarra __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Fort Segarra Flamingo Bay Landfill and Test Areas Proposed Plan Comment Sheet Thank you for your interest in the Fort Segarra Flamingo Bay Landfill and Test Areas Munitions Response Site. We value your contribution. If you have comments on the virtual public meeting or the Proposed Plan, please provide them in the space below and return this form to us. To ensure that your comments are consid­ ered during the final analysis of the remedial alternative, they must be received or postmarked by July 6, 2020. Comments may be emailed to FUDS.Florida@usace.army.mil or sent to the address listed at the bottom of this form. Name and Address (optional) ______________________________________________________________ Letters must be postmarked by July 6, 2020 and may be mailed to the following address. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ATTN: PM-M (Frank Araico) 701 San Marco Boulevard Jacksonville, Florida 32207 Telephone (Toll Free): 800.710.5184 Email: FUDS.Florida@usace.army.mil