[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 89 (Friday, May 26, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1151-E1152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 CLEANUP OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL

                                 ______


                        HON. PATRICIA SCHROEDER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 1995
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, one of the Nation's most notorious 
military environmental problems just took a big step forward. The World 
War II-era Rocky Mountain Arsenal, located in my district, manufactured 
and stored chemical munitions. It later leased land to Shell Chemical 
Co. for pesticide production. Thirty years of haphazard chemical 
disposal by both resulted in a surface and ground water mess that vexed 
Federal, military, State, and corporate leaders who faced complicated 
cleanup questions.
  Many of those questions were answered with the release yesterday of a 
tentative conceptual cleanup strategy. I wish to submit into the record 
that agreement. It can be reviewed by a wide audience and can provide 
necessary background as this project seeks continued funding from a 
diminishing defense environmental restoration account.
  The remarkable fact about this agreement is the 6-year, painstaking 
negotiations undertaken to get there. Bitter pills were swallowed by 
all. And days of fine tuning are still ahead. But the real winner is 
human health and the environment. I wish to applaud the negotiators who 
gave years of blood, sweat and tears to reach the following agreement.
  Mr. Speaker, here follows a milestone.
 Rocky Mountain Arsenal Remedy Negotiations, Embassy Suites Hotel, SE 
                         Denver, May 9-11, 1995


                    conceptual agreement components

       (Please refer to attached map for site locations.)

                               Background

       This proposal represents a tentative conceptual agreement 
     between the U.S. Army, Shell Oil Company, the state of 
     Colorado, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the 
     U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the cleanup of the Rocky 
     Mountain Arsenal. The conceptual remedy was reached based 
     upon ongoing discussions during the past six months, which 
     included stakeholders, and on the past studies performed at 
     the Arsenal as part of the Superfund process. This tentative 
     conceptual agreement is contingent on the successful 
     resolution of issues yet to be resolved by the parties.

                     Timetable for Ongoing Process

       Assuming continued resolution of issues between the 
     parties, a new Detailed Analysis [[Page E1152]] of 
     Alternatives (DAA) will be issued by the Army within the next 
     six months. Concurrently, a Proposed Plan for the on-post 
     cleanup will be issued for public review and comment. 
     Stakeholder involvement will continue during this process. A 
     closure plan for Basin F will be finalized within the next 
     six months as well.
       1. Future Hazardous Waste Landfill (RCRA).
       A new on-site, state-of-the-art hazardous waste landfill 
     will be constructed in an agreed-upon location between Former 
     Basin F and North Plants. One cell (approximately 750,000 
     cubic yards) of this landfill will have an enhanced design 
     and will contain contaminated soil from the Basin F Waste 
     Pile and Lime Basins. This landfill will accept material only 
     from the Arsenal.
       2. Former Basin F.
       Principal threat soil will be treated in-place using 
     solidification to a depth of 10 feet.
       A RCRA-equivalent cap with biota barrier will be 
     constructed over the former basin to prevent contact with 
     remaining human health exceedence soil and to minimize 
     further groundwater contamination.
       3. Basin F Waste Pile.
       Waste pile soil, including the bottom liners, will be 
     excavated and placed in an enhanced cell at the future on-
     site, state-of-the-art hazardous waste landfill designed for 
     approximately 750,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil (to 
     include Basin F Waste Pile and Lime Basin soil).
       If the waste pile soil exceeds EPA's paint filter test, 
     moisture content will be reduced to acceptable levels by 
     using a dryer in an enclosed structure. Volatile organic 
     compounds from the drying process will be captured and 
     treated.
       Additional odor controls will be employed as necessary.
       4.Basin A
       To reduce the amount of clean soil used for fill from other 
     portions of the Arsenal, excavated biota exceedence soil from 
     other sites at the Arsenal will be placed in Basin A as fill 
     material under the cap.
       Structural debris on the Arsenal, except agent-contaminated 
     building material and pesticide-contaminated building 
     material (unless pesticide-contaminated building material is 
     washed), may be placed in Basin A as fill material.
       Contaminated soil (both principal threat and human health 
     exceedence soil), structural debris on the Arsenal, and 
     Arsenal biota exceedence soil will be entombed under 6 inches 
     of concrete and a soil cover.
       5. South Plants Central Processing Area.
       Principal threat and human health exceedence soil will be 
     excavated to a depth of 5 feet and placed in the future on-
     site, state-of-the-art hazardous waste landfill.
       A soil cover with a biota barrier will be constructed over 
     the site to isolate remaining contamination.
       6. Balance of South Plants Areas.
       Principal threat and human health exceedence soil will be 
     excavated and placed in the future on-site, state-of-the-art 
     hazardous waste landfill.
       Biota exceedence soil will be excavated for use as fill 
     material in Basin A.
       7. North Plants.
       Human health exceedence soil will be excavated and placed 
     in the future on-site, state-of-the-art hazardous waste 
     landfill.
       8. Pits and Trenches.
       A. Complex (Army) Trenches: Construction of a slurry wall 
     around the Trenches and a RCRA-equivalent cap with biota 
     barrier (6 inches of concrete) will prevent contact with 
     contaminated soil and will minimize further groundwater 
     contamination.
       A groundwater pump and treat system will be installed and 
     operated to intercept the Section 36 Bedrock Ridge Plume 
     until the plume is hydrologically controlled.
       B. Shell Trenches: Expansion of the current slurry wall 
     around the Trenches and a RCRA-equivalent cap with biota 
     barrier will prevent contact with contaminated soil and will 
     minimize further groundwater contamination.
       C. M-1 Pits: Principal threat and human health exceedence 
     soil will be excavated and treated via a solidification 
     technology. Treated soil will be placed in the future on-
     site, state-of-the-art hazardous waste landfill.
       D. Hex Pits: Principal threat soils will be treated with a 
     yet-to-be-agreed-upon technology.
       E. Lime Basin: Principal threat and human health exceedence 
     soil will be excavated and placed in the future on-site, 
     state-of-the-art hazardous waste landfill.
       F. Burial Trenches: Human health exceedence soil will be 
     excavated and placed in the future on-site, state-of-the-art 
     hazardous waste landfill.
       9. Ditches, etc.
       A. Sand creek Lateral: Human health exceedence soil will be 
     excavated and placed in the future on-site, state-of-the-art 
     hazardous waste landfill; biota exceedence soil will be 
     excavated and used as fill material in Basin A.
       B. Buried lake sediments: Human health exceedence soil will 
     be excavated and placed in the future on-site, state-of-the-
     art hazardous waste landfill.
       C. South Plants Ditches: Principal threat and human health 
     exceedence soil will be excavated and placed in the future 
     on-site, state-of-the-art hazardous waste landfill.
       Biota exceedence soil will be excavated and used as fill 
     material in Basin A.
       10. Secondary Basins: Human health exceedence soil will be 
     excavated and placed in the future on-site, state-of-the-art 
     hazardous waste landfill.
       Biota exceedence soil will be excavated and used as fill 
     material in Basin A.
       11. Chemical Sewers: Chemical sewer lines (typically buried 
     deeper than 6 feet) and manholes located in the South Plants 
     Central Processing Area will be plugged with concrete. A soil 
     cover with a biota barrier will be placed at the surface. 
     These actions will eliminate access to the lines and minimize 
     further groundwater contamination.
       In areas outside the South Plants Central Processing Area, 
     human health exceedence soil associated with the sewers will 
     be excavated and placed in the future on-site, state-of-the-
     art hazardous waste landfill.
       12. Structures: Demolish all contaminated structures.
       In order to minimize use of clean soil for fill material in 
     Basin A, building debris could be placed into Basin A for 
     fill, except agent-contaminated building material and 
     pesticide-contaminated building material (unless pesticide-
     contaminated building material is washed).
       13. Munitions: Munitions and munition debris in formerly 
     used testing sites will be located and excavated. Excavated 
     debris and associated soil will be placed in the future on-
     site, state-of-the-art hazardous waste landfill. If 
     explosives-containing munitions are found, they are to be 
     taken to the closest on-post site for detonation. If not 
     considered safe for removal and transport, they are to be 
     detonated in place.
       14. Groundwater: The Army's proposal in the Detailed 
     Analysis of Alternatives (DAA) was agreed upon. In addition, 
     Basin A and South Plants Central Processing areas will not be 
     de-watered (also, see points on Complex (Army) Trenches 
     above).
       Major components of the Army's DAA proposal include:
       Continued operation of all existing groundwater pump and 
     treat systems including the three boundary systems (Irondale, 
     Northwest Boundary and North Boundary Control Systems) and 
     interim response action systems (Motor Pool and Rail 
     Classification Yard Extraction System, Basin F Groundwater, 
     IRA, Basin A Neck IRA and Off-post System).
       South Plants Tank Farm plume groundwater will be treated 
     with an in-situ biological process.
       Additional issues under ``Issues Yet To Be Resolved'' 
     section remain to be resolved.
       15. Alternative Water Supply: 4,000 acre feet and 
     distribution system for residents (area yet to be 
     determined).


                 issues still being discussed include:

       1. Soil Volumes
       2. Existing (sanitary) Landfills
       3. Assorted Groundwater Issues, including: Point of 
     compliance, cleanup levels for additional compounds and 
     application of Colorado Basic Groundwater Standards.
       4. The Appropriate Remedy for Surficial Soils, Other 
     Ditches, Lake Sediments
       5. Assorted Off-Post Issues such as:
       A. Off-post soils
       B. Montbello soil sampling
       C. Health Screening