[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E687-E688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF RIVERBANK ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY A. CONDIT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 1998

  Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements 
of Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant, the Army's only producer of cold 
drawn casings for mortar rounds, for its receiving of the Secretary of 
the Army 1997 Environmental Award for Installation Environmental 
Cleanup during a ceremony held on Monday, April 27, 1998.
  The Army awards panel selected Riverbank AAP for its efforts in 
putting together a string of environmental accomplishments while 
cleaning up groundwater contamination on and around the installation.
  The Army industrial installation, located near Riverbank, CA in the 
18th Congressional District is on schedule to complete its cleanup 
program nearly 20 years early, saving the government millions of 
dollars.
  Riverbank AAP achieved a number of environmental firsts during their 
cleanup program. It was the first federal NPL facility to complete a 
final record of decision marking the end of all environmental 
investigations and the start of final cleanup.
  It was also the first federal facility to earn an installation-wide 
construction complete status from the EPA signifying that all remedial 
actions were in place and the program could move into long-term 
monitoring and operations phase.

[[Page E688]]

  Riverbank AAP continues to push for deletion from the NPL, saying 
there is no longer a threat to human health from the groundwater 
contamination that initiated the cleanup efforts.
  ``If the EPA looked at Riverbank today, there would be no risk to 
human health,'' said Jim Gansel, the Commander's representative at 
Riverbank AAP. Gansel credits the installation's environmental 
successes to a strong community relations program. ``Our relationship 
with the community of Riverbank is the basis of everything we have 
accomplished here,'' he said.
  Each year, the Secretary of the Army's environmental awards 
recognize, installation, team or individual efforts in Environmental 
Quality, Pollution Prevention, Pollution Prevention Weapons 
Acquisition, Recycling, Environmental Cleanup, Natural Resources 
Conservation and Cultural Resources Management. A total of 15 awards--
10 installation, one team and four individual--are presented.
  I consider it an honor and a privilege to represent Riverbank AAP.

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