SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Installations Directorate, Base Realignment and Closure Division was recently awarded with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first annual National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse award for their work at the former McClellan Air Force Base, in Sacramento County.
The award is in recognition of the exemplary work to transform the Superfund site into a successful business park. The 3,452-acre McClellan Business Park now supports more than 17,000 jobs and has generated $580 million in public and private investment.
“EPA is honored to present the National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award to the former McClellan Air Force Base,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “This project is a successful demonstration of how public-private partnerships can serve as catalysts for economic growth and community revitalization.”
AFCEC officials from the Installations Directorate BRAC team were honored amongst guests from various agencies, to include, Congresswoman Doris Matsui; John Henderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy; Mike Stoker, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator; Barbara Lee, Director of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control; Sue Frost, Sacramento County Supervisor; and Larry Kelley, CEO of McClellan Business Park.
"This award celebrates hard work, innovative thinking, and cooperation among federal agencies, states, local partners and developers," said Hon. John Henderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy. "McClellan is an excellent example of what can happen when people pull together to accomplish a common goal. In this case, our goal was to restore and protect our environment while also providing the greater Sacramento area with continued economic growth. We are really proud of this entire team of teams."
The award, which EPA is giving to four federal sites nationwide, recognizes outstanding efforts to restore federal sites for beneficial reuses. Awards were provided in four categories: National Priorities List (NPL) Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites, NPL sites, non-NPL sites, and non-NPL BRAC sites. McClellan received the award in the NPL BRAC category.
The 3,452-acre base was established in 1936 and operated as an Air Force Logistics Center until 2001. EPA placed McClellan AFB on the Superfund list in 1987. Solvents, metals, and other hazardous wastes from aircraft maintenance and other industrial activities were identified contaminants within the base.
In 2007, Sacramento County and the U.S. Air Force signed a landmark agreement that paved the way for rapid cleanup and early land transfer at the McClellan site. The agreement transferred contaminated land, funds, and authority to perform cleanup at the National Priorities List site. The combined efforts of the AFCEC Installations Directorate, BRAC team, McClellan Business Park, Sacramento County, and the community have transformed McClellan into a corporate community that has brought jobs and additional economic growth to the region.