#IAMIMSC: Roger Walton
Duty title and unit: Environmental Engineer, Air Force Civil Engineer Center Installations Directorate, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
Primary duty responsibilities: As the Base Realignment and Closure Environmental Coordinator for the former Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, I’m responsible for all aspects of environmental management and cleanup of the former base. That work includes serving as the primary interface with regulatory agencies, the local redevelopment authority and the public. I’m also the co-chair for the Pease Restoration Advisory Board, supporting community outreach and public involvement in cleanup activities.
What’s the best part of your job?
Contributing to the safe cleanup and redevelopment of former Air Force property.
What’s a recent project that gave you a great sense of accomplishment?
In response to an EPA Safe Drinking Water Act Administrative Order, I worked with members of my team to build a groundwater treatment plant in the central airfield area of Pease that pumps and treats groundwater containing Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid. Contamination in the central airfield area had caused the closure of a City of Portsmouth drinking water production well.
While under intense regulatory and public scrutiny, we built the 700-gallon-per-minute treatment plant and more than 10,000 feet of subsurface piping in 12 months (on schedule) with no disruptions to airport operations or other redevelopment activities. So far, the treatment plant has treated over 350 million gallons of water and reinjected clean water back into the aquifer.
Any claims to fame?
I am a member of the Pease PFAS Groundwater Treatment team with counterparts from EPA Region 1 and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Together, we won the Federal Facility Response Outstanding Achievement team award for fiscal year 2019, an honor given to only one team nationally per year. The national award celebrates the most exemplary of accomplishments across the country in the EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management programs, including Superfund and other cleanup programs.
Do you follow any mantra?
Hope is not a method. Measure twice, cut once.