JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- The Air Force Civil Engineer Center has decided to adjourn the Restoration Advisory Board at the former Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
AFCEC made the decision after receiving input from the community and regulatory agencies during a public meeting and 30-day public comment period from Oct. 1-30, 2012. In addition to seeking input on proposed RAB adjournment, the Air Force also encouraged the community to provide feedback on how the Air Force can continue to keep interested community members informed on the status of cleanup.
The primary role of a RAB is to provide input to the Air Force and regulatory agencies on cleanup decisions. The Kelly RAB has been discussing adjournment since April 2012 based on the fact that all cleanup decisions have been made, all cleanup remedies are in place and operating properly and successfully and all property has been transferred.
According to AFCEC's Base Environmental Coordinator at Kelly Paul Carroll, there are many other ways the community can stay informed about the progress of the cleanup at Kelly.
"The bottom line is we are not going anywhere," said Carroll. "AFCEC will continue to be proactive in our approach to sharing information about Kelly's cleanup program. We received great feedback from the public on how we can further our reach in the community such as providing information to online, print and radio outlets, as well as meeting with stakeholder groups to provide updates and answer questions."
In addition, AFCEC is encouraging those interested in following the cleanup progress at Kelly to visit the newly redesigned website here to view information on the ongoing cleanup actions. The website contains factsheets, frequently asked questions, contact information and a link to the administrative record where users can search all public documents.
The RAB began in 1995 as a way for community members to discuss environmental restoration information with the Air Force and its federal and state regulatory partners, and advise them on cleanup decisions. The RAB consisted of both government and community representatives. Community RAB members were charged with helping to keep other members of the community informed on the status of environmental cleanup.
Over the past 30 years, the Air Force, with oversight from state and federal regulatory agencies, has cleaned up more than 95 percent of the necessary sites at Kelly, including fuel storage tanks, wastewater treatment systems and other industrial process areas.
The remaining sites have decision documents in place and are currently being cleaned up to meet regulatory standards. Furthermore, all groundwater and soil sites are operating properly and successfully in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policies.
AFCEC has transferred a total of 1,887 acres to Port San Antonio for redevelopment at the former base resulting in approximately 14,00 jobs and 70 businesses with an estimated economic impact of more than $4 billion annually.
The AFCEC Installations Center of Excellence conducts the strategic acquisition, management and disposal of Air Force real property. The base realignment and closure division manages the remediation and transfer of more than 88,000 acres of property at 40 former installations to local communities for economic development.
For more information on the Air Force's BRAC environmental cleanup program, call 210-395-8587 or email afcec.pa@us.af.mil.