[CPEO-MEF] Correction to Summary of Spring Valley Testimony

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>]

The Summary of the Spring Valley Testimony that was posted this past
Wednesday was an unedited version that did not reflect the final version
that was cleared for.  I had edited an original version of the
summary and mistakenly posted the non-edited version.

At CPEO we are trying out a new system of having intern(s) attend
hearings and writing up summaries.  All summaries are then given to
me for editing and content check.  The mistake is mine and I
apologize to those who we mis-represented.

Please, if you have corrections you would like posted I will do so
immediately upon receiving them.

Again, my apologies.

Below is the text of EPA Region 3 testimony.

Testimony by

Thomas C. Voltaggio
Acting Regional Administrator
Mid-Atlantic Region
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Provided to


Subcommittee on the District of Columbia
Committee on Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC

July 27, 2001

Good morning, Chairwoman Morella and Members of the committee.  I am
TomVoltaggio, Acting Regional Administrator for the EPA’s Mid-Atlantic
Regional Office.  I am pleased to be here today to discuss EPA’s
role in the Spring Valley cleanup.

EPA’s active involvement with Spring Valley started when Region III in
conjunction with the Army conducted an emergency response to Spring
Valley in 1993.  Since then,  the Agency has provided critical
skills and technical expertise in what is an extraordinarily complex
cleanup effort.  The Agency has decided  to test for a full
suite of possible contaminants and this decision helped in eventually
uncovering the arsenic problem.  Our efforts to promote keeping the
site open for further investigation and gathering the right data for an
accurate risk assessment have also been important factors in the cleanup
effort.

In January, 1993, a utility contractor working in the Spring Valley
development encountered buried ordnance.  A textbook emergency
response followed, with the Army, EPA and District government
responding.  DOD sent an emergency response team that removed 141
ordnance-related items in what became known as the Phase I
cleanup.   The Corps was ready a month later to start Phase II,
the long-term cleanup effort.

Arsenic is a breakdown product from some of the chemical weapons that
were used at American University.  The Corps did not sample for
arsenic, however, because there are other unique compounds that would
provide a clearer indication of chemical warfare agents.   EPA,
though, decided to test for all hazardous substances including
arsenic.  It wasn’t until much later in the history of Spring Valley
that this decision would prove decisive.

By 1995, hundreds of properties had been investigated, but only a few
more ordnance pieces were found and there had been no discovery of burial
pits.  More than 250 soil samples had been tested, but no chemical
or explosive  agents were found.  A few metals were identified,
but a risk assessment concluded that additional cleanup was not required.

An investigation of suspected Mustard Gas in the soil was still underway
at the “Captain Rankin” property.  The Corps proposed that all the
other locations in Spring Valley be considered Operable Unit 1, a term we
use to designate a study area, and that the ‘Captain Rankin’ area, be
classified as Operable Unit 2, or OU #2.  The Army then concluded
that no further action was required with respect to chemical warfare
materials/munitions for OU #1.  The Corps documented its rationale
and put it out for public comment.  Both EPA  and the
District supported this decision.

As the work on OU #2 continued,  DC government undertook an
independent archival search that turned up new information.  EPA was
unaware that DC was involved in such an effort until November, 1996 when
DC called us to express concerns about several issues including possible
mis-location of a burial pit. 

In the Spring of 1997, the Corps, EPA, and DC agreed to form a Spring
Valley project team, and  EPA wrote to the Corps noting that
“close-out of the entire Spring Valley site should . . . be deferred
until. . .  resolution of the . . .  concerns . . . raised by
the District of Columbia.”

By January, 1998, the Corps became convinced about the location of an
additional burial pit and created OU #3, to focus on the Korean
Ambassador’s residence, including a soil sampling plan. At the same time,
EPA prepared a plan to sample  and resample  adjacent
properties.  

Several different strands of the story were finally starting to
converge.  Based on information developed to that date, the team
found the burial pit on the Ambassador’s property and an intensive and
gradually expanding circle of soil sampling was finding arsenic and
leading to the eventual decision this Spring to assess every property in
Spring Valley.

As part of the massive sampling and resampling effort that is currently
underway at 1200 locations, every homeowners will be mailed a copy of the
results from his or her property within 45 days of the sample being
taken. 

Conclusion
EPA’s original photographic interpretation work is still helping to
guide our work today.  I would also like to acknowledge the work of
the other organizations that have been involved in this cleanup
effort.  From the time I arrived at the site in 1993 to present, I
have been extremely impressed by the hard work and dedication of the Army
and the Corps in the Spring Valley cleanup.  They have provided a
high level of expertise to this effort.  The District of Columbia
also deserves special praise.  The research conducted by some of its
staff in 1995 and 1996 has given other team members extremely valuable
information.

      

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.  I would be happy to
answer any questions.

-xxx-

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Aimee R. Houghton                                 

Associate Director, CPEO

122 C Street NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC  20001-2109

tel: 202-662-1888; fax: 202-628-1825

Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org

www.cpeo.org

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