[CPEO-MEF] ACE work on FUDS Lacking - GAO

[Steve@miltoxproj.org]

News Release


NEWS RELEASE
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE DEMOCRATS
Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      For Immediate Release
      September 5, 2001 Contact: Laura Sheehan
      202-225-3641
     

Army Corp of Engineers Work on Formerly Utilized Defense Sites Found
Lacking

Washington, D.C. – At the request of Congressmen John D. Dingell,
D-Mich., and Tom Sawyer, D-Ohio, the General Accounting Office (GAO) has
conducted a year-long investigation of "Formerly Utilized Defense Sites"
(FUDS) with environmental contamination. 

"The Corps’ work to date has principally focused on the ‘cheapest and
least technologically challenging’ work such as tearing down buildings
and pulling tanks while many high- and medium-risk properties with toxic
groundwater contamination or unexploded ordinance have been left to
percolate," Dingell said. "These seriously contaminated sites must be
addressed in a timely manner before this dangerous brew threatens public
health and safety."

The GAO reports that the Army Corps of Engineers’ established goal of
cleaning up FUDS contaminated with toxic, hazardous, and radioactive
waste by 2014, at approximately $200 million per year, is short by more
than 50 years. The GAO further reports the Corps cost estimate of $13
billion to complete the cleanup of these properties does not account for
cleanup of unexploded ordinance on FUDS properties which the Corps
estimates will cost more than an additional $5 billion.

In Michigan, at FUDS with high risk projects, only 13 percent ($15.5
million out of $116 million) of the necessary work has been funded.
Nationwide only 16 percent ($961 million out of $6 billion) has been
funded. Of the medium-risk projects in Michigan, only 8 percent
($957,000 out of $12.5 million) has been funded. Nationwide only 3
percent ($73.5 million out of $2.8 billion) has been funded.

The GAO also found that the Department of Defense reporting with respect
to cleanups completed provides a misleading picture of the FUDS program
accomplishments by including ineligible projects or projects that did
not involve any actual cleanup effort. According to the report, the
Corps determination that no contamination or other hazards exist that
require cleanup was made without input from state or federal regulatory
agencies, which may not agree.

"As evidenced by the notorious Spring Valley site in Washington, D.C.,
the Corps’ determination can be very wrong," Dingell noted. "I hope a
similar mistake is not played out on a national scale."

In December 1998, the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste
Management Officials conducted a survey of 39 states and found that
"over half indicated that they had reason to believe that the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers has not made sound environmental decisions regarding
no further action determinations at FUDS." The GAO is conducting a
separate investigation of the 4,070 sites at the request of
Representatives Dingell and Sawyer.


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