Travis environmental restoration team makes international mark

8 Jul 2011 | Merrie Schilter-Lowe

For Lonnie Duke, it was a chance to meet the Environmental Protection Agency representative who introduced him to the idea of employing green and sustainable remediation technologies in cleaning up contaminated groundwater sites at Travis.

For Glenn Anderson, it was a chance not only to meet EPA's Carlos Pachon, who helped draft the first GSR primer, but also an opportunity to serve on the same international panel discussing integrating society into sustainable remediation decision making.

Mr. Duke and Mr. Anderson, members of the base's environmental restoration team, attended an international bioremediation and sustainable environmental technologies symposium last week in Reno, Nev.

"We got to hear from some of the top minds in environmental restoration discussing upcoming trends and cutting-edge technologies in bioremediation," said Mr. Duke. "We also had a chance to hear ideas we may be able use at Travis."

The symposium brought together several hundred scientists, engineers, regulatory agency members, industry and environmental specialists from universities, government agencies, research and development agencies and service firms from 31 countries.

Sessions focused on bioremediation - the use of microorganisms to metabolize and remove pollutants from the soil and groundwater - and included seminars, panel discussions and displays on everything from environmental research and application to the best practices in bioremediation and biology-based alternative energy production.

Mr. Anderson represented the Department of Defense on a panel, which also included representatives from industry, a state regulatory agency, a community activist and a representative from a European technology and management firm.

The panel's discussion and subsequent question and answer session with the audience covered issues such as the best practices for keeping the community informed about environmental problems and remediation decisions, how and when to engage the community in the decision-making process and some of the constraints and limitations on community desires.

Unlike some communities represented, Travis has a good relationship with its neighbors, Mr. Anderson said. He explained that Travis provides regular updates to the community at its restoration advisory board meetings, which includes community leaders, members of the general public and representatives from three regulatory agencies.

The RAB also allows community members an opportunity to voice concerns and to provide input on technical decisions and participate in developing solutions.

"The board has been fantastic," said Mr. Anderson. "The technical review committee reviews all our documents to ensure the community can understand most of the information before we release it," said Mr. Anderson. He said several RAB members also have been instrumental in facilitating communications and cooperation with local government officials to complete cleanup efforts.

The restoration team also keeps the community informed through it internal quarterly newsletter, the Guardian, and by posting information on the base's public website, Mr. Anderson said.

The Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment nominated Mr. Anderson for the panel discussion. In 2010, the center selected Mr. Duke and Mr. Anderson to be keynote speakers at the Air Force Restoration and Technology Transfer Workshop in San Antonio. Also in 2010, Travis earned top honors for the best environmental restoration program in Air Mobility Command.

Air Force set a deadline to have environmental restoration remedies in place by 2012 and Travis "is taking the lead on this effort," said Mr. Anderson. "We've also taken steps to incorporate green and sustainable technologies into those programs."

Some of the GSR practices include installing solar panels on three groundwater extraction and treatment systems, which eliminated the reliance on base electricity; and injecting emulsified vegetable oil into contaminated groundwater to stimulate the growth of bacteria that feed on the contaminated solvents, breaking them down into less harmful byproducts.

Another GSR initiative involved planting eucalyptus trees, which absorb contamination into the leaves and root systems.

One panel member pointed out how fortunate the United States is to have so many cleanup and restoration options. "There seems to be a lot going on in this country, I wish I could say the same thing about Europe," said Alessandro Battaglia of Italy. Mr. Battaglia represented a global management and technology services company in Europe. He said 27 countries make up the European Union, and each has its own approach to green and sustainable remediation practices.

While the United Kingdom is "way out in front" when it comes to cleaning up contaminated sites, most countries are still dealing with issues such as hunger, disease and basic survival, said Mr. Battaglia.

"We have a good roadmap to foster good remediation technology in Europe but not much application yet. You're very fortunate in the United States," he said.

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