By JIM BUTLER
The Dept. of Defense wonders how much community interest there is in environmental cleanup at the former England Air Force Base.
Environmental issues at the former base first received widespread attention in 2018.
DOD is considering re-creating a Restoration Advisory Board, a panel with no decision-making authority that establishes communication between parties involved in the cleanup.
Practices and procedures leading to possibly contaminated groundwater are the focal point of concern at the former base, closed under the Base Realignment and Closure Act in the early 1990s.
England is listed among the most severe instances of “forever” contaminants detected.
They are known as “forever chemicals” because once released into the environment, they do not break down, and they build up in blood and organs.
According to them, scientists say, increases the risk of cancer, harms development of the fetus, and reduces the effectiveness of vaccines.
The primary source of the chemicals at military installations is aqueous film-forming foam, firefighting foam, developed in the 1960s.
According to the Environmental Protection Administration, other concerns at the former base, now an air park and industrial site under civilian authority, include buried gas cylinders, a chemical burial mound and a landfill.
Anyone interested in sitting on the panel can contact Richard Black at: richard.black.9@us.af.mil or telephone 1-866-725-7617 to get more information.
A RAB is a community group which meets to discuss and receive information on environmental restoration (cleanup) projects at the former base.
A RAB facilitates and improves communication, outreach, and transparency between the former military base, the public, regulators, local governments, and interest groups for issues related to military cleanup activities.
It provides an opportunity for community stakeholders to meaningfully participate in the cleanup process.
If you are interested in learning more about the environmental restoration projects and having the opportunity to give your input to base and regulatory agencies on their management of cleanup projects, either as a RAB member or by attending RAB meetings, contact Black by June 15.