Army Corps of Engineers – Kansas City District

Overview:

• Preliminary Assessments at Formerly Used Defense Sites.
• Hazard Evaluations
• Field Inspections
• Verification of Existing Conditions
• Surveying and Mapping

Description:

On 1 January 2019, Bluestone acquired Avatar Environmental, LLC. Under our HTRW contract with the Kansas City District, Bluestone (Avatar) developed Preliminary Assessments for five FUDS at various locations in Walla Walla and Benton Counties, WA. The sites being evaluated were used during the WWII era as Outlying Fields (also referred to as Auxiliary Fields) that supported training operations at the nearby Pasco Naval Air Station. The Federal government leased or acquired the land for each field for a brief period of time during the mid-1940s. Reported uses ranged from practice emergency landings to use as a practice bombing range at one field.

A Contractor Quality Control Plan was prepared documenting the QC procedures for field activities (site visits) and document preparation and review. The CQCP included the procedures for an independent technical review of all documents submitted, including completing the USACE PA Review Checklist.

The overall objective of the project was to complete a CERCLA compliant PA for each site following USACE and USEPA guidance. Project tasks for each site included reviewing property ownership and conducting field inspections to document current conditions and determine if hazards from past training activities are present as a result of historical activities at the site. A complete evaluation was conducted to asses the potential for release of hazardous substances and the potential exposure pathways and receptors for any potentially released hazardous substances identified.

We successfully completed each PA with minimal comments from Kansas City District and the State of Washington. The PAs for four of the sites concluded No Further Action was required on behalf of USACE; thereby, removing any future USACE liability.