Federal Facilities in Glenview and Joliet Receive EPA’s First Annual ‘National Excellence in Site Reuse’ Awards

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its first annual "National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse" awards to two Illinois sites: the Naval Air Station in Glenview and the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant. These awards recognize the hard work, innovative thinking, and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners, and developers to encourage restoration of federal sites for beneficial reuses. Cleaning up contaminated sites at federal facilities can serve as catalysts for economic growth and community revitalization.

"Expediting Superfund sites, including those owned by the federal government, through the entire remediation process is a top priority at EPA," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "These awards recognize the successes that occur when federal agencies work cooperatively with state and local partners to address and clean up sites in a thorough and timely manner that meets the needs of the surrounding communities."

"Congratulations to our partners in Illinois, Glenview and Joliet who worked long and hard to clean up and redevelop the Naval air station and the Army ammunition plant," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Cathy Stepp. "Both sites clearly demonstrate that when we reinvest in federal facilities, we can transform them into vital community assets."

Awards were provided in four categories: National Priorities List (NPL) Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites; NPL sites; non-NPL sites, and non-NPL BRAC sites.

Glenview Naval Air Station, Non-NPL BRAC award

After the air station closed, the village of Glenview and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency partnered to expedite the redevelopment of the 1,121-acre site. The BRAC cleanup team comprised the U.S. Navy, U.S. EPA, and Illinois EPA. The site remedy consisted of cleaning the property to residential-use standards, which provided the flexibility needed to implement the community's plan for mixed-use development. Projects envisioned for the site include a new Metra commuter station, over 2,200 residential units, 2 million square feet of office and retail space, over 400 acres of green space, a 165,000-square foot community center, a new post office, a police station, a fire station, a middle school and a public safety training academy.

Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, NPL award

The former ammunition plant has been transformed into multiple beneficial use areas for the community, including a veteran's cemetery, a business and transportation hub, and natural resource conservation areas. The public land space on this site is now the largest contiguous open space for bird habitat in northeastern Illinois and also serves as a habitat for several endangered species.

In addition to the Illinois awardees, EPA honored the former McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento County, California, and Tysons Valley Powder Farm in Missouri.

Under Administrator Pruitt's leadership, the Superfund program has reemerged as a top priority to advance the Agency's core mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA's Superfund Task Force is working to promote redevelopment and reuse of sites by encouraging investment in reuse outcomes. These sites serve as examples of the types of site investment that can occur at sites owned by federal facilities.

EPA's Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office has ongoing cleanup and property transfer responsibilities at 174 federal facility NPL sites across the country, which are some of the largest and most complex sites in the Superfund program.

For more information about EPA's National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards, please visit https://www.epa.gov/fedfac/2018-national-federal-facility-excellence-site-reuse-awards-1.

For more information about cleanups at federal facilities, please visit www.epa.gov/fedfac.

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For Immediate Release No. 18-OPA10

Federal Facilities in Glenview and Joliet Receive EPA's First Annual "National Excellence in Site Reuse" Awards

CHICAGO (May 2, 2018) --Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its first annual "National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse" awards to two Illinois sites: the Naval Air Station in Glenview and the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant. These awards recognize the hard work, innovative thinking, and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners, and developers to encourage restoration of federal sites for beneficial reuses. Cleaning up contaminated sites at federal facilities can serve as catalysts for economic growth and community revitalization.

"Expediting Superfund sites, including those owned by the federal government, through the entire remediation process is a top priority at EPA," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "These awards recognize the successes that occur when federal agencies work cooperatively with state and local partners to address and clean up sites in a thorough and timely manner that meets the needs of the surrounding communities."

"Congratulations to our partners in Illinois, Glenview and Joliet who worked long and hard to clean up and redevelop the Naval air station and the Army ammunition plant," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Cathy Stepp. "Both sites clearly demonstrate that when we reinvest in federal facilities, we can transform them into vital community assets."

Awards were provided in four categories: National Priorities List (NPL) Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites; NPL sites; non-NPL sites, and non-NPL BRAC sites.

Glenview Naval Air Station, Non-NPL BRAC award

After the air station closed, the village of Glenview and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency partnered to expedite the redevelopment of the 1,121-acre site. The BRAC cleanup team comprised the U.S. Navy, U.S. EPA, and Illinois EPA. The site remedy consisted of cleaning the property to residential-use standards, which provided the flexibility needed to implement the community's plan for mixed-use development. Projects envisioned for the site include a new Metra commuter station, over 2,200 residential units, 2 million square feet of office and retail space, over 400 acres of green space, a 165,000-square foot community center, a new post office, a police station, a fire station, a middle school and a public safety training academy.

Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, NPL award

The former ammunition plant has been transformed into multiple beneficial use areas for the community, including a veteran's cemetery, a business and transportation hub, and natural resource conservation areas. The public land space on this site is now the

largest contiguous open space for bird habitat in northeastern Illinois and also serves as a habitat for several endangered species.

In addition to the Illinois awardees, EPA honored the former McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento County, California, and Tysons Valley Powder Farm in Missouri.

Under Administrator Pruitt's leadership, the Superfund program has reemerged as a top priority to advance the Agency's core mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA's Superfund Task Force is working to promote redevelopment and reuse of sites by encouraging investment in reuse outcomes. These sites serve as examples of the types of site investment that can occur at sites owned by federal facilities.

EPA's Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office has ongoing cleanup and property transfer responsibilities at 174 federal facility NPL sites across the country, which are some of the largest and most complex sites in the Superfund program.

For more information about EPA's National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards, please visit https://www.epa.gov/fedfac/2018-national-federal-facility-excellence-site-reuse-awards-1.

For more information about cleanups at federal facilities, please visit www.epa.gov/fedfac.