U.S. EPA Honors Former McClellan Air Force Base With National Site Reuse Award

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Sept. 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented its first annual "National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse" award to the former McClellan Air Force Base, in Sacramento County, in recognition of exemplary work transforming the Superfund site into a successful business park. The 3,452-acre McClellan Business Park now supports more than 17,000 jobs and has generated $580 million in public and private investment.

"EPA is honored to present the National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award to the former McClellan Air Force Base," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. "This project is a successful demonstration of how public-private partnerships can serve as catalysts for economic growth and community revitalization."

EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker was joined at the award event by Congresswoman Doris Matsui; Air Force Assistant Secretary John Henderson; California Department of Toxic Substances Control Director Barbara Lee; Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna; and McClellan Business Park CEO Larry Kelley.

"This award celebrates hard work, innovative thinking, and cooperation among federal agencies, states, local partners and developers," said Hon. John Henderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy. "McClellan is an excellent example of what can happen when people pull together to accomplish a common goal. In this case, our goal was to restore and protect our environment while also providing the greater Sacramento area with continued economic growth. We are really proud of this entire team of teams."

The award, which EPA is giving to four federal sites nationwide, recognizes 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. 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. The McClellan site received the award in the NPL BRAC category.

EPA placed McClellan Air Force Base on the Superfund list in 1987. The 3,452-acre base was established in 1936 and operated as an Air Force Logistics Command Base until 2001. Identified contaminants within the base include solvents, metals, and other hazardous wastes from aircraft maintenance and other industrial activities.

In 2007, Sacramento County and the U.S. Air Force signed a landmark agreement that paved the way for rapid cleanup and early land transfer at the McClellan site. The agreement transferred contaminated land, funds, and authority to perform cleanup at the National Priorities List site. The combined efforts of the Base Realignment and Closure Cleanup Team, McClellan Business Park, Sacramento County, and the community have transformed the McClellan Air Force Base site into a corporate community that has brought jobs and additional economic growth to the region.

EPA has ongoing cleanup and property transfer responsibilities at 174 NPL sites across the country. Some of these sites are 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 on the McClellan Air Force Base superfund site, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/mcclellanafb

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