[CPEO-MEF] Joint use airfield questioned at APG

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[I asked the Aberdeen Proving Ground Superfund Citizens Coalition
(APGSCC) to submit this article, from its newsletter, because it
addresses a growing trend, the joint use of military facilities by both
the military and the surrounding community. In general, in such joint
ventures the local population doesn't have the same ability to formally
and democratically influence environmental decisions relating to land
use on the federal installation as it does on non-federal land. That was
the case in my community, at Moffett Field. - LS]


Expanded Activity at Airport Threatens Perryman Drinking Water:
Harford County Proposes Joint Use of Phillips Army Airfield

APGSCC has serious concerns regarding the joint use proposal for
Phillips Army Airfield (PAA) by Harford County, the City of Aberdeen and
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG).  This proposal will authorize the
expansion of air traffic into the Phillips Airfield, which is located in
the Western Boundary of the Aberdeen Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground. 
The increased air traffic, which will include specialized cargo and
corporate jets, has the potential to significantly impact the Perryman
Wellfield aquifer.  

It is vital that we protect our drinking water aquifers from further
contamination.  The Phillips Army Airfield is near both the Perryman
Wellfield and City of Aberdeen Wells. Increased activities associated
with airport expansion and airplane traffic and maintenance can impact
these drinking water supplies.

Additional concerns about the joint use proposal include risks due to
the presence of the Pulse Reactor (located within two miles of the PAA),
the difficulty of mounting an emergency response in the event of an
airplane crash on APG property, and the destruction of wildlife habitat.
  
The public use of PAA also raises serious questions regarding required
environmental cleanup on Department of Defense (DoD) ranges.
 
WHAT IS THE PHILLIPS AIRFIELD AUTHORITY (PAA)? 

The Phillips Airfield Authority (the Authority) is a public corporation
known as a Quasi-Governmental Agency. The Harford County Council enacted
a bill effective March 27, 2001, which permits the Joint Use Management
Board to negotiate with APG to acquire public use of PAA. 

The Authority will be charged with the management and operations of PAA
once a joint use agreement is reached, and will direct whatever needs to
be done to make PAA a viable airport. The Authority can borrow money
from the County (tax dollars) up front but must pay it back by selling
bonds. 

PROPOSED USES OF PAA

The airport, which is projected to cost the county $2-3 million a year,
will include the following upgrades and additions:
* 80-100 acres of leased land at the PAA site
* Runway upgrades
* 70,000 square feet of new hangar space for large aircraft maintenance
* 19,000 square feet of new hangar space for large corporate aircraft
* 4,500 square feet of new hangar space for smaller corporate aircraft
* Two new buildings for corporate functions
* Space for research and development or testing or manufacturing
business activities.

According to Harford County's Joint Use Proposal, sent to APG on
February 16, 2000, a minimum of 1000 flights per year will be needed for
economic viability. 

HOW CAN PAA AFFECT OUR DRINKING WATER?

Based on the Perryman Wellfield Well Head Protection Plan (WHPP),  which
was developed in 1997 but has not been adopted by the county, Phillips
Army Airfield is located within the contributing area of the Perryman
Wellfield, which is the largest source of groundwater in Harford County.
The "contributing area" is the land surface from which water will
eventually flow to the production wells.  The contributing area must be
protected because contaminants released here can move with the
groundwater to the production wells. 

The WHPP defines this contributing area and delineates protection zones
based on the time it takes for water to reach the wells.

Zone 1 defines the area in which a chemical contaminant entering the
groundwater will take three years or less to reach the production wells.
 Zone 2 represents 3-20 year travel times, and Zone 3 represents >20
year travel times.  Based on use of hazardous mobile chemicals,
industries can be classified as to risk to groundwater.  The WHPP
recommends that all high-risk industries be banned from all three
protection zones.  Medium-risk industries should be banned from Zone 1. 
The table provided in the WHPP does not classify airports with regards
to risk. 

Since PAA is already in existence, the WHPP would not shut it down even
if it were to be classified as "high-risk", however the WHPP would put
restrictions on its expansion.  For example, the WHPP recommends banning
the installation of new underground storage tanks (USTs) in all three
protection zones.  It is likely that airport expansion would require the
addition of new USTs for airplane fuel.  This would put the groundwater
at risk.  Moreover, large amounts of solvents, de-icers and other
chemicals commonly used in airplane maintenance could enter the groundwater.

PERRYMAN GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

This is not the first time that activity in this area has impacted our
drinking water. Past activities at APG have resulted in the
contamination of the Perryman wellfield, which supplies over 88,000
Harford County residents and businesses with water. Solvents were first
found in the groundwater in 1989 at the Army Fire Training Area, near
Phillips Army Airfield. This finding triggered a broad search for
groundwater contamination. In 1991, the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE)
was detected in two Harford County drinking water wells located within
the APG boundary. Explosive chemicals were also found in several
monitoring wells. As an interim solution, the Army funded the
construction of a small-scale water treatment plant to filter
contaminants from the groundwater pumped by the on-post County
production wells, and is in the process of relocating and expanding this
water treatment facility. 

The fact that the Perryman Well Field is already contaminated with TCE
and explosives from APG does not mean that additional contamination does
not matter! APGSCC believes the Proposed Joint Use/Expansion of the PAA
poses significant risks to our drinking water!

IMPERVIOUS SURFACES IMPACT DRINKING WATER QUANTITY

The WHPP indicates that drinking water quantity is extremely sensitive
to groundwater recharge - the percolation of rain and snow through the
soil, which replaces the groundwater that is consumed. The construction
of impervious surfaces, such as buildings, roads and parking lots,
retards groundwater recharge.  The proposed construction activities
could significantly increase the percentage of impervious surfaces in
the Perryman contributing area, which could, in turn, negatively impact
drinking water quantity.  The effects of construction on groundwater
recharge must be carefully evaluated.

The potential effects of PAA expansion and increased air traffic on the
Perryman Wellfield will be evaluated in an environmental assessment. 
APGSCC maintains that in order for this to be effective, this evaluation
must consider the recommendations outlined in the WHPP. We also urge the
County to adopt strong Wellhead Protection legislation as soon as
possible so that our drinking water will receive maximum protection.

PRESENCE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL, UXO AND CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION RAISE RISKS

The PAA is located near the APG Pulse Reactor, a nuclear facility that
contains radioactive materials.  An airplane accident involving the
Pulse Reactor could result in the release of radioactive contamination
into the surrounding air, water and soil.  

Additionally, the Aberdeen Area of APG has extensive chemical
contamination, as well as unexploded ordnance (UXO).  In the event of an
airplane crash on APG property, will APG’s emergency response units
respond?  How will the presence of nuclear or chemical contamination or
UXO affect the emergency response?  It is possible that the presence of
UXO and chemical contamination could hinder the ability of emergency
responders to perform a rescue.

The large deer population at APG also increases the risk of serious
airplane accidents during takeoff and landing. In fact, APG and EPA
sources acknowledge that in the recent past an airplane did hit a deer
on a PAA runway, resulting in significant damage to the plane. 

The deer population is kept in check by limited hunting near the PAA. 
If air traffic is to increase, it may be necessary to restrict hunting 
near the airfield.  If this is the case, then additional mitigating
measures will need to be assessed.  While fences are an option, we must
remember that they are not foolproof and must be visually inspected and
maintained at significant cost (which would be borne by Harford County).
It is likely that periodic sweeps of the runways will be needed even
with the installation of fences.

APGSCC believes it is extremely important that the Federal Aviation
Administration carefully review these issues to determine if the
presence of the pulse Reactor, UXO, chemical contamination or deer pose
an unacceptable risk to increased air traffic at the PAA.

WILDLIFE INJURY AND HABITAT DESTRUCTION LIKELY

According to APG Wildlife Managers, there is a large population of wood
ducks that congregate and roost to the southwest of the main airstrip. 
It is likely that the wood ducks would be disturbed by the increased air
traffic at PAA under a joint use plan.  Perhaps more importantly, the
large population of wood ducks would pose a risk to the airplanes, since
birds can get pulled into jet engines during takeoff and landing.  To
mitigate this risk, it may be necessary to remove the habitats that wood
ducks find attractive.  

Contaminants used in airplane maintenance can reach nearby streams and
wetlands via runoff.  These chemical contaminants, which include
solvents, jet fuel and de-icers, pose a risk to the ecosystem. 

It is our understanding that these issues will also be evaluated within
the context of an environmental assessment.  


PUBLIC EXCLUDED FROM JOINT USE DIALOGUE!

Almost a year ago, the Department of the Army authorized officials at
APG to investigate the feasibility of joint use of the Phillips Airfield
by Harford County, the City of Aberdeen and APG.  

We are very disappointed that APG officials excluded the APG Restoration
Advisory Board and APGSCC from this dialogue, considering our long
history of working with the Army. We have worked closely with APG for
more than a decade to develop a good and trustworthy working
relationship. This trust was breached when Harford County officials
began a dialogue with APG officials in the spring of 2000.   

MAKING PAA SAFE FOR PUBLIC USE: HARDER (AND COSTLIER) THAN IT SOUNDS

The Remedial Investigation of chemical contamination (under the EPA
Superfund Program) at the PAA has not been completed so we lack a
comprehensive understanding of the risks that may be present at this
site.  It is possible that chemical contamination and the presence of
unexploded ordnance could pose a significant risk to future site workers
involved in airport expansion. 

We believe that it is irresponsible to discuss joint use of the PAA
before we have a clear understanding of the risks associated with this
site! A commitment to joint use before we know the cleanup requirements
may saddle Harford County with an enormous financial burden as well as
legal liability! 

Although Harford County officials indicate that these safety and
environmental issues will be evaluated at a later date, APGSCC believes
that some of the issues outlined in this article are so serious that
they should be evaluated up front, before significant amounts of
taxpayer money are spent on this process. The more money that is spent,
the harder it will be for the County to back out of the deal, even if it
becomes evident that the proposal will result in significant risks to
our drinking water, construction workers or the environment.

Reprinted from the March 2001 issue of Coming Clean, a monthly
newsletter published by the Aberdeen Proving Ground Superfund Citizens
Coalition, advocates for the citizens of Harford, Baltimore, Cecil, Kent
Counties, and other areas of Maryland


-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org

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