[CPEO-MEF] Abeerdeen Community Press Event

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

[The following is a press event that took place last Friday reagarding 
issues of concern at Abeerdeen Proving Ground.  -Aimee]

PRESS EVENT

Community Press Conference: June 15, 2001  
When:   Friday, June 15, 2001 
Time:   9:30AM  
Where:  Citizens will meet at the Route 22 Entrance Gate leading to the 
Aberdeen Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County, Maryland
Contacts: Cal Baier-Anderson, University of Maryland, Baltimore
410 706-8196
Susan C. Rice, APGSCC 410 879-9560
Arlen Crabb, APGSCC & RAB 410 272-6817
Glenda Bowling, APGSCC 410 272-5925
Valerie H. Twanmoh, Friends of Harford 410 838-7333


Communities Near Aberdeen Proving Ground Seek Protection of Drinking 
Water Wells and Quality of Life From Joint-Use Proposal for Phillips 
Army Airfield That Threatens Perryman Wellfield Drinking Water Supply 
and Air Quality in Harford County.  


What:   Several Representatives of APGSCC and Friends of Harford will 
hold a Press Conference to Advocate the Protection of our communities' 
drinking water supply and quality of life now and in the future. APGSCC 
has worked with APG scientists for more than a decade to protect our 
drinking water resources and quality of life.  APGSCC TAG consultants 
from the University of Maryland, Baltimore have reviewed the Perryman 
Well Head Protection Plan that Harford County developed in 1997, which 
defines the contributing area and 
protection zones based on the time it takes for water to reach the 
wells.  Phillips Airfield lies within Zones 2 and 3. The data indicates 
that increased use of the Phillips Army Airfield jeopardizes the quality 
and quantity of Harford County's drinking water.  The increased use of 
the PAAF will contribute to the deterioration of air quality in Harford 
County.  The Aberdeen Area of APG contains extensive unexploded 
ordnance, chemical and 
radiological contamination making it unsuitable for civilian access. The 
Joint Use of the PAAF blurs the line between military and civilian 
property. 

IMPACTS OF CONTAMINATION AT APG ON 
ADJACENT COMMUNITIES

Aberdeen Proving Ground, an active military base located along the 
Western Shores of the Upper Chesapeake Bay in Harford and Baltimore 
Counties Maryland, is one of the Department of Defenses (DoD’s) largest 
technologically complex Superfund Sites. The following is a brief 
synopsis of some of the impacts that APG has had on adjacent 
communities.

HUMAN HEALTH
Groundwater Impacts on Harford County Public Drinking Water Supplies.  
Historic chemical and conventional weapons testing and related 
activities at APG have introduced solvents and explosives into the 
groundwater; which supplies the public with drinking water.  The 
Perryman Wellfield is the largest source of groundwater in Harford 
County, supplying drinking water to approximately 90,000 residents and 
businesses.  The City of Aberdeen public water supply wells provide 
approximately 15,000 residents and businesses with drinking water.

The Perryman Aquifer is one example of groundwater that is contaminated 
with solvents and explosives, which is being addressed by a pump and 
treat system.  APGSCC was instrumental urging the Army to allow APG to 
construct treatment systems for the contaminants in the Perryman 
Wellfield.

UXOs, Open Detonation and Range Fires. Information contained in Army 
reports indicate that APG is heavily contaminated with both conventional 
and chemical agent-filled unexploded ordnance, which pose a long-term 
risk and hazard to both the on-post and off-post communities (including 
both land and water areas).

The open detonation of conventional munitions continues at an alarming 
rate at APG.  APGSCC supports the use of containment chambers for 
detonation to reduce the release of toxic contaminants and particulate 
matter into the air and soil. The Army has yet to commit to put an end 
to open detonation.

According to Army documents, there are approximately 100 range fires 
each year.  Range fires release significant amounts of particulate 
matter into the air, as well as toxic contaminants. Air releases of 
toxic contaminants could have a widespread impact on Chesapeake Bay 
communities.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Rivers, creeks and streams receive contaminants from ranges and unlined 
landfills.  There is widespread chemical and radiological contamination 
throughout the base, which is very difficult to address on such a large 
scale. 

The unexploded ordnance release explosive contaminants and metals into 
the environment.  Currently there is very little information about the 
movement of explosive contaminants through the ecosystem, and this 
remains a significant concern.

BOATING COMMUNITY
APG has long used rivers and the Chesapeake Bay as bombing ranges. There 
are an estimated 20 million unexploded ordnance in the waters adjacent 
to APG.  Along some shorelines, unexploded ordnance were bulldozed into 
coastal dumps, which are now eroding into the water. These UXO pose a 
serious hazard to boaters and fishermen. 

FUTURE USE
APG is located on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay.  In the 
future we anticipate a growing demand for access to the property, both 
in the form of land transfers and joint land use agreements.  We have a 
major concern that the community believes that once a cleanup action 
takes place the land is “safe”.  This is not necessarily the case!  Even 
if contaminant hot spots are removed, and dumps are cleaned up, residual 
contamination from unexploded ordnance and the chemical warfare 
development and testing program will continue to haunt APG for a very 
long time, as the Army has no plans for comprehensive UXO removal.

The Future is NOW!
While APGSCC has always argued that there will be pressure in the future 
to open access to APG property, we are finding that the future is now: 
Harford County and the City of Aberdeen have submitted a proposal for 
the Joint Use of Phillips Army Airfield (PAAF) by civilian and military 
entities. APGSCC has serious concerns regarding this proposal for the 
following reasons:
1.  Increased use of PAAF jeopardizes the quality and quantity of 
Harford County’s drinking water
2.  Increased use of PAAF will contribute to the deterioration of air 
quality in Harford County
3.  APG contains unexploded ordnance, chemical and radiological 
contamination making it unsuitable for civilian access and 
4.  Joint Use blurs the line between military and civilian property.

Specifically, this proposal will authorize the expansion of air traffic 
into the Phillips Airfield, located in 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 in terms of water quality and 
quantity.  This is the same  aquifer described above that is 
contaminated with solvents and explosives from APG. 

APG and Harford County environmental studies show that Phillips Army 
Airfield is located within the contributing area of the Perryman 
Wellfield. The contributing area is the land surface within 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. Contamination resulting from 
increased activities at PAAF, such as jet fuel spills, solvents used in 
aircraft maintenance, and de-icers, can contaminate the groundwater, 
eventually reaching the drinking water production wells. The 
construction of impervious surfaces such as runways, parking lots and 
buildings, reduces recharge to the aquifer, decreasing water quantity.

The civilian use of PAAF also raises serious questions regarding 
required environmental cleanup on Department of Defense (DoD) ranges 
(DoD Directives for Closed, Transferred, and Transferring Ranges). Since 
PAAF is adjacent to active ranges, containing unexploded ordnance, 
chemical and radiological contamination, this raises the question 
whether this particular site can be made safe for civilian use.

Other concerns include the presence of the APG Pulse Reactor, a 
radiological waste storage facility, and unexploded ordnance, which pose 
significant safety challenges, and the large deer population, which 
increases the risk of accidents on the runways, and the potential 
difficulties that will be encountered should a plane crash land in UXO-, 
chemical- or radiological-contaminated areas.
 
REFERENCES AND DEFINITIONS
June 11, 2001

PHILLIPS ARMY AIRFIELD JOINT USE PROPOSAL: This proposal is for the 
joint land use of airfields at Aberdeen Proving Ground for a mixture of 
military and civilian uses.

THE PERRYMAN WELL HEAD PROTECTION PLAN (WHPP): Harford County developed 
in 1997, and yet to be adopted by the county, defines the contributing 
area and delineates protection zones based on the time it takes for 
water to reach the wells.   PAAF lies within Zones 2 and 3. 

PERRYMAN SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT REPORT: Competed by the Maryland 
Department of the Environment in October 2000, this report includes maps 
that show that the PAAF is located within Wellhead Protection Zones 2 
and 3.

WESTERN BOUNDARY STUDY AREA OPERABLE UNIT 1 ABERDEEN AREA, ABERDEEN 
PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND, RECORD OF DECISION, JULY 2000: Summarizes the 
history of contamination in the Perryman Wellfield resulting from 
activities at APG. 

PULSE REACTOR: A nuclear reactor 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.   

DEER POPULATION: The large deer population at APG 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 PAAF runway, resulting in significant damage to the plane. 

PRESENCE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL, UXO, CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION: APG has 
chemical and radiological contamination as well as unexploded ordnance 
(UXO).  In the event of an airplane crash on APG property, emergency 
response could be impeded if the crash occurs on land containing nuclear 
or chemical contamination or unexploded ordnance. 



ADDITIONAL ISSUES OF CONCERN:

ARMY MOVES TO NEGOTIATE AGREEMENT: PUBLIC EXCLUDED! Harford County began 
serious negotiations with APG in February of 2000. In October 2000, 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.  APGSCC is very disappointed that APG 
officials excluded the APG Restoration Advisory Board and APGSCC, 
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 PAAF SAFE FOR PUBLIC USE: HARDER (AND COSTLIER) THAN IT SOUNDS: 
The Remedial Investigation of contamination (under the EPA Superfund 
Program) at PAAF 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. It is 
irresponsible to discuss joint use of the PAAF 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!  
APGSCC is requesting that APG, Harford County, EPA and the FAA address 
our concerns prior to making a decision on joint use. 

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