Former McClellan Air Force Base Wins “National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse” Award

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Base Realignment and Closure division won the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first annual National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse award in the National Priorities List-BRAC category for its efforts at the former McClellan Air Force Base, May 2, 2018.

The award recognizes hard work, innovative thinking, and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners and developers to encourage the restoration of federal sites for beneficial reuses.

AFCEC’s partners on the award-winning team includes members from McClellan Business Park, Sacramento County, EPA Region 9, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and the McClellan Restoration Advisory Board. All of which have worked on base’s closure and redevelopment since its closure in 2001.

The EPA’s award citation noted the unique partnership between the Air Force and the community to facilitate the rapid cleanup and reuse.

“Sacramento County and the U.S. Air Force signed the first agreement of its kind that allowed for rapid cleanup and early land transfer at the McClellan site,” the citation read. “The agreement transferred contaminated land, funds, and authority to perform cleanup at the NPL site. The combined efforts of the BRAC 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.”

The environmental restoration program there was one of the largest in the Air Force with a total of 325 sites requiring investigation. The majority of these needing some type of treatment, such as groundwater remediation, soil vapor extraction or protective capping. In 1987, the US EPA placed the entire base on its National Priorities List.

These restoration actions are nearing completion with 14 Records of Decision in place governing the cleanup activities at each site and 86 percent of total acreage of the base transferred to the local community. It is anticipated that all but 200 of McClellan’s 3,458 acres will be transferred before the end of this year.

Today, the transferred acreage is named McClellan Business Park, which houses 230 companies employing more than 15,000 personnel, a fully-operational airport, a commercial hotel, a fitness facility, a rail system, offices, industrial facilities, as well as retail and dormitory establishments. The 3,000 acres come with 8.5 million square feet of buildings and 500 acres of developable land and is fully entitled for over 16 million square feet of commercial, retail, office and residential buildings.

“Congratulations to the whole McClellan and Air Force BRAC team. This award reflects very well on each of you and our Air Force,” said Mr. Robert Moriarty, Director of AFCEC's Installations directorate, which oversees the BRAC program. “Although the Air Force has departed from this community, we have remained committed to doing the right thing by taking care of environmental issues and making sure we transfer a safe and sound legacy for years to come.”

McClellan Park Wins “National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse” Award

Former McClellan Air Force Base Wins “National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse” Award

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