Who/What/Why| Questions To Be Answered | How Is It Performed?| Components | Public Involvement | How Long Does It Take? | Formulating Conclusions | Receive A Copy | Questions?
What is a Five-Year Review (Review)?
The Review evaluates if environmental standards that affect the site have changed, whether the cleanup continues to be protective of public health and the environment and, if it can be expected to remain protective after completion of the project. The Arsenal successfully completed its first Review in 2000. The next Review occurs in 2005.
Why is a Review Conducted?
The Superfund law requires a review of cleanup actions every five years at sites where contamination remains (landfills, disposal basins, water treatment plants, etc.)
Who Conducts the Review?
Representatives from the U.S. Army (lead agency), Shell Oil Company, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Tri-County Health Department will work together to conduct the Review.
What are the Main Questions the Review Answers?
• Is the remedy functioning as intended by the decision document?
• Are the assumptions used at the time of the cleanup selection still valid?
• Has any other information come to light that could call into question the protectiveness of the cleanup program?
How Will the Review be Performed?
The Review will be performed in the same manner as the first Five-Year Review, successfully completed in 2000. The Review will be based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance. The analysis uses information from decision documents and operational data including project status (completed, in-progress, not yet begun) monitoring data, regulations, project designs and other documentation.
What are the Components of a Review?
There are six components to the Review process
1. Community involvement and notification
2. Document review
3. Data review and analysis
4. Site inspection
5. Interviews
6. Assessing the protectiveness of the cleanup program and identifying any changes that need to be made.
What is the Public Involvement Process?
As part of the process, the team is soliciting the public for its input on the following questions before the Review begins:
• What is your overall impression of the project?
• What effects have site operations had on the surrounding community?
• Are you aware of any community concerns regarding the site or its operation and administration?
• Are you aware of any events, incidents or activities at the site such as vandalism, trespassing, or emergency responses from local authorities?
• Do you feel well informed about the site’s activities and progress?
• Do you have any comments, suggestions or recommendations regarding the site’s management or operation?
The public can call the Arsenal’s Public Relations Office at 303-289-0250 or visit the Arsenal’s web site at www.rma.army.mil and click on the Five-Year Review link to provide written comments by April 30, 2005.
The public will be notified about the Review process through public notices in local newspapers, through the Arsenal’s Community Information Line – 303-289-0136, by posting the information on the web, notifying interested stakeholders and community groups, and sharing information in the Arsenal’s quarterly newsletter, Milestones.
A public meeting and comment period on the report’s draft findings will be held in Summer 2005. Notices about deadlines for comment periods and the public meeting date and location will be announced in local newspapers, on the Community Information Line and posted on the Arsenal’s web site. Information about the report, including how to obtain the final document, will be made available once the Review is complete.
How Long will the Review Take?
The team will begin evaluating the cleanup in April 2005 with a draft report ready for public review by August 2005. A public meeting will be held to discuss the draft document’s findings. Following the evaluation and response to public comments, the document will be finalized by the end of 2005 and sent to the Environmental Protection Agency for its concurrence on the protectiveness determination. Detailed timeline information is available on the Arsenal’s web site at www.rma.army.mil.
How does the Team Formulate its Conclusions?
The Review’s conclusions include:
• Identification of issues;
• Recommendations and follow-up actions; and
• A determination of whether the remedy is, or is expected to be, protective of public health and the environment.
These conclusions are reached through a technical assessment of the information collected during the document review, data collection, interviews, site inspection, and other activities.
Where Can I get a Copy of the First Review?
The 2000 Five-Year Review report findings are available on the Arsenal’s web site – www.rma.army.mil, click on the Five-Year Review link. The document also is available at the Arsenal’s Joint Administrative Records and Design Facility open Monday – Friday from noon – 4:00 p.m. or by appointment at (303)-289-0362.
Details on Public Imput click here
Who do I call if I have Questions?
• Rocky Mountain Arsenal Public Relations Office
Susan Ulrich, Public Relations Manager
303-289-0250
Community Information Line
303-289-0136
• Environmental Protection Agency
Catherine Roberts, Community Involvement Coordinator
303-312-6025
Details on Public Imput click here