Bldg. 20055 remediation to begin Monday

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Holly Layer
  • 88 ABW Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Members of the 88th Air Base Wing's Environmental Management Division of Civil Engineering will begin work Monday to clean out residual solvent left in the soil beneath bldg. 20055 in Area B. 

Building 20055, which dates back to World War II, once housed the second human test centrifuge of the Aeromedical Research Laboratory, established in 1935. Later, it was converted to the clothing branch of the Aeromedical Laboratory in 1948, which included a small dry cleaning shop which serviced Air Force uniforms. In fact, measurements for Gen. Chuck Yeager's flight suit were found in the facility during investigative activities at the building between 2003-2004. 

The building hasn't been occupied since 2000, when the clothing branch closed.
During a routine excavation performed near the building by civil engineering, the presence of a solvent was found. 

"Unfortunately, as with so many other former dry cleaning facilities, some leakage of cleaning solvent occurred over the years," said Sherm Siegal, an environmental management division project manager. 

The Environmental Management Division assessed the soil and water around building 20055 to determine the level of contamination. 

Siegal said the dry cleaning solvent Perchloroethlyene (PCE) was found, which prompted the excavation of 326 tons of contaminated soil in June 2006. The soil was removed to a hazardous waste storage site in Michigan. 

Siegal said Environmental Management Division also addressed the potential for residual contamination to enter storm water by removing or replacing various sections of storm line around the building. 

While much of the contamination was removed during the excavation in 2006, residual solvent still exists under the building and the perimeter of the site. 

In order to eliminate the residual solvent, Siegal said an oxidizer will be injected into the ground. 

"Twenty-eight sampling holes have been drilled in and around the building to assess the level of contamination. Additional holes will allow the oxidizer to permeate the ground and assess the effectiveness of the oxidizer," Siegal said. 

Siegal said the oxidizer breaks down the solvent while still in the ground. He said because the material will target defined zones and will not travel any appreciable distance toward adjacent facilities, the procedure would not cause any safety concerns for anyone on the base. 

For more information, call 257-8591.