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Military Workgroup

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Military Workgroup

Mission

To facilitate communications and coordination between Department of Defense, Michigan Army National Guard (MIARNG), Michigan Air National Guard (MIANG), Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, State of Michigan Regulatory Agencies, and local environmental and health agencies regarding on-going environmental conditions and actions at active military sites throughout the state; and support community engagement activities as requested.
 

Contact

Jonathan W. Edgerly
517-481-7630 / 517-599-5644 (c)
Environmental Manager

Michigan Army National Guard

Recent Accomplishments

This workgroup supports the Michigan National Guard’s (MING’s) continuing commitment to maintain open and cooperative communication with state and local partners, through dialogue during group-wide teleconference meetings and also on a frequent basis between members of subgroups directly involved in specific MING projects. Other accomplishments include:

  • Coordinated with state and local partners to sample private wells near the Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF); worked with the local health departments to communicate and explain the resulting data to homeowners.
  • Coordinated with state and local partners to present a remote briefing by telephone for the residents of Grayling that are eligible for whole home filtration systems.
  • Conducted a Short-Term Storm Water Characterization Study at the Grand Ledge AASF.

Next Steps

  • The Workgroup lead will schedule ongoing Workgroup meetings.
  • The Workgroup will continue to share relevant investigation reports at military sites. 

Reports

Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) investigation reports are prepared for each MING location after each step in the CERCLA process. The reports are provided to state environmental agencies and are available for the public to review. View a flowchart of the CERCLA process.

Below are the Michigan National Guard Sites currently participating in the CERCLA process.

MI Army National Guard

  • Belmont Armory
  • Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center
  • Fort Custer Training Center
  • Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility
  • Lansing Hangar

MI Air National Guard

  • Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center
  • Battle Creek Air National Guard Base- 110th Wing
  • Selfridge Air National Guard Base- 127th Wing

Timeline of Accomplishments

In 2019 the Military Installations Workgroup:

  • Participated in teleconference calls to provide state and local partners with updates on the status of investigation activities currently taking place at the MING PFAS sites and plans for future site work.
  • Established the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) for the Camp Grayling site.  This process involved extensive cooperation and coordination with state and local partners at EGLE, Gaylord District Office, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)’s toxicology group, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and the local health department.  As of the end of 2019, several RAB meetings have been held and operating procedures and guidelines were developed.
  • Coordinated with state and local partners to sample private wells near the Camp Grayling Maneuver Area Training Equipment Sites (MATES) facility, working with the local health department to communicate and explain the resulting data to homeowners.
  • Coordinated with state and local partners to provide bottled water to residents whose wells exceeded criteria near the Grayling Army Airfield.
  • Had open discussions with EGLE regarding the occurrence of, and potential/possible response actions for foam on Lake Margrethe.
  • Implemented effective coordination, preplanning, and execution of multiple public meetings in Grayling.
  • Worked closely with EGLE to coordinate ongoing Site Investigation (SI) and Remedial Investigation (RI) activities that are being conducted simultaneously by EGLE and the Michigan Army National Guard (MIARNG) at Camp Grayling.  The MIARNG authorized and coordinated EGLE access to Camp Grayling on-post locations as requested by EGLE.
  • At the Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF), a Preliminary Assessment (PA) was finalized; SI contracting, and planning were completed; and SI Phase 1 was completed.  As of the end of 2019, Phase 2 of the SI began.
  • Maintained open dialogue with regulators who manage the district in which the Grand Ledge AASF resides, regarding SI results and necessary next steps.
  • Coordinated and obtained consensus for the initiation of the Plumestop Pilot Study initiated in the fall of 2018 at the Grayling Army Airfield, to demonstrate in-situ treatment of PFAS in groundwater.
  • Completed permitting, startup, and normal operation of the full-scale Granulated Activated Filter system at Belmont Armory.  Began standard operation, including monitoring and maintenance.
  • At the Fort Custer Training Center, completed the PA and began developing the PA report.  SI currently in initial stages of field work.
  • At the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, the PA, SI, and additional SI for the proposed new aircraft hangar was completed. Final SI report issued March 2018
  • At the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base 110th Wing, completed the PA and SI.  Awaiting RI investigation contract award, which is expected fourth quarter 2020. Field work for RI expected to begin within one year of contract award.
  • At the Selfridge Air National Guard Base 127th Wing: 
    • SI Report was submitted to EGLE.
    • Awaiting NGB funding to move forward with next steps, RI.
    • Final Short-Term Storm Water Characterization Study (STSWCS) Plan was submitted to EGLE and STSWCS field activities were completed.
    • Draft Final STSWCS Report was submitted to EGLE.
    • Final Storm Water PFAS Study (SWPS) Quality Assurance Project Plan was submitted to EGLE.
    • SWPS field activities are ongoing.  SWPS results received were submitted to EGLE.  Ongoing monitoring of Selfridge Air National Guard Base’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitted outfalls will be conducted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

Commonly known as Superfund, CERCLA was enacted by Congress in 1980.  It is called “Superfund” because the law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries, thus creating a large pot of money (a super fund) that the EPA could draw from to clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and emergency releases.

How is CERCLA relevant to military sites?

  • Department of Defense (DoD) generally follows the CERCLA process when investigating and addressing potential contamination at active Army National Guard facilities.
  • National Guard Bureau (NGB), Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE), and the Michigan National Guard (MING) participate in this process.

CERCLA involves a step-wise process:

  • to determine if a facility is the location of an environmental release of a pollutant, and if so,
  • to what extent and
  • how should the release be addressed.

After each step, a report is prepared and provided to the State environmental agencies and is available for the Public to review.  A detailed description of CERCLA and the steps involved in the process can be found on the U.S. EPA's Superfund Site Assessment Process webpage.