TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 325th Fighter Wing began conducting landfill clean-up activities at the Sabre Landfill site February 2018 and is slated to conclude May 2018.
Site restoration actions will continue through August 2018, followed by several years of monitoring and maintenance.
The main goal for this activity is to remove waste and impacted soil at the site to allow unrestricted use of the area.
“Once this project is complete, a lot of this area will come back to its natural habitat and will provide more room for wildlife species and beneficial reuse,” said Joe McLernan, Air Force Civil Engineer Center remedial project manager.
During a risk assessment conducted for the site, it was determined there were no unacceptable risks associated with exposure to groundwater and limited human exposure risk to soils. Also, the removal of waste and impacted soil will eliminate risk and open the area for potential future missions, residents and native wildlife.
Disposal activities at this site began in 1956 and continued until 1962. The remains of the landfill consisted of general refuse and mess hall waste. At the conclusion of the remedial investigation, there were no records indicating disposal of industrial or hazardous waste.
“It’s important for people to realize that a lot happened back in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, and we are learning more about it,” McLernan said. “Now, we protect the environment so things like this don’t happen. We have to make sure the land here is safe and restore it back to its original condition as much as possible.”
Team Tyndall partnered with contractors to make this area benefit Tyndall and help sustain its resources.
“We are here to make the Earth and its various landscapes a better place,” said Joel Riley, an environmental scientist working on the project. “The support from Tyndall has allowed us help create and sustain a livable and healthier environment for base residents and the ecosystem.”
The Sabre Landfill is the first of three sites to be restored for beneficial reuse in 2018. Additional restoration sites are funded for cleanup through 2020, with more to come as investigations are completed.
More details of future efforts will be advertised as implementation nears. As the process begins and is conducted, the professionals of the AFCEC continue to be good stewards of the natural resources and environment found at Tyndall.