ORA Phase I assessments have been completed for all locations, determining the potential for MC to be transported off-range and determining if people or the environment in the areas surrounding the range could come in contact with MC.
During ORA Phase I, the Army assessed:
- Type, amount and location of munitions use. The Army used this information to determine where MC may be located and what kind of MC is most prevalent.
- Location of streams or groundwater sources that can move the MC from ranges to surrounding areas.
- What people or environment in areas around the ranges rely on streams or groundwater sources that could potentially contain MC.
If assessment results indicate there is no danger, no further action is required beyond an ORA Periodic Review (conducted on a five-year basis). If the Phase I assessment indicated further investigation was necessary, the Army sampled the streams and rivers and/or groundwater resources to determine if MC are being transported to off-range areas. This sampling effort is identified as ORA Phase II.
When sampling data shows people or the environment around the installation could be exposed to MC, the Army performs mitigation to eliminate that exposure. This mitigation will be part of the Army’s environmental cleanup program, funded through the Defense Environmental Restoration Program. Regulators and people around the installation will be invited to provide input during the cleanup process.
During ORA Phase II, the Army assessed:
- Surface water bodies (e.g., streams, lakes) and groundwater to determine if humans or ecological receptors outside off-range areas were being exposed to MC.
- Stream sediment when the Army sampled surface water.
- Overall health of the stream to determine if MC exposure was damaging the stream’s ecosystem.
The Army used methods accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency and/or other regulatory agencies for all sampling. Sampling results were analyzed to ensure no humans or ecological receptors were exposed to MC at harmful levels. If sampling results indicate there is no danger, no further action is required beyond an ORA periodic review. If sampling data shows people or the environment were exposed to substances that pose a threat, the Army will conduct mitigation to eliminate that exposure off range through the cleanup program, and address migration through internal Army range management efforts.
During ORA Periodic Reviews, the Army assessed:
- Any new information and data, including changes to populations;
- Environmental changes; and
- Range use changes, to ensure its conclusions were still valid.
If conditions and assumptions remained valid, identifying no danger, no further action is required beyond continued periodic review. If conditions changed or original conclusion was no longer valid, further investigation is conducted, that may include additional environmental sampling.