Comparing Cleanup Costs to Risks for Selected USAF Pump and Treat Remediation Systems. Elizabeth Maull, B. West, and T. Jasek, US Air Force, Brooks AFB, TX
Under current drinking water regulations, the US Environmental Protection Agency requires groundwater sites contaminated with TCE to be remediated to 5 parts per billion (ppb). Information was gathered on Air Force installation pump and treat systems to submit to the EPA’s Office of Drinking Water in support of a review and possible revision of the Drinking Water Standard for TCE to have the maximum contaminant level raised from 5 ppb to 50 ppb, or even 100 ppb.
As part of this study, it was found the USAF is operating eighty-six P&T systems at forty-nine of its installations. TCE is the predominant contaminant of concern; it is present at sixty-one, or 71%, of the P&T systems and more will be operating in the future. The operation of many of these cleanup systems is expected to continue for an additional 20-40 years. The restoration of these sites has the potential to cost the USAF, and thus the taxpayers, several billion dollars over the next decade.
An estimate was developed on the cost avoidance’s that could be achieved by changing the remediation goals and a comparison will be made between these cost avoidance’s and the increased health risk to the potentially exposed population.
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