The Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) team, comprising personnel from the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington and the Marine Corps Base Quantico (MCBQ) Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Office, has won a 2024 Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Environmental Award. This accolade acknowledges the team's effective cleanup and development of the Lunga Recreation Area near Quantico, Virginia.
Concerns over munitions and explosives remnants from former artillery and mortar range activities led to the closure of this area, covering 685 acres of land and water, to the public in 2012. Since the area's closure, the Navy and MCBQ ERP team have conducted nine major investigations and removal actions — eight through the ERP and one through the Operational Range Clearance (ORC) program. These efforts resulted in the recovery of 590 munitions items and the removal of over 20 tons of munitions debris.
Dylan Lane, coordinator of the Installation Restoration Program and Munitions Response Program at the MCBQ Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Branch, praised the collaborative effort with NAVFAC. "The continued diligence and flexibility of NAVFAC in supporting the MCBQ mission have been instrumental in our success," Lane said. He emphasized that the restoration efforts would not have been possible without the NAVFAC team's constant attention to detail and dedication.
Victoria Waranoski, NAVFAC Washington's Environmental Restoration manager, highlighted the project's success, noting, "This cleanup effort allowed approximately 435 acres — 98 acres on land and 377 acres of the Lunga Reservoir — to be reopened for recreational use." The area welcomed back visitors on May 26, 2023, following years of thorough munitions investigation and cleanup efforts.
To ensure the safety of recreational users and minimize closure time, an innovative Interim Land Use Control (LUC) plan was implemented at MCBQ. The LUC plan includes engineering controls such as fencing and signage, along with institutional controls like safety brochures for visitors, munitions safety awareness training for staff, and the integration of required controls into the Navy and Marine Corps management systems.
Despite administrative and technical challenges, the project succeeded through effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and innovative strategies. The Lunga Advisory Council, a multidisciplinary stakeholder group, was pivotal in managing expectations during the planning and preparation phase.
"We've utilized several manual and geophysical technologies over the years to clean up Lunga," Waranoski explained. "We employed Digital Geophysical Mapping and Advanced Geophysical Classification (AGC) to understand the magnitude of munitions contamination and guide removal actions." This approach, recognized by the FY22 Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 Navy Environmental Restoration Program Best Innovation award, is now considered the industry standard for such investigations.
Waranoski added, "The accomplishment and the SECNAV recognition illustrate the importance of combining science, strategy and creativity in environmental engineering projects for the Navy." She stressed the importance of collaboration and continuous learning within and outside the environmental sector.
Lane concluded by acknowledging the collective efforts of past and present MCBQ and NAVFAC personnel, whose contributions have led to significant progress in cleaning up and closing sites efficiently and sustainably.
The ERP is a Department of the Navy (DON) initiative aimed at identifying, investigating, and remediating historical contamination from chemicals and munitions at former waste disposal sites on military properties, thereby reducing risks to human health and the environment. The DON ERP continues to make significant progress toward cleaning up and closing sites in an efficient, effective, and sustainable manner.