Through the first half of 2008, the Army Corps of Engineers has continued its work on the two AU owned properties on Glenbrook Road (4835 and 4825). The Corps will now transition one of those two work crews to return to the AU campus to begin the next phase of work around the Public Safety Building.

Glenbrook Road

The "low probability" project has been underway at 4835 Glenbrook since fall 2007, and the majority of the test pits (71 out of 76) have been completed. The remaining five test pits yet to be done are located in a tight area between the south side of the house and a retaining wall shared with the adjacent property at 4825 Glenbrook; they will be completed later this year, in conjunction with similar work to be done on the adjacent property. The crew that has been working at 4835 Glenbrook will now shift its focus to main campus to begin the Corps' work around the Public Safety Building.

At 4825 Glenbrook, the Corps continues its work in "Pit 3" under the metal containment structure, which it has extended eastward, and they continue to find buried scattered munitions. All items have been safely handled and removed from the property in accordance with work plan guidelines. The Corps plans to finish this spot in mid-June and then extend the containment structure southward toward the adjacent property at 4801 Glenbrook and remove 19 previously identified anomalies. This work will continue through at least late summer, depending on if they find anything.

Public Safety Area

The work planned for around the Public Safety Building will include investigating two areas in the front of the building where buried anomalies have been identified; excavating and removing buried debris in the rear of the property; and sampling and removing contaminated soil and associated debris (if present) around the utility trench to the east of the building. The preliminary stages for this work began the week of June 9, with Army Corps contractors conducting site preparations, inspections, and moving some equipment into place; a fence will be erected at the rear of the building. The current plan is to begin digging activity in the front yard the week of June 23, and then transition to the back yard the week of July 7. This project will continue at least to the end of this year (2008).

The work plan for the Army Corps' return to around the Public Safety Building has been reviewed and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the D.C. Department of the Environment. It is considered a "low probability investigation," which means there is only a remote possibility that workers will encounter munitions or chemical warfare materiel. Because of this classification, normal business can be conducted around the site; nevertheless, we want those working in the vicinity to be aware of the work being done. We will provide updates as events warrant over the next few weeks.

If anyone has questions about the Army Corps activity, call 202-885-2020 and leave a message for a call back. Information on the current Army Corps operation is available on the AU site dedicated to the project www.american.edu/usace.

Updated:
June 13, 2008 9:59 AM