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Former Memphis Depot Wins a Secretary of Defense Environmental Award

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 10:06 CDT

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- John J. Young, Jr., under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, recognized the restoration program at the former Memphis depot as among the best in the Department of Defense on April 17. The depot will receive the Secretary of Defense's 2009 Environmental Restoration award for outstanding work by an installation in DoD environmental programs on June 3.

The Defense Distribution Center, headquartered at New Cumberland, Pa., has oversight of the depot and restoration program. For more than a decade, the DDC has offered a range of services including storage, distribution, customized kits and specialized packaging, transportation support and technology development supporting America's forces worldwide.

"Cleanup efforts at the former Memphis depot have always been aimed at protecting human health and the environment in a timely, cost efficient and responsive manner," said Michael Dobbs, chief, Environmental Safety and Occupational Health for the Defense Distribution Center. "As we work to complete the final stages of clean up, I can think of no better recognition as the site is transferred for community reuse."

Dobbs attributed the success of the cleanup efforts to the team involved in the restoration process. "This is a joint effort between the Defense Logistics Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, our environmental contractors and members of the community serving on the former depot's Restoration Advisory Board," said Dobbs.

The Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards program recognizes installations, teams and individuals each year for exceptional work in DoD environmental programs. In addition to environmental restoration, other categories include natural resources conservation, cultural resources management, environmental quality and pollution prevention.

Activated in 1941 as a supply depot, the U.S. Army operated the site until 1963 when the Defense Logistics Agency took over and operated the facility until it closed in September 1997. The depot was placed on the list of Department of Defense facilities to be closed under Base Realignment and Closure in 1995. Before it closed, the depot received, warehoused, and distributed supplies common to all U.S. military services and some civil agencies, including food, clothing, petroleum products and construction materials.

An environmental restoration program has been in place at the depot since the 1981 Installation Assessment. Since then, the Memphis depot has completed several additional environmental investigations including an initial Remedial Investigation in 1989 and 1990.

As part of its restoration program, DDC implemented innovative technologies, addressed cleanup issues between DoD and other entities and promoted significant accomplishments made by the Restoration Advisory Board.

A key component of the program's success is the use of thermally-enhanced soil vapor extraction, which removed more than 15,000 pounds of contaminants from the soils. In addition to meeting the established goals ahead of schedule, the process saved taxpayers more than $2.5 million.

Since 1998, 414 acres, or more than two thirds, of the former depot have been found environmentally suitable for transfer and returned to productive community reuse.

In 2008, the environmental restoration program made significant progress toward restoring the environment in order to transfer the remaining 228 acres for community reuse that will assist in revitalizing the surrounding community.

The Defense Distribution Center, which is a field activity of the Defense Logistics Agency, operates a global network of 25 distribution centers that employ approximately 8,000 people worldwide.

As a combat logistics organization, the Defense Logistics Agency is responsible for providing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services. These services include procuring and distributing more than five million consumable items, such as rations, medical supplies and equipment, clothing and textiles, repair parts for land, sea and air weapons systems and platforms, fuel and energy services. DLA employs 23,000 civilian and military employees, with Fiscal Year 2008 business revenues of $42 billion.

For more information about DLA, go to www.dla.mil.

SOURCE Defense Logistics Agency

Source: PR Newswire

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