Background
On October 1, 2009, Hampton Roads’ first Joint Base was established, combining the former Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and the former Army Post of Fort Story into the “Joint Expeditionary Base (JEB) Little Creek-Fort Story.” The Department of the Navy (Navy) took over management of both properties and merged public meetings regarding the ongoing Environmental Restoration Program (ERP). Separate records are maintained for each property to ensure the integrity of ongoing efforts.
JEB Fort Story was established in 1914 after the Virginia General Assembly gave the land to the United States Government “to erect fortifications and for other military purposes.”
Today, JEB Fort Story covers nearly 1,400 acres, including sand dunes, beaches, cypress swamps, and maritime forest.
Environmental Restoration History
The Navy is committed to protecting the environment at JEB Fort Story. Environmental cleanup activities began in 1980. Initially overseen by the United States Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency, these efforts have been managed by the Navy under the Environmental Restoration Program since the transfer in 2009. This program is designed to address potential contamination from past military activities.
The Environmental Restoration Program operates under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), or the “Superfund” Act, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). This means the cleanup process follows strict federal and state regulations, as well as Navy guidelines, to ensure the safe handling and disposal of any hazardous substances that have been released to the environment.
As part of the Fiscal Year 2002 Defense Authorization Act, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense (DoD) develop a program to address military munitions. As a result, the Munitions Response Program (MRP) was developed. The Environmental Restoration Program therefore is divided into the Installation Restoration Program, to address contamination from hazardous substances and pollutants, and the MRP, to address military munitions. To manage the Environmental Restoration Program process, JEB Fort Story works in partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. While JEB Fort Story is not a CERCLA/Superfund Site, the JEB Fort Story Partnering Team follows the cleanup process used by the CERCLA program which is described below.
To identify and evaluate potential contamination, JEB Fort Story has conducted numerous facility-wide and site-specific studies and investigations to identify and assess potential threats to human health or the environment resulting from historical operations or waste management activities on the base, including the following types:
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality oversees these cleanup activities at JEB Fort Story, to make sure they are effective and protective of human health and the environment.