12 May 2010

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Soldiers weigh in on stress of repeated deployments
Yesterday, David Sommerstein reported on the latest press briefing from Major General James Terry, commander at Ft. Drum. The 10th Mountain Division's headquarters unit is training to take control of Kandahar region of Afghanistan, as most of Ft. Drum's soldiers are either in, returning from, or preparing to go to Afghanistan or Iraq.

Press Release- Fort Drum begins new phase of fuel point recovery

Fort Drum Public Works is launching the next phase of fuel recovery and mitigation of impacts to soil and groundwater at the Wheeler Sack Army Airfield Oasis Fuel Point.

In April 2006, it became apparent that a failed pressure valve allowed about 400,000 gallons of JP-8 fuel to seep into the ground. The fuel was contained to a three acre area approximately 45 feet below the surface.

Since the discovery, a dedicated recovery team has been working to minimize the impact of the leak. Efforts have been underway to address the impacts on the soil and groundwater beneath the site, while also ensuring repairs to the fueling system are complete.

Initial recovery efforts started in January 2007. Since then, roughly 78,000 gallons of JP-8 have been recovered and reused.

Simultaneous to that effort, key environmental consultants have been working to develop an innovative fuel recovery technology, known as Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation (SEAR) for the recovery efforts. SEAR uses common non-toxic, biodegradable chemicals to separate the fuel from the soil and incorporate sustainable green technologies into the remedial efforts. SEAR will begin implementation at the Oasis Fuel Point in the Summer of 2010, with 90 percent recovery achieved by June 2011.



Media is invited to speak with subject matter experts and to tour the Oasis Fuel Point, Wednesday, May 12 at 2 p.m. Interested media should be at the Media Operations Center on Rte 26 no later than 1:45 p.m.
 
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