Military Waste Cleanup Project

The goal of the Military Waste Cleanup Project is to develop a unique approach to environmental assessment and restoration which empowers stakeholders to address major technical and environmental problems in their communities. Our process should improve existing cleanup programs by enhancing the involvement and interaction of citizen stakeholders and technical specialists, and helping them to educate each other. From our local and regional experience, we develop national resources that will help citizens and scientists to work together in similar efforts.

Institute for Science's Community Involvement Process for Military Restoration Efforts:

Scope and Vision
• hold preliminary meetings with academics and interested community

Secure Info Channels
• introduce ourselves as professors and scientists to establish connections
• build contacts and trust with the community, military, and regulators
• gather site information -- become a trusted resource to the community
• learn from active citizens, self-trained experts, and community leaders, the details of potential problems

Public Mediation Session
• hold mediated seminar with IRP staff, community members, and academics

Open Installation
• sponsor public site tour
• hold follow-up meeting on possible class projects

Involve Classes and Professors
• tap academic resources
• community, colleges and IRP team design hands-on educational projects
• apply discovery-science to technical problems
• find inconsistencies and problems through student data review and fieldwork

Public Meetings, Reports and Feedback
• use classwork to assist and improve IRP efforts
• provide independent technical review for the community
• encourage new scientists to serve community
• potential new scientific discoveries
• interesting situations ("discoveries") & violations of conventional engineering wisdom (e.g. sand conduit in clay)

Role in Public Involvement Strategy
• indextain trust of military and community
• insure democracy in RABs and wider public involvement

The Military Waste Cleanup Project currently works at Westover Air Reserve Base, and serves its Restoration Advisory Board. MilWaste Project pages for national efforts are historical and archival.