McCLELLAN, CA—Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week gave his approval to the largest property transfer to date at the former McClellan Air Force Base near Sacramento, Ca. With the Governor’s signature in place, the Air Force anticipates transferring approximately 560 acres, including a variety of industrial facilities, office buildings, a hotel and housing to McClellan Business Park in early summer.

This property is being transferred using an innovative and complex multi-agency agreement referred to as an “early transfer with privatized cleanup". The agreement relies on three key provisions: 1) a negotiated cost agreement stipulating how much the Air Force will pay to Sacramento County and its developer, McClellan Business Park, to conduct the remaining environmental cleanup; 2) a Federal Facility Agreement Amendment stating that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, rather than the Air Force, will assume the lead role of determining remaining cleanup decisions for the property; and 3) an Administrative Order on Consent providing for regulatory oversight of the investigation and cleanup of contamination.

“This is a major milestone for the cleanup and redevelopment of McClellan,” said Phil Mook, senior representative for the Air Force Real Property Agency. “The main goal for everyone involved is to protect human health and the environment, while facilitating redevelopment and reuse.”

“The County is pleased with this land transfer package. We’re eager to move forward with the next phase, which is cleanup and redevelopment of the property,” said Rob Leonard, Director of Economic Development for Sacramento County. The 560 acres, scattered across the base, have some contamination still to be remediated including fuels, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from old electrical equipment, radium and solvents. These were from past industrial practices while the base served as a supply and repair depot from 1936 until it closed in 2001. In 1987, the 3,000-acre installation was added to the U.S. EPA’s National Priorities List, due to contaminants in the soil and groundwater.

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Website: www.safie.hq.af.mil/afrpa
Air Force Real Property Agency