March 28, 2024

Pax River Environmental Review Begins

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Every five years, Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary’s County is subject to review to ensure that it is effectively mitigating its environmental impact on the region. The latest environmental review is about to start.

The review is conducted by the Department of the Navy and the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 3, with help from the Maryland Department of the Environment. The review starts with existing Record of Decision documents and then scrutinizes the ongoing remedial environmental cleanup actions at Pax River. The five-year review is required by Section 121 of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act to ensure mitigation of the results of any hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remaining at a site at levels that do not allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure.

The review aims to ensure that these remedial actions are enough protection of human health and the environment. The Navy will submit draft findings of the five-year review to EPA and MDE in May 2018. The final report will be made public in December 2018.

The five-year review will include information on the following sites:

Site 1 Fishing Point Landfill and Site 12, Landfill Behind Rifle Range, Operable Unit (OU)-1, Site 6/6A, OU-1 – Bohneyard Site, Site 11 OU1 and OU-2- Former and Current Sanitary Landfills, Site 17, OU-1 – Pesticide Shop (Building 841), Site 31 – Tire Shop Building 307, and Site 39 – Waste Tetrachloroethene (PCE) Storage Area (Building 503).

Anyone in the community with questions, who would like more information about how effective the remedies are, or who wishes to help the review team can contact the Public Affairs Officer Patrick Gordon at 301- 757-3343

All of the relevant environmental documents are available for review at either of the following places:

  • Naval Air Station Patuxent River Library
    22269 Cedar Point Road, Building 407
    Patuxent River, MD 20629
    301-342-1927
    Hours: Monday through Thursday: 7:30 am to 4:30 pm
    Friday: 10 am to 2 pm
    Closed Saturday and Sunday
  • St. Mary’s County Public Library
    Lexington Park Branch
    21677 FDR Boulevard
    Lexington Park, MD 20653
    301-863-8188
    Hours: Monday through Thursday: 9 am to 8 pm
    Friday and Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm
    Closed Sunday

To learn more about Lexington Park, visit the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation’s Leader member page.

St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation

46940 South Shangri-La Drive, Suite 7

Lexington Park, MD 20653

301-863-7700

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