NETTS Program - Former Wurtsmith AFB, MI

ER-864

Objective

The Tri-Service and EPA test locations of the SERDP National Environmental Technology Test Site (NETTS) program were comprised of a network of well-characterized demonstration sites at DoD installations. The goal of this SERDP-funded program was to provide accessible, well-supported field locations for project proof-of-principle tests, applied research, and comparative demonstrations, as well as to facilitate transfer of innovative environmental technologies from research to full-scale use. The SERDP NETTS program was created primarily for DoD, DOE, and EPA users, but the locations also were available to other agencies and the private sector.

The National Center for Integrated Bioremediation Research and Development (NCIBRD) located at the former Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda, Michigan, was supported in part by SERDP funding through the U.S. EPA. Wurtsmith AFB is a former Strategic Air Command B-52 base. It is under the authority of the U.S. Air Force Base Conversion Agency, which has responsibility for the cleanup and conversion to civilian use of more than 50 contaminated sites and associated properties. The objective of this NETTS location was to support field evaluations of site characterization and in situ bioremediation technologies for hydrocarbon fuels and chlorinated solvent contamination.

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Technical Approach

Numerous sites on base were available for evaluating in situ characterization and cleanup technologies. The location maintained a controlled release facility, Michigan Integrated Remediation Technology Laboratory (MIRTL), in which natural and controlled gradient in situ groundwater experiments could be conducted. Controlled releases of dissolved fuel contaminants and various tracers were conducted in the two test lanes. The facility also maintained monitoring networks at specific sites on a quarterly basis, a network of water level recorders base-wide, as well as a relational database which prospective collaborators and demonstrators could use to view historical data.

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Results

This NETTS location supported field evaluations of site characterization and in situ bioremediation technologies for hydrocarbon fuels and chlorinated solvent contamination. The below table provides a list of some of the demonstrations hosted at the former Wurtsmith AFB.

TITLE PERFORMER
Understanding and Modeling Hydrobiogeochemical Processes that Control Groundwater Redox Zonation USGS
Anaerobic Reaction Zone Formation for In-Situ Reductive
Bioremediation of Chloroethenes Using Electrode Potentials 		USEPA
DNA Fingerprinting of Genetic Diversity USEPA
Cost-Effective Monitoring Design for Intrinsic Bioremediation Univ. of Illinois
Lipid and Nucleic Acid Signature Biomarker Analysis in Support of Pollution Remediation Univ. of
Michigan
Chemical Oxidation and Enhanced Bioremediation of Motor
Fuel/MTBE Mixtures 		Univ. of
Tennessee

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Benefits

The NETTS program established test locations at federal facilities for hosting government and private organizations to rigorously test and evaluate new environmental characterization and remediation technologies. The demonstration program at each location was designed to obtain realistic environmental and economic information that may transfer nationwide to support the adoption and use of more cost-effective and high-performance technologies. (Completed – 2007)

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Points of Contact

Principal Investigator

Dr. Michael Barcelona

University of Michigan

Phone: 313-763-6512

Fax: 313-763-6513

Program Manager

Environmental Restoration

SERDP and ESTCP

Document Types

  • Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
  • Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
  • Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
  • Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
  • Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
  • Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
  • Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
  • Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
  • Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.