Highlands Ranch, Colo., June 5, 2018 — The Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) Restoration Program in Southern California was recently awarded the 2018 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award, one of the highest honors by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in recognizing environmental stewardship. Arcadis, the primary contractor of the project, along with state regulatory agencies and other participating contractors, were acknowledged by VAFB as a major contributor to the success of the program.
The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) selected Arcadis in 2014 to conduct environmental restoration at 107 sites on the 150-square-mile base, part of a 10-year remediation project to maximize site closure and return of unencumbered land to support the DoD mission. This effort includes 14 groundwater plumes, 31 soil contaminated sites, 58 petroleum-impacted sites and four landfills, with the goal to achieve closure at over 90 percent of the sites and optimize remediation at the others. The company is using progressive cleanup technologies such as in-situ remediation and directed groundwater recirculation, along with risk assessment to achieve objectives.
“This award is a great testament to the quality of the people we have both on this team and throughout Arcadis. We are truly excited and honored to be recognized,” said Lynden Peters, market sector leader, Arcadis. “I have noted our team’s focus on both safety and performance at the site, and this is an impressive validation of the work they have done in conjunction with the Air Force team at the site.”
More than 175 Arcadis personnel in total have contributed to accelerating and completing site remediation ahead of schedule.
The Vandenberg project previously won the General Thomas D. White Environmental Award for best large restoration program.