American University is committed to keeping our community informed on the status of the remediation efforts being performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) within the boundaries of the Spring Valley Formerly Used Defense Site (SVFUDS) and, specifically, work that involves AU property.

Recently, the responsibility to represent AU’s interests and liaison with USACE was transferred to the Office of Risk Management. I work closely and collaboratively with the USACE project leaders, represent AU at monthly SVFUDS project meetings, and receive regular project updates. The primary concern throughout this process remains the health and safety of our community.

Since many community members may not be familiar with the SVFUDS project, the following is a brief history:

Project History

The project history goes back to 1917-1918, when over 661 acres in northwest Washington, including the AU campus, were used by the U.S. government and the U.S. Army to support the war effort as a site to develop and test chemical agents, weapons, and munitions. At that time, this area was called the American University Experimental Station (AUES). In the early 1990s, in an adjacent Spring Valley neighborhood, the discovery of materials left over from that research and testing resulted in the USACE returning to the area to conduct extensive environmental testing and cleanup operations. The USACE has been sampling, testing, and when necessary, removing and replacing soil throughout the Spring Valley area, to include our campus, as part of the SVFUDS project. 

Over the past 25 years, AU has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and their partners from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the D.C. Department of Health; the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, and others to address these issues in a public process designed to ensure the health and safety of our campus and the surrounding community. 

Project Update

Currently, there are two locations where USACE is conducting remediation efforts. One is an off-campus residential property and an adjacent lot owned by AU at 4825 and 4835 Glenbrook Road. The other location is on the south side of campus where the former Public Safety Building once stood.

Glenbrook Road

Testing and remediation processes by the USACE and its regulatory partners are continuing at the Glenbrook Road properties. During testing and remediation, the properties are under the supervision and control of USACE and not available for University activities. Once the current testing phase is concluded, AU and USACE will confer on next steps for the properties.

Former Public Safety Building

The former Public Safety Building, which stood on the south side of campus near Fletcher Gate, was demolished in 2017 when University Safety and Security Services were relocated to the Don Meyers Technology and Innovation Building. Previous USACE activities in this area confirmed the presence of some AUES related glassware and contaminated soil. With the building removed from the site, USACE will test the underlying soil, and then proceed to remove and replace it, if necessary. Once the testing and any subsequent remediation efforts are completed, that location will be turned into green space for use by the AU community.

Conclusion

The university keeps our community informed about USACE on-campus activities through a website (https://www.american.edu/usace/) that contains a series of memos, fact sheets, and links to other informative websites.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via Email with specific questions about the USACE SVFUDS project at AU.