Elmendorf Air Force Base sits on roughly 13,000 to 13,455 acres near Anchorage, Alaska, adjacent to the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet. Industrial and airfield operations dating to the mid-1940s left soil and groundwater contaminated with hazardous chemicals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1990, and the U.S. Air Force signed a federal facilities agreement with EPA and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in 1991 to guide cleanup.
Contaminants of concern span a wide range of chemical families. Chlorinated solvents include trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and various dichloroethanes. Petroleum products such as benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene are present, along with heavy metals including arsenic, lead, mercury, and manganese. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PCBs, vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) round out the list. These contaminants have been found in groundwater, soil, surface water, sediment, and soil gas across landfills, underground storage tanks, fire training areas, and fuel spill sites.
The site is divided into 16 operable units targeting specific problem areas. Remedy construction began in 1995. Actions completed or underway include soil excavation, air stripping, bioremediation, high-vacuum extraction, bioventing, a constructed wetland treatment cell, monitored natural attenuation, and removal of underground storage tanks. Several earlier operable units finished remedial action in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Others remain active. Operable Unit 4 has a feasibility study estimated to finish between December 2026 and February 2027, with remedial design and action extending through mid-2028. Operable Unit 10 is expected to reach a Record of Decision between March and May 2028. Operable Units 12, 13, and portions of Units 14, 15, and 16 are still in remedial investigation stages. The most recent five-year review was completed on June 27, 2024. Construction is not complete sitewide, and human exposure and groundwater migration status both carry an insufficient data finding, meaning EPA cannot yet confirm that exposures or plume migration are fully controlled.
Community members can get involved in several ways. Contacting Community Engagement at 673d Air Base Wing Public Affairs at 10480 Sijan Ave, Suite 123, JBER, AK 99506, or emailing jber.pa@us.af.mil, allows residents to be added to the environmental distribution list. The Community Involvement Plan and supporting documents are available at the Alaska Resources Library and Information Services at the University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508. The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Environmental Restoration website offers access to the Community Environmental Board, past meeting minutes, and presentations. EPA's Remedial Project Manager and Community Involvement Coordinator can also direct the public to additional records.
