Department of Defense (DoD) Program

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Introduction

To address the cleanup of federal facilities where releases of pollutants have occurred, the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) and nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCBs) partner with the Department of Defense (DoD) through the use of the Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement Cooperative Agreement (DSMOA CA). The DSMOA CA allows for the expeditious cleanup at military facilities while ensuring compliance with applicable State laws and regulations.

The Water Board manages the DoD Program on a statewide level and the RWQCBs provide regulatory oversight of cleanup at DoD facilities in their respective regions. RWQCB oversight activities include the following:

  • Participating in technical work groups with DoD and other state/federal/local environmental agencies to develop mitigation alternatives for contaminated sites.
  • Providing oversight for leaking underground storage tank cases.
  • Reviewing and commenting on technical reports/studies designed to develop remedial alternatives.
  • Achieving public outreach and education through participation in public meetings, e.g., Restoration Advisory Boards.
  • Ensuring that cleanup is progressing and that all activities comply with applicable and relative and appropriate requirements.

Applicable Regulation

The water boards' DoD Program functions within the legal framework of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund. The following regulations give the Water Board and the RWQCBs the authority to oversee the cleanup activities at polluted sites:

Additional Resources

Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP)
DERP is a program implemented to clean up active installations, installations subject to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), and formerly used defense sites (FUDS).

USEPA's Federal Facility Site Information
Access to specific DoD facility information.

Water Board Sites with Containment Zones

Other Related Links

Contacts

Databases

  • Geotracker is a map-based information database that provides online access to environmental data for sites, including DoD sites (open or closed) under the water boards' oversight.
  • Envirostor is a similar database for sites under the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) oversight.

Electronic Submittal of Information (ESI)

  • Electronic Submittal of Information (ESI)
    On January 1, 2005, the Water Board adopted regulations that require ESI of soil, vapor, and groundwater information for leaking underground storage tank (LUST) sites as well as non-UST cleanup sites, including Site Cleanup Program (SCP) sites, military sites (e.g., DoD sites), and land disposal sites.