Congressman Panetta Announces $6.8 Million Grant for Fort Ord Reuse Authority Munitions Obligations

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) announced today that Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) has received a $6.8 million Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement (ESCA) grant amendment from the United States Army for munitions removal reporting and related long-term stewardship. The grant amendment will fund administrative and regulatory oversight costs for two years and Army post-transfer munitions obligations through 2028.

"FORA has been a national leader for successful base reuse. Under leadership by the FORA-ESCA team, the first phase of crucial munitions removal work was completed on-schedule," said Congressman Panetta. "This federal grant will not only allow for the continued monitoring, oversight, and response by the ESCA team, but give the public and community more access to land on the former Fort Ord."

In Spring 2005, the FORA Board became the first agency to undertake the Army's munitions obligations for 3,300 acres of historic Fort Ord land. After selecting a team of top munitions removal consultants, FORA entered negotiations with the Army to obtain an Army-funded ESCA for removal of remnant Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) at the former military base. FORA and the Army signed the initial ESCA in early 2007 at a cost of approximately $100 million.

"The ESCA Grant Amendment provides essential funds for regulatory oversight to ensure continued MEC review and FORA administrative costs to achieve project completion, relieves a significant vulnerability for local recovery programs, and provides for appropriate reporting. We appreciate Congressman Panetta's support and the FORA Board for their confidence in staff through this process," said Michael Houlemard, FORA's executive officer.

About the Fort Ord Reuse Authority Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement

Environmental Services Cooperative Agreements are Department of Defense grant mechanisms that provide funding to conduct remedial activities to Federal and State cleanup standards. ESCA grants can allow communities to combine and coordinate cleanup with redevelopment activities to achieve efficiencies. The Army, FORA, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Toxic Substances Control agreed to up-front funding terms that eliminated mobilization/demobilization delays and other uncertainties associated with annual Congressional funding.

Negotiations for the ESCA Grant Amendment began in December 2016 with the Army Base Realignment and Closure Headquarters (BRAC) and included briefings with FORA Board members in both Washington, D.C. and in Monterey. The initial formal negations for the grant amendment were attended by FORA Board chair Ralph Rubio last February. The negotiations culminated in a series of meetings on the scope of services and pricing of the ESCA Grant Amendment, verified by an Army Independent Government Cost Estimate.

The ESCA long-term obligations include: post-closure/transfer MEC Find Assessments (response to MEC discoveries, coordinating additional investigation and/or follow-up); long term management; MEC education and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) awareness training; State-required annual monitoring and reporting; Federally required five-year review reporting; and Land Use Control (LUC) Management. The LUC Management work requires coordinating MEC safety training and UXO Construction Support by qualified personnel for ground-disturbing activities on the ESCA property.