About Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO): Facing The Challenge
Some links on this page to Department of Defense (DoD) sites may not work while DoD's Denix site undergoes a server migration. We are working to fix this problem as soon as possible.
Our mission is to build partnerships that provide faster, more effective and less costly cleanup and reuse of federal facilities. Who we are, what we do, and how we do it: From nuclear weapons plants and military bases to landfills and fuel distribution stations, the U.S. government operates thousands of facilities across the country that promote the security and welfare of American citizens. Constant improvements in technology and national security now permit that many of these facilities be transformed for other beneficial uses. After years of vital service and operation, some of these facilities, however, contain environmental contamination, such as hazardous wastes, unexploded ordnance, radioactive wastes or other toxic substances. In fact, more than 57,000 federal sites are potentially contaminated—a challenge that will cost billions of dollars to address. To reduce the cost of cleanup and reuse of such sites, the EPA's Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) coordinates creative solutions that protect both human health and the environment. Such solutions restore facilities so they can once again serve an important role in the economy and welfare of local communities and our country. "To lead the Federal government in building partnerships to provide effective, efficient and timely cleanup and reuse of Federal facilities." To overcome the difficulties posed by contamination at federal facilities, FFRRO works with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE), and other federal entities to develop creative, cost-effective solutions to their environmental problems. FFRRO's overall mission is to facilitate faster, more effective and less costly cleanup and reuse of federal facilities. By focusing on partnering and public involvement, FFRRO, and its counterpart offices in the EPA Regions, have made great strides in improving federal facilities cleanup. FFRRO functions with the following specific goals in mind:
"The hallmarks to FFRRO's work — and the keys to its success — are partnering, innovation and community involvement." Policy development and implementation: Outreach and Training: Stakeholder Involvement: Learn more about stakeholder involvement. Interagency Coordination: Learn more about FFRRO's interagency coordination. FFRRO's work consists of two core components: the Superfund Federal Facilities Response program and the Base Realignment and Closure program. FFRRO works internally within EPA, as well as with DoD, DOE and other federal agencies to find protective, creative and cost-effective cleanup solutions. Under FFRRO, EPA provides technical and regulatory oversight at federal facilities on the National Priorities List (NPL) to ensure protection of human health, effective program implementation and meaningful public involvement. FFRRO approves other federal agencies' cleanup remedies. EPA's Federal Facilities Response program is growing. See EPA's FFRRO fiscal year fact sheet for more information (HTML) (PP, 98KB). FFRRO's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program develops policies, plans and programs to expedite the cleanup and reuse of closing military installations. Since 1993, EPA's BRAC program has worked with DoD, state environmental programs, local governments and communities to achieve the administration's goal of "making property environmentally acceptable for transfer, while protecting human health and the environment." For more information visit FFRRO's Program Components page. Relevant Statutory Authorities FFRRO redesigned the Compendium of Federal Facilities Cleanup Management Information (EPA Publication Number: 505-B-03-002) to assist you in learning about the background of the cleanup program. The compendium gives you easy access to selected documents, providing you with a better understanding of the issues and regulations related to the cleanup of federal facilities. Several federal statutes have established requirements for EPA and other federal agencies to protect human health and the environment, including:
|
|