Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency say they are close to making a decision on the disposal method of eradicating millions of pounds of M6 propellant at Camp Minden.
David Gray, director, external affairs at EPA Region 6 in Dallas, says they are making progress on their review.
“We are making good progress on our technical review of the recommendation from (the Louisiana Military Department) and are very close to issuing our response to the state,” he said. “I know everyone is eager for us to complete our work. Thanks for your patience – which I know has to be wearing thin.”
He says the EPA will likely schedule a community meeting to walk everyone through the state’s recommendation, their review and answer questions as well as discuss the next steps.
The sampling plan for background environmental monitoring and sampling has been completed and is now up on the EPA’s website, Gray says. Field work will begin as early as next week.
The Community Advisory Group will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, May 11 in the Family Life Center at First Baptist Church in Doyline. Jason McKinney, the EPA’s community involvement coordinator and an on-scene coordinator will attend the meeting and “begin transitioning the flow of information sharing,” Gray said.
The Camp Minden Dialogue Committee was formed earlier this year to offer alternative methods for disposal of the nearly 16 million pounds of M6 propellant and clean burning igniters at Camp Minden. It offered six alternate technologies to the open tray burn method of disposal, which was the original decision made.
Since then, a review committee was formed to look at and study 10 bids, which were for alternative methods of disposal.