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Summary:
On September 15, 2005, President Bush submitted a list of military installations recommended for a 2005 round of closures and realignments. Congress did not pass a joint resolution of disapproval to halt the 2005 round within the statutory 45-day time frame allotted for legislative review, permitting the Department of Defense (DOD) to implement the 2005 round. The planned closure of additional bases has stimulated interest among potentially affected communities in how these properties might be redeveloped to replace lost jobs. Environmental contamination can present a challenge to economic redevelopment, if funding or technological constraints would limit the degree of cleanup needed to make the land safe for its intended use. Most land on bases closed under past rounds has been cleaned up and transferred for redevelopment. However, some bases have yet to be cleaned up to an extent that would be adequate for the planned land use, presenting an obstacle to replacing lost jobs. Bases closed under the 2005 round could face similar delays in redevelopment, if a community's preferred land use would necessitate a costly and time-consuming degree of cleanup. This report provides an overview of cleanup requirements for the transfer and reuse of base closure properties, discusses the status of property transfer on bases closed under prior rounds, examines costs to clean up bases closed under these prior rounds, and discusses cleanup costs and issues for the 2005 round. It will be updated as events warrant.
