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UPDATE - Aug. 13, 2010
The final cleanup plan for munitions and explosives at Camp Bonneville is now available on the Washington Department of Ecology's website for the Camp Bonneville cleanup.
Ecology developed the plan with Clark County’s input. The plan covers the area where munitions and explosives could be found, as well as the portion designated for future county park development.
Recent news
In July 2010, Clark County took possession of Camp Bonneville under a rent-free lease that gives the county a year to negotiate a new funding agreement with the U.S. Army to continue clearing munitions of explosive concern and other contamination.
The Board of County Commissioners approved a settlement agreement with Bonneville Conservation, Restoration and Renewal Team (BCRRT), Michael Baker Jr. Inc. and MKM Engineers Inc. The county hired BCRRT and the two subcontractors in 2006 to clean up the former training post.
With a new Army funding agreement, Clark County would accept ownership of the site and use federal dollars to pay BCRRT and its subcontractors for work completed to date. The county also would hire a contractor to continue the cleanup.
If no agreement is reached by July 13, 2011, the county would not accept ownership of Camp Bonneville and the current contractors would not be released from their 2006 agreements.
Since the beginning, the county has worked to make sure Camp Bonneville is adequately cleaned so it can be safely enjoyed by county residents and that the Army pays for the cleanup without shifting costs to local taxpayers.
Background on Camp Bonneville and cleanup
Camp Bonneville is located in southeastern Clark County, Washington, about 12 miles east of Vancouver and seven miles north of the Columbia River. It was established in 1909 as a drill field and rifle range for Vancouver Barracks and has been used primarily as a training camp for various branches of the military. The property is largely undeveloped; more than half of its six square miles is forested.
Since the U.S. Army closed Camp Bonneville in 1995, the 3,840-acre property has captured the imagination of hikers, equestrians, parks planners, wildlife enthusiasts, campers, Native American groups and many others.
After the Army closed the facility along with several others nationwide, the property was selected for transfer and reuse by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). On October 3, 2006, after ten years of dialog and negotiation with the Army and the state Department of Ecology, the Board of Clark County Commissioners accepted transfer of property ownership from the Army to the county. The county then transferred ownership to the Bonneville Conservation Restoration & Renewal Team LLC (BCRRT), an organization that for several years managed a team of contractors with expertise in removing hazardous waste and unexploded ordnance.
The cleanup has been and will continue to be performed to specifications set by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The Army already has agreed to provide $27 million to pay for the cleanup and related insurance. The county intends on negotiating a new funding agreement with the Army to pay for a cleanup that is far more expensive than earlier estimates.
More information
- State-managed cleanup process - Department of Ecology Camp Bonneville
- On-the-ground cleanup activity - Bonneville Conservation Restoration & Renewal Team
- Camp Bonneville Citizen Advisory Group
- Department of Ecology newsletter - April 2009 (PDF)
- Project newsletter - August 2008 (PDF)
