# ! !!!2 Protection Agency John R. Kasich, Governor Mary Taylor, Lt. Governor Craig W. Butler. Director January 11, 2016 Joan Tanaka, Chief Remedial Response Branch #1, Superfund Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 77 W. Jackson Blvd .. SR-6J Chicago , IL 60604 Re: Rickenbacker AFB, Columbus General Correspondence Federal Facilities Franklin County 

### 125000685103 Subject: National Priority List De-Proposal Ms. Tanaka: The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is provid ing this letter in support of the United States (U.S.) EPA, Reg ion 5, de-proposing its January 18, 1994 proposal of the Rickenbacker Air Force Base (AFB), Franklin County, Ohio to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) . The fonner Rickenbacker AFB has remained proposed, but not finalized, to the NPL since 1994. On November 1, 1994, Governor George Voinovich sent a letter to U .S. EPA Administrator Carol Browner opposing the proposed NPL listing . The Governor stated in his letter "I believe that the goals of environmental cleanup and economic development would be better served by allowing Ohio to take the lead at these three sites. We will improve the changes for productive reuse ifwe avoid the stigma of placing these sites on the NPL." Since 1994, the Air Force has been meeting its CERCLA obligations under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) cleanup process and has reimbursed Ohio EPA and U.S. EPA oversight costs. The Air Force identified 79 sites where remedial investigations and assessments of the nature and extent of contamination were conducted. Based on the results of these investigations, remedial action objectives (RAOs) were selected for each site. These objectives were then used to select remedial actions for the sites . Remedial actions were conducted at six sites and limited actions were implemented at two sites; 25 sites were closed with land use controls; and 16 sites were closed with no further action and with no land use restrictions specified. No active remedial actions were implemented at 25 sites contingent on the site use remaining industrial/commercial. A detailed report on Rickenbacker cleanup activities is provided in the March 25, 2014 Second Five-Year Review. Of the six sites selected for active remedial actions, one site (SS001) is being closed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program. As required by Central Office • 50 W . Town St. • Suite 700 • P.O. Box 1049 • Columbus, OH 43216-1049 www.epa.oh io.gov • (614 f 644-3020 • (614) 644-3184(fax)

### CERCLA, U .S. EPA provided approval of an Operating Properly and Successfully Demonstration for this site in 2007. Although the Rickenbacker cleanup was slower than anticipated, the final .results have been positive and have facilitated the productive reuse of the former base . In the future, the State of Ohio will continue to provide comprehensive oversight of the land use controls and remaining cleanup activities, as long as fund ing continues to be provided by EPA under its authorized RCRA program , and by the Department of Defense under its Defense-State Memorandum ofAgreement. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Pete Whitehouse Chief, Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization Oh io Environmental Protection Agency Ec: Deborah Strayton, DERR-CDO Fred Myers, DERR-CDO Justin Burke, DERR-CO