ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM AT KSC
Remediation Program - Unique Challenges
Challenges facing KSC's corrective action program include operation within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) and state regulations that are stringently protective of all water resources. There are many regulatory stakeholders that hold an interest in the MINWR, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, St. Johns River Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and U.S. Department of the Interior. In addition to human health considerations, evaluation of all sites must consider actual and potential impacts to ecological receptors and habitat. To address these requirements, KSC has developed ecological screening values for various contaminants of concern for a number of receptors specific to the center.
Site cleanup goals must consider impacts to fresh and marine surface water sources, groundwater, sediment, and soil. Because KSC is located within the MINWR, all surface water bodies, except those located in certain operational areas, carry a special designation as an Outstanding Florida Water (OFW). The OFW designation mandates no allowable degradation of ambient or existing water quality. In addition, groundwater at KSC, which generally occurs within 10 feet of land surface year-round, is regulated by the state to its 'best and highest use' which is for potable purposes. Consequently, clean-up goals must be set to drinking water standards in order to receive a No Further Action approval from the FDEP. KSC's HSWA permit will remain in effect and enforced until No Further Action is approved for all sites.
Some relief from these stringent clean up goals has been realized through the Land Use Control Assurance Plan provisions of KSC's HSWA permit. In certain instances KSC may elect to implement administrative controls in lieu of selecting residential clean up goals at a site. The Land Use Controls are identified to be protective of human health and ecological receptors/habitat based on current and expected site use, and are detailed in Land Use Control Implementation Plans (LUCIPs) specific to each site. These controls typically prohibit groundwater use for potable purposes, and prohibit residential use of sites where soil or surface water quality does not meet residential criteria but meets alternatively established criteria tailored to the current industrial use of the sites. Ongoing quarterly inspections and reporting are an important part of the LUCIP controls.
How do we make decisions on site investigations?
A KSC managing team consisting of NASA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection meet bi-monthly to discuss progress and investigation results from site investigations. Based on the site investigation results, a decision to acquire additional data or to accept a proposed remedy is made. The proposed remedy will be cost effective and protective of human health and the environment.