The U.S. Air Force, in consultation with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, is seeking public comment on the environmental clean up at the former Coos Head Air National Guard Station.

The work would include completing the second phase of a comprehensive site evaluation and then possibly removal of contaminated soil, a press release said. Before finalizing the action plan for the site, the U.S. Air Force will consider all written comments received during the public comment period.

 The agency will take comments through Sunday, Feb. 1.

Military use at the site began with the U.S. Army in 1875, then the Navy in 1957, and finally by the Oregon Air National Guard in 1987.  In 2005, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians acquired the station lands. The tribes plan to use the property as a center for tribal government, offices to provide community services for tribal members, a police station, a cultural learning and activities center, housing, and other programs.

An environmental investigation completed at the station in 2007 identified two munitions response areas and two potential MRAs associated with two small arms ranges, a skeet range and a small arms magazine. No munitions and explosives of concern were found at the site, the press release said.

The military has three options from doing nothing to putting controls into effect or removing potential hazards in some areas. A document on the proposed action will be available on The World’s Web site with this story at http://www.theworldlink.com.

Written comments can be sent to: Roger Rein, U.S. Air Force ANG Coos Head Environmental Manager, OR ANG; 142 MSG/EM, 6801 Cornfast Road, Portland, OR 97218. His phone number is (503) 335-4462; e-mail to roger.rein@orport.ang.af.mil; or fax to (503) 335-4953.

The military oversaw a cleanup at Coos Head in 2000-01 to remove hazardous wastes from the groundwater at one of two contaminated sites. The soil had been contaminated with tetrachloroethelene and trichloroethelene, chemical solvents used to degrease motors. The contamination occurred from 1957 to 1987.