No surprises in Lewes Army Reserve Center environmental study

An environmental study of the former Army Reserve Center in Lewes found no major surprises, according to a consultant hired by the city.

Roger Truitt, an environmental engineer and attorney, said a second round of testing needs to be done before the city will know if there is any underground contamination.

The phase one study was completed April 16 by a company called Environmental Alliance. Truitt announced the draft findings at the April 28 joint meeting with mayor and city council and the Lewes Board of Public Works.

The building on Savannah Road had been used by the Army since 1959, which Truitt called the pre-environmental era, referring to federal and state environmental laws that did not come into being until the 1970s and 1980s.

“Given the age and use of the site, [we] can’t see below the surface, and environmental records prior to the 1980s are essentially nonexistent,” Truitt said.

Truitt said the building contained an indoor firing range and a maintenance shop. He said further testing could reveal whether there was ever an outdoor range or waste disposal.

The Army tested for lead contamination in 2021 and found a significant amount of lead dust on the floors and walls. It has not released its report on lead abatement. Truitt estimated it would cost about $500,000 to clean up.

The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act included a provision for the Army to convey the 5.25-acre property to the city for a new municipal complex that could include city hall, the police department and the Board of Public Works offices.

The city has said it wants a clean site, all contamination removed, before it acquires the property.

“The plan was to demolish the site,” said Mayor Andrew Williams.

“I don’t believe we have enough information to make a decision that this building is going to be demolished,” said Councilman Tim Ritzert. 

Truitt said any asbestos, lead paint or other hazardous materials would have to be removed before demolition.

The BPW board voted 4-1 in January to support demolition. Tom Panetta, BPW board president, said the decision belongs solely to the city, since the board would only be a tenant at the new facility.

A 2023 study found a new municipal building should be 56,000 square feet, or triple the size of the current building, to accommodate city, police and BPW needs.

Truitt recommended proceeding with a phase two study that could include the use of ground-penetrating radar, soil borings and temporary groundwater-monitoring wells.

He said there are state funds available to pay for the study and possible remediation, which he estimated would cost about $50,000.

Truitt said he believes the next steps should be for the city to receive the final phase one and lead abatement reports, then meet with the Army and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to agree on the scope of a phase two study.

Williams directed City Manager Ellen Lorraine McCabe to proceed with Truitt’s recommendations.

Council appropriated about $20,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to hire Truitt.

Lewes resident Nancy Stenger suggested mayor and city council reach out to anyone who may have served at the center.

“There are a lot of people still here who served for a six-year period in the Army Reserves at that facility. Someone could give you local, firsthand insight into what might be there,” Stenger said.

The city has said it does not have a timeline or estimated cost for the proposed municipal complex.