The Air Force, Environmental Protection Agency and State of Florida signed a federal facilities agreement Sept. 20 that will provide the framework within which the parties will manage any necessary action to continue to protect the community and the environment at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

 “With the signing of the federal facility agreement, the three agencies have committed to work closely together to align project goals, facilitate exchange of information and ensure public participation for the benefit of all parties involved,” said Gerald F. “Fred” Pease Jr., the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health.

 The Air Force will clean the sites to Florida state and federal standards, which are protective of human health and the environment, and complete the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA process in an expeditious and cost-effective manner.

“I believe this is a major milestone in the environmental restoration of a federal installation located in one of the most ecologically sensitive areas of our state, and I am very thankful to the Air Force and the U.S. EPA that we can finally move ahead as a team in addressing environmental issues at Tyndall Air Force Base,” said Jorge Caspary, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Waste Management Division director. “This agreement will also provide an economic boost to the area as professional engineers and scientists will be procured to remediate this site.”

 The Tyndall Federal Facility Agreement underscores the parties' commitment to do what is necessary to ensure environmental protection and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, Pease said.

 For more information call the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Public Affairs hotline at 210-925-0956.