Restoration Advisory Board Keeps Community Informed
July 14, 2021 (ANNAPOLIS, Md.) - The Navy held a virtual Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting for Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) – Chesapeake Bay Detachment (CBD), Chesapeake Beach, MD on May 18, 2021.
The NRL-CBD RAB, established in 2019, is a community advisory group that provides a forum for the Chesapeake Beach communities, Naval Support Activity Annapolis (NSAA), and Maryland regulatory agencies to work together in an atmosphere that encourages discussion and exchange of information.
“The RAB is an important tool for the Navy to obtain community concerns and provide input into environmental restoration,” said Capt. Homer Denius, NSAA commanding officer. “We want to ensure that we stay committed to transparent communication and partnership with the community.”
Denius went on to say that the RAB is the best forum for the Chesapeake Beach community to obtain the most accurate and timely information on the Navy’s environmental restoration program
The virtual meeting was attended by Navy and regulatory agency representatives, local community members, and residents in the vicinity of Chesapeake Beach. Some of the topics included updates on the Navy’s environmental restoration projects at NRL-CBD as well as a question and answer session with representatives from the Navy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).
According to Ryan Mayer, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington remedial project manager for NRL-CBD and RAB co-chair, the bi-annual meeting is still in its initial stages.
“The NRL-CBD RAB is just getting started,” said Mayer. “Our goal is open and effective communication with the community on the environmental restoration program. We are going to publish RAB meeting minutes on the NRL-CBD public website, and we are also working on a Frequently Asked Questions link so the community can see our responses to many of the questions we have been receiving.”
During the May 18 virtual forum, members of the Chesapeake Beach community raised numerous questions relating to the Navy’s per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their impacts on the surrounding communities.
“The PFAS impacts are currently under environmental investigations and we are actively working with impacted communities throughout the PFAS assessment process and public meetings such as the RAB,” said Mayer.
Mayer also emphasized that the public should seek the most up-to-date and authoritative information about the restoration program from official U.S. Government sources or regulatory agencies such as the MDE or the Environmental Protection Agency.
For the full minutes from the May 18, 2021 RAB, visit: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/products_and_services/ev/products_and_services/env_restoration/installation_map/navfac_atlantic/washington/nrl_cbd/outreach.html
The next RAB is scheduled for Oct. 2021 and public announcements will be sent via email to the RAB members and published in the local newspaper, the Town of Chesapeake website (when provided), and the NRL-CBD public website at https://go.usa.gov/xQFuV.
For more information on the NRL- CBD, visit: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/products_and_services/ev/products_and_services/env_restoration/installation_map/navfac_atlantic/washington/nrl_cbd/nrl_cbd_pfas.html
Media Contact:
Ed Zeigler
Director, Public Affairs
Naval District Washington
DSN: 288-2678
Comm: (202)433-2678
Fax: (202)433-3745
Mobile: (703)609-7996
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