LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
On Sept. 30, the Air Force transferred 72 acres of the former Kelly Air Force Base to Port San Antonio, the local redevelopment authority taking charge of revitalizing the former base.
The transfer is the last prior to the scheduled whole base transfer in 2010. Since the announcement of Kelly's closure in 1995, 80 percent of the property used when the base was active has been transferred to the local community.
"Through partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency, the City of San Antonio, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment, we are one step closer to returning this valuable resource to the community," said Bob Moore, Air Force Real Property Agency director.
Known as Zone 2, the property is bordered by Southwest Military Drive, the Union Pacific railroad, and Leon Creek. Prior to transferring the property, the Air Force demonstrated to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that all clean-up actions required for that property have been implemented and are operating properly and successfully.
"Since the announcement of Kelly's closure in 1995, we have been working with our partners at AFCEE, TCEQ, USEPA and San Antonio to reach our mutual goal of transferring this former military property for beneficial reuse," said Paul Carroll, Base Closure and Realignment Commission environmental coordinator.
"With this transfer and another 370 acres projected within the next year, all of the former Kelly AFB will be in the hands of the local community. Although the Air Force will no longer be a landowner at Port San Antonio, we'll be actively involved for years to come to complete the environmental cleanup," Mr. Carroll said.
While part of former Kelly AFB, Zone 2 was used for jet engine testing, fire control training and general industrial use. Currently, it houses a groundwater treatment plant, several electronic power stations, and some associated buildings. The Air Force will maintain the operation of the groundwater treatment plant until cleanup is complete.
The transfer occurred under an Economic Development Conveyance, a type of transfer that allows Port San Antonio to redevelop the former base into a thriving aerospace and logistics center. Since the base's closure in 1995, 1,518 acres have been transferred by the Air Force, with the remaining 370 acres to be conveyed by the end of 2010.
Almost 65 commercial organizations have established a business presence at Port SA, including Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Zone 2 is scheduled for industrial use, including aviation and rail support per the port's master plan.
AFRPA is responsible for remediation and property transfer at 40 former Air Force installations throughout the U.S. under BRAC. At the height of the BRAC process, AFRPA managed 87,000 acres, or about 137 square miles, of property.
In the two decades since the first BRAC in 1988, the agency has transferred 88 percent, or more than 116 square miles of land - twice the area of Washington, D.C. - back to communities for public use.
Throughout the transfer process, the Air Force remains committed to protecting human health and the environment.
(Courtesy AFRPA public affairs)