By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE Air Force has begun a two-year-long job of removing waste from the Urunao dumpsite, an area used during World War II for debris from the construction of Northwest Field and North Field, which is now Andersen Air Force Base.
According to the Air Force’s official Web site, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, or AFCEE, at Brooks City-Base, Texas, is managing the project to clean up the 62-year-old dumpsite near Andersen Air Force Base.
AFCEE contractor Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Inc. has been tapped to handle the cleanup of the dumpsite, which includes several large cliffs.
According to AFCEE environmental project manager Capt. Elisa Hammer, construction and aircraft debris were pushed over the edge of the cliff and the debris covered with fill material and burned with napalm.
Air Force News quotes Nestor Acedera, the Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Inc. project manager overseeing the Urunao dumpsite, as saying that the primary challenge of the clean-up project is the removal of “decades of accumulated waste” at the base of the cliff.
The contractor reportedly plans to use specialized winching equipment, normally used by logging companies in the mountains, to reach down and remove the debris.
According to Marti D. Ribeiro of AFCEE, most of the cleanup involves solid waste removal, with the waste consisting of housing/construction debris like scrap metal and rusted containers, heavy machinery including tires, aircraft parts and vehicle parts, as well as inactive explosive ordnance materials like M-89 and M-90 target identification bombs.
According to the Air Force, officials have enacted an aggressive cleanup program to continue its environmental stewardship and abide by strict environmental guidelines.
The Air Force originally considered an explosive detonation to remove the waste, but this was decided against due to the potential impact on surrounding limestone, native species and archeological sites located near the dump.
Since the dumpsite is located on private property, the Air Force made sure that the local community is involved in the cleanup decisions through the creation of a local Restoration Advisory Board comprised of community members, elected officials, Air Force officials and representatives from environmental regulatory agencies.
The Air Force said these officials meet on a regular basis to discuss program progress and advise the community on the status of the clean up.
The process of removing the debris below the cliff is scheduled to be finished in 2009.