For dumpster support call Public Works Department at 910-451-3001 to submit a work request.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) Program Purpose:

The SWMU program was developed in 1996 when Marine Corps Base (MCB), Camp Lejeune received a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B Permit and is concerned with the assessment and remediation of contamination originating from SWMUs.   SWMUs are defined as: any unit which has been used for the treatment, storage, or disposal of solid waste at any time.  These units include storage tanks, dumpsters, waste piles, drain fields, waste treatment units, surface impoundments, and any other unit that satisfies the above definition.

The RCRA Part B Permit stipulates guidelines for the SWMU assessment and remediation process.  Initially, confirmatory sampling is performed to identify the existence and severity of any release from a SWMU.  Based on the confirmatory sampling results, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) will determine if further investigation is required or if the SWMU can receive a “no further action” decision.  If further investigation is required, a RCRA Facility Investigation is performed to determine the nature and extent of the release and the potential pathways that contaminants may follow into the environment.  Following the RCRA Facility Investigation, a Corrective Measures Study will evaluate possible remedial technologies to clean-up released contaminants and provide a plan to implement the selected remedial technology.  At any point through the investigative process, an Interim Measure may be performed.  Interim Measures are necessary to minimize or prevent the further migration of contaminants and limit human and environmental exposure to contaminants.

Initially, the RCRA Facility Assessment identified over 500 possible SWMUs.   This number was reduced through site inspections and negotiations to 62 SWMUs, which required confirmatory sampling.  The Phase I Confirmatory Sampling was completed in 1998 and concentrated on identifying the presence and extent of contamination in the soil.  Results of the Phase I Investigation will be compared with the results of a Base Background Study, which is currently underway, and appropriate State and Federal guidelines to determine if the SWMUs will be classified as requiring further investigation or requiring no further action.  SWMUs requiring further investigation will proceed to undergo Phase II Confirmatory Sampling, the RCRA Facility Investigation, the Corrective Measures Study, and if appropriate undergo corrective action or interim measures.

For more information on the SWMU program, please contact the Installation Restoration Program Manager at 910-915-9773/910-451-9641 or email Lejeune_IR_Program@usmc.mil