Military Bases

This fact sheet discusses the goals and expectations of the March 1991 closure of Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire as well as how environmental concerns and conditions have slowed redevelopment. The main goal of the Air Force and the Pease Development Authority, a state commission, was to convert the base property to civilian use as soon as possible. Meeting that goal, however, has been delayed by the presence of hazardous waste at several sites on the base. Also, because of the need to restore the facility environmentally, the costs to close Pease have risen. Finally, the revenue projections from land sales are significantly less than originally estimated.

GAO found that: (1) the primary goal of the Air Force was to rapidly transfer the base property to civilian use; (2) the presence of hazardous waste at the base has delayed redevelopment because there is a need to clarify how much cleanup is necessary before transfer of the property; (3) the Department of Defense is responsible for facility cleanup; (4) facility transfer cannot take place until the Environmental Protection Agency certifies the facility as environmentally safe; (5) the Air Force signed documents with the development authority that allowed development to start during cleanup; (6) the total estimated one-time cost to close Pease Air Fore Base has increased over $100 million between fiscal years 1991 and 1993; and (7) the estimated revenue from land sales have decreased.