Client: USACE Alaska
Location: Wake Island Atoll; Eareckson Air Station, Alaska
Scope of Work:
- Solid waste removal
- Transport and disposal
The 611th Civil Engineer Squadron (611th CES) of the US Air Force undertook a significant environmental preservation mission on Wake Island Airfield (WIA) in 2014, targeting legacy solid waste accumulated since World War II. This waste posed a threat to the pristine marine environment of WIA, designated as a Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Initially, in 2015, the 611th CES, in collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District, issued a contract for a comprehensive effort to clear WIA of a variety of legacy waste, including old tires, metal debris, building materials, and old vehicles and heavy equipment. The project involved intricate planning and logistics spanning roughly two years. To ensure compliance with environmental regulations, a nesting bird survey was conducted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and WIA’s Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan. This work was followed by vegetation clearance, enabling safe collection, segregation, and cleaning of solid waste to prevent cross-contamination during disposal off the island.
The success of the initial project led to a contract award to Brice Engineering to perform further legacy waste removal on both Wake Island and as well as Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island, Alaska. By 2021, Brice had cleared a majority of the legacy waste from both WIA and EAS.
On Wake Island, the need for enhanced daily waste management prompted the installation of new incinerators, coupled with the introduction of sorting bins at the Solid Waste Accumulation Area. These enhancements optimized recycling, transport, and disposal processes for the daily solid waste generated on Wake Island.