The Army Corps of Engineers and American University are endorsing a recommendation to tear down the AU-owned single-family home at 4825 Glenbrook Rd. The residence, located near the south side of campus, is unoccupied.
Though the Army Corps is already in the process of removing World War I-era chemical munitions from the property, the demolition would allow the Army Corps to remove artifacts that it suspects are buried under the house.
The Spring Valley property was the location of a chemical weapon burial pit during World War I, when AU became a chemical warfare laboratory and military base. Similar pits containing laboratory glassware, mustard gas and other toxic chemicals have already been located and excavated.
The demolition is the most expensive option for cleaning up the site, and would cost the Army Corps between $12 and $14 million.
“It’s what the Spring Valley community has been requesting for years,” Spring Valley resident and activist Allen Hengst said.
The Army Corps estimates the cleanup will take between 12 and 18 months, Project Manager Brenda Barber told the Army Times. After the Army Corps removes the artifacts from the site, it plans to restore the property’s status as a residential lot.
A final plan has not been determined for the home’s demolition. Army Corps Public Affairs Chief Chris Augsberger said it still has to be approved by the Department of Defense in December.
The general public, including Spring Valley residents and the AU community, will be given an opportunity to formally comment on the proposed plan at a meeting later this month. A 30 to 45 day window will then be open for additional comments.
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