EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- The Department of the Air Force and 354th Fighter Wing are asking community members for input to determine if there is interest in establishing a local environmental restoration advisory board.
Restoration Advisory Boards, or RABs, provide a forum for two-way communication between the community and Air Force officials about environmental work being conducted on and around the installation. The boards offer stakeholders access to the environmental restoration process and give members opportunities to review project progress and provide comments to the installation's decision makers concerning environmental restoration matters.
The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is soliciting input as part of a broad and aggressive effort to reach deeply into all segments of the community to ensure every voice is to be heard.
The latest push for RAB participation and increased community input comes as Air Force officials continue to pledge their commitment to transparency in all elements of the environmental cleanup mission. Nancy Balkus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Environment, Safety, Infrastructure), affirmed this commitment Aug. 1, 2022, during testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“While the cleanup program is both legally and technically complex, its underlying purpose is simple: to address the releases attributable to the Air Force in a manner that transparently protects the American people,” she said. “We emphasize maximizing transparency, public participation, and collaboration in all our cleanup activities.”
Those interested in learning more about the 354th Fighter Wing RAB are asked to contact Joseph Price 907-377-3578, Joseph.price.17@us.af.mil or visit www.afcec.af.mil and click on the Restoration Advisory Board icon located in the bottom right corner of the page. Officials are gathering RAB Interest Assessment data throughout the spring and early summer.