Dioxin Remediation at Bien Hoa Airbase Area Project Quarterly Report (FY23 OCT. 01 TO DEC. 31, 2022)

The project began in 2018 with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is being implemented by the A&E Bien Hoa Contractor. Major project milestones and events during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2023 (October 1 to December 31, 2022) include a visit by a delegate from Air Defence-Air Force Command (ADAFC) and Dong Nai Radio-Television to the project site offices and a tour of the project sites to prepare a short film about the project scope of work and progress updates. Senior Foreign Policy Aid to United States Senator Patrick Leahy and a delegate from USAID also met with the A&E Bien Hoa Contractor at the project site offices to discuss progress updates. The First Interim Measures (IM1) Contractor, with oversight from the A&E Bien Hoa Contractor, completed excavation of low dioxin concentration (LC) soil at Pacer Ivy (PI) PI-10A&B and completed backfilling and site restoration at PI-08B, PI-08C, and PI-13A. The Second Interim Measures (IM2) Contractor, with oversight from the A&E Bien Hoa Contractor, completed excavation of LC soil at MND-A42 and hauling to the Long-Term Storage Area (LTSA) fill area, completed backfilling works, grass planting, installation of irrigation system, and construction of sidewalks at SW areas including SW-03A, SW-03B, SW-02A1, and SW-01-02. The Civil Work - Phase 1 (CW1) Contractor, with oversight from the A&E Bien Hoa Contractor, continued construction of Channel A and B at the Treatment area, constructing box culverts, and fabricating pre-cast manholes. However, USAID suspended all activities at the Treatment area due to suspected Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) objects found during construction activities. The A&E Bien Hoa Contractor provided engineering design and construction management services to implement the approved Final Masterplan Implementation Work Plan (Final Masterplan). Key efforts by the A&E Bien Hoa Contractor during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2023 include the provision of revised CW1 Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), final inspection reports for water and electricity substations, hauling road repair design section gate 3-LTSA, and construction management daily and weekly reports. The project schedule and financial status are being closely monitored, with the project master schedule and A&E master schedule being regularly updated. The project risks and challenges are being addressed through regular health, safety, and environmental monitoring, as well as through the implementation of the Health and Safety Plan (HASP) and the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP). The project performance indicators are being tracked, with construction activities and A&E activities being regularly monitored. The project is expected to continue making progress in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2023, with key tasks and efforts planned for the next quarter including the completion of excavation and backfilling works, the installation of irrigation systems, and the construction of sidewalks at SW areas. A summary progress table of remedial construction activities is provided in Appendix A, and a list of acronyms and abbreviations is provided in Appendix B. The project is being implemented in accordance with the approved Final Masterplan Implementation Work Plan (Final Masterplan), and regular progress updates are being provided to stakeholders.