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Pact Signed To Govern Andrews AFB Superfund Sites

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin says the Defense Department and the Environmental Protection Agency have signed an agreement governing the cleanup of 13 Superfund sites at Joint Base Andrews, formerly known as Andrews Air Force Base.

The Maryland Democrat said Wednesday that the Federal Facility Agreement concludes his efforts to bring  environmental contamination at three Maryland military installations under EPA's supervision. Similar agreements govern cleanups at Fort Meade and Fort Detrick.

The EPA added Andrews to its National Priorities List of the country's most polluted sites in 1999. It's also called the Superfund list.

The agreement covers 13 known contamination sites and six others slated for environmental investigation.

Cardin says the suspected sources of contamination at Andrews include landfills and airplane hangars where toxic chemicals were spilled or released.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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