President Kerwin was asked to give testimony on June 10, 2009 at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia. The focus was the ongoing work of the Army Corps of Engineers in northwest Washington, D.C., on properties used by the U.S. government and U.S. Army during World War I to develop and test chemical weapons. The goal of the hearing was to serve as a general update of the project; examine the criteria to declare the site clean of environmental or health contaminants; compare the Spring Valley project with other remediation sites around the country; and assess levels of transparency and community engagement. President Kerwin’s presented testimony was limited to five minutes, and is available online. In addition, the university’s submission included an index of AU’s Army Corps Web site, and historic documents gathered and submitted in 2001 when another hearing was held.

June 12, 2009