Restoration Advisory Board outlines outreach and feasibility work on TCE contamination at former missile base

Representatives of the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) briefed the City of Lincoln council on July 8 about ongoing community outreach and planning related to trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination at the former missile base site.

Sandy Dolby, community co‑chair of the RAB, said the group’s focus is TCE removal efforts being led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dolby described outreach activities — a newsletter, Nextdoor posts, quarterly public meetings and media contact — and invited the council and public to a July 24 meeting at McBean Pavilion where the feasibility study findings, county lead‑cleanup timetable and recent monitoring‑well test results will be discussed. Dolby said monitoring evidence so far indicates the plume has been “stable” and that the feasibility study will weigh options and trade‑offs for remediation.

Dolby also described a local storytelling series, “Remembering the Titans,” to place a human face on the site’s history and improve community engagement. RAB members thanked the city for waiving fees to host meetings at McBean Pavilion and for posting RAB newsletters on the city’s channels.

Council members and staff expressed support and reiterated the need to keep public meetings accessible to Lincoln residents. Council also expressed hope the county could finish its portion of lead cleanup by the end of the calendar year, which staff said would be an important milestone.

Why it matters: the RAB coordinates community input with the Army Corps and other agencies as remediation planning advances; feasibility results and monitoring data will influence the preferred cleanup alternative and potential next steps.

Next steps: the RAB will hold the July 24 public meeting at McBean Pavilion and continue outreach; staff and RAB will share feasibility and monitoring updates with council as they become available.