	Introduction

Following the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Congress authorized the closure of certain military installations under four BRAC rounds in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995. Public desire for their redevelopment has motivated ongoing concern about the pace and costs of cleaning up these remaining properties. In 2005, the 109 th Congress approved a new BRAC round. Although the Department of Defense (DOD) is required to close and realign selected installations by 2011, there is no statutory deadline for the cleanup of contaminated property. The "2005" account funds the cleanup of installations being closed under the 2005 round. Sites requiring no further response actions generally have been made available for their intended use. Considering that the cleanup of 2005 round installations began many years ago when these installations were still operational, cleanup generally should be at a more advanced stage upon closure than experienced under earlier rounds when cleanup efforts were less mature. Issues for Congress

The amount of time and resources needed to complete the cleanup of closed military installations generally depends on the level of contamination on those properties, and the actions selected to make them suitable for civilian reuse. Still, the availability of funding and capabilities of cleanup technologies could limit the feasibility of cleanup at some installations, making certain land uses impractical and posing challenges to economic redevelopment.
In 2005, the 109th Congress approved a new Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round. As the Department of Defense (DOD) implements the new round, issues for Congress include the pace and costs of closing and realigning the selected installations and the impacts on surrounding communities. The disposal of surplus property has stimulated interest among affected communities in how the land can be redeveloped to replace jobs lost as a result of the planned closures. Environmental contamination can limit the potential for economic redevelopment if the availability of funding or technological capabilities constrains the degree of cleanup needed to make the land suitable for its intended use. Although most of the properties on installations closed under the four earlier rounds in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995 have been cleaned up and made available for redevelopment, the most extensively contaminated properties remain in various stages of cleanup to make them suitable for their desired use. Cleanup began many years ago at 2005 round installations when they were still operational. As a result, cleanup generally should be at a more advanced stage upon closure, compared to installations closed under earlier rounds when cleanup efforts were less mature. Still, installations closed under the 2005 round could face delays in redevelopment if a community's desired land use would require a lengthy and costly cleanup.