About Restoration
How The Restoration Program Supports NASA’s Mission
Restoration supports NASA’s Mission by:
- Ensuring the public and its employees are not exposed to chemicals released from past activities.
- Restoring impacted natural resources for current and future missions.
- Preserving NASA’s reputation as a “good neighbor” so that NASA activities continue to gain strong public support.
- Reducing the agency’s unfunded environmental liability so that future funding may go towards Mission requirements.
- Addressing changing regulatory requirements and advancements in scientific information to ensure chemical risk management decisions remain based on sound science and support mission activities.
- Working with stakeholders, such as environmental groups, tribes, state and local government agencies, and industry, to identify common goals concerning cleanup of hazardous substances and restoration of natural resources.
- Maintaining effective communication with policy and regulatory authorities.
- Advancing partnerships and environmental stewardship.
- Ensuring environmental statutory and regulatory compliance.
The Use & Remediation of TCE at NASA
Trichloroethylene, or TCE, is a chemical that has been used commercially in the United States since the 1920s and by NASA since the 1950s as a degreaser for metal parts in early rocket engine testing and aircraft maintenance. NASA modified processes to reduce the use of TCE and is addressing TCE that remains from historic use. To read more about cleanup efforts, and NASA’s research with identifying TCE substitutes, click here
Restoration Point of Contact
