AbstractThis article presents an overview and qualitative analysis of ecological risk assessments at base closure sites nationwide. Much of the information presented was obtained from interviews, over a two‐year period beginning in the spring of 1994, with managers and staff from EPA Headquarters and Regions, Remedial Project Managers and Superfund Ecological Risk Assessment Support Staff involved with the daily operation of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program. Individuals from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of the Army, three states (Texas, California, and South Carolina), and one public interest group (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) also provided input to this study. This albeit small sample of scientists, attorneys, and others who participated in this study were chosen randomly. Their opinions, along with those of the author, do not represent the official policies of the organizations they represent. In addition, it should also be noted that the analyses and conclusions drawn in this article represent the views of the author and do not represent the opinions of all participants in this study.Included in this article is an overview of the regulatory requirements for ecological risk assessments at BRAC sites, and descriptions of the roles of various stakeholders in the process. Based on interviews with federal and state environmental decision makers, this article discusses technical and policy issues related to current ecological risk assessment activities at military base closure sites across the country. It also presents examples of ongoing ecological risk assessment studies to help illustrate the issues that must be resolved for successful risk characterization and environmental cleanup to take place. The article ends with a discussion of various options and recommendations for improving ecological risk assessments at current and future BRAC sites. These recommendations, based partly on interviews with study participants, are presented in the hopes of improving the overall cost and resource effectiveness of the program, financial as well as ecological. After all, it was evident throughout this study that the parties involved share the same goal–to clean up and transfer safe and valuable property as soon as possible so that community revitalization can occur. This article will show, however, that this goal may not be achieved unless the current system is significantly changed.