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NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA

Environmental Restoration Program Public Website

Overview

Currently at NAS Pensacola there are six 6 OUs with investigation or remedial efforts completed and have received No Further Action (NFA) status. A description of the activities at each of the OUs is provided below.

OU 3 (Site 2)

Site Site Description Waste Type Regulatory Status
2 Waterfront Sediments (OU 3) Solvents, cyanide, metals No Action (NA) ROD (2005)

Site 2 is along the southeastern shoreline of NAS Pensacola and Pensacola Bay. The site consists of near-shore sediments along the waterfront. From 1939 to 1973, untreated industrial wastes from Naval Aviation Depot and NARF operations were routinely discharged into Pensacola Bay, near Site 2. Over 34 years, an estimated 83 million gallons of the following materials were disposed of in the bay: waste-containing paint, paint solvents, thinners, ketones, trichloroethylene, alodine, mercury, and concentrated plating wastes.

 

OU 6 (Site 9 & 29)

Site Site Description Waste Type Regulatory Status
9 Navy Yard Disposal (OU 6) Trash and refuse NFA ROD (1999)

This area was used for the disposal of trash and refuse during the period between 1917 and the early 1930s. It is reported that the Site is shown on several old maps as the Navy Yard Dump or the Warrington Village Dump. In the late 1960s, while trenching for the IWTP system, part of Site 9 was excavated. Glass, scrap metal, and debris were unearthed.

29 Soil South of Bldg. 3460 (OU 6) Slimy black substance (unknown) NFA ROD (1999)

In 1981, workers excavating soil beneath the concrete apron south of Building 3460 received skin burns from a "black slimy liquid" in the soil. Types of chemicals involved and extent of contamination are unknown. A leak in the nearby industrial sewer line from the Naval Aviation Depot facility was the expected source. An RI was conducted in 1994 that identified manganese, dieldren and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated soils. In 1995 an Interim Removal Action was completed to remove and properly dispose of 422 cubic yards of contaminated soil.

 

OU 12 (Site 39)

Site Site Description Waste Type Regulatory Status
39 Oak Grove Campground Site (OU 12) Debris, petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL), broken clay, coal, cleaning solutions ROD (1995) NFA Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) (1998)

Oak Grove is a campground area located immediately south of Sherman Field on the south side of Radford Boulevard. An area of stressed vegetation and stained soil approximately 150 feet in diameter was found near Pensacola Bay.

 

OU 14 (Site 17)

Site Site Description Waste Type Regulatory Status
17 Transformer Storage Yard (OU 14) Dielectric oils, PCBs NFA ROD (1998)

Site 17 originated when transformers containing PCBs as well as PCB-free transformers were stored in a paved area west of East Avenue and north of Building 604. A black oily residue on the pavement was found to contain high levels of PCBs as well as other chlorinated hydrocarbons.

 

OU 15 (Site 40)

Site Site Description Waste Type Regulatory Status
40 Bayou Grande Area (OU 15) Unknown NFA ROD (2005)

Bayou Grande, an estuarine water body connected to Pensacola Bay, lies adjacent to the northern boundary of NAS Pensacola. Bayou Grande has a total surface area of approximately 1.5 square miles and approximately 20 miles of total coastline. Approximately 8.5 miles of Bayou Grande coastline border NAS Pensacola property. Bayou Grande, with a mean depth of approximately 6 feet, is part of a larger surface water system known as the Pensacola Bay System. Site 40 (OU 15), Bayou Grande, was included as a separate site for an RI based on the possible receipt of hazardous substances and that media within Site 40 may individually provide exposure pathways impacting human health and the environment.

 

OU 17 (Site 42)

Site Site Description Waste Type Regulatory Status
42 Pensacola Bay (OU 17) Unknown NA ROD (1998)

NAS Pensacola is bordered on the south by Big Lagoon and Pensacola Bay, on the east by Pensacola Bay, and on the north by Bayou Grande. Only a very small portion of the western end of NAS Pensacola is farther than a mile from one of these bodies of water. Swampy areas exist on or near the western portion of NAS Pensacola. Man-made drainage ways and storm drains feed into the short intermittent streams emptying into Pensacola Bay and Bayou Grande.

 

Completed Operable Sites (Sites 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 31, 34, 36, 37)

Site Site Description Waste Type Regulatory Status
3 Fire Fighting Training Area Petroleum constituents Transferred to Petroleum Program (UST Site 18)

Site 3 (currently referred to as UST Site 18) occupies approximately 47.5 acres of open land along the southwestern border of Forrest Sherman Field. The site is bordered on the east by aircraft Runway 19, to the north by a paved taxiway, to the west by scattered brush and woods, and to the south by an open field. Between 1955 and 1997, the UST Site 18 area was used to train firefighters for aircraft crash responses, using available fuel as a combustion source. Historically, during training exercises, approximately 30 to 700 gallons of fuel were poured into unlined pits or onto various pieces of equipment and then ignited to simulate aircraft crashes. Firefighter training ceased at the Site in May 1997.

4 Army Rubble Disposal Rubble, timber, pipes, other wastes Preliminary Site Characterization Report (PSCR) NFA (1997)

Site 4 is an area of about 150 feet by 800 feet southeast of Forrest Sherman Field, just north of Building 3260. In the early 1950s, rubble from tearing down the old United States Army barracks at Fort Barrancas was disposed of at Site 4. The rubble included timber, pipes, mattresses, and other waste.

5 Borrow Pit No disposal is known to have occurred at this site PSCR NFA (1995)

Site 5, a long, shallow pit about 1 foot deep, is southeast of Forrest Sherman Field and east of Building 3221. Soil was removed (“borrowed”) from the site in 1976 for use elsewhere on the facility.

6 Fort Redoubt Rubble Disposal Area Construction debris, yard wastes NFA Correspondence (dated August 8, 1997)

From 1973 onward, Site 6 has been used for rubble disposal. The site is adjacent to Site 5 and has reportedly received rubble and demolition wastes from the removal of several buildings on base. The site is generally rectangular shaped measuring approximately 450 by 1,650 feet. The site visit conducted during the Initial Assessment indicated the presence of concrete, wood, metal and a few plastic items. Evidence of hazardous waste disposal was not found at the site.

7 Firefighting School Petroleum, oils and lubricants PSCR NFA (2000) & Completion Report (1998)

The firefighting training school in Building 1713 has been in operation since 1940. Training that involved gasoline fires (and perhaps other flammable liquids) in open tanks of water reportedly occurred west of Building 1713. The presence of a clearing and firefighting tower east to southeast of Building 1713 suggests there was training conducted in those areas as well. There is no evidence of hazardous waste disposal or threat to human health or the environment. A Potential Source of Contamination (PSC) was conducted in 1996 to determine if contaminants were present in on-site soils and groundwater above the residential PRGs. Soil and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for Target Compound List (TCL) and Target Analyte List (TAL) parameters. Aluminum, arsenic, and iron exceeded soil Preliminary Remediation Goals (PRGs) and aluminum and iron exceeded secondary standards in groundwater. No organic constituents were detected above the PRGs in either soil or groundwater. The detected metals in groundwater were less than the NAS Pensacola reference concentration. A time critical soil excavation and off-site disposal remedial action was completed by the Navy in 1998 to remove the soil containing arsenic concentrations exceeding PRGs. The regulatory agencies approved NFA.

10 Commodores Pond Underwater storage of oak timbers PSCR NFA (2000)

During the mid-nineteenth century, screening Site 10 was the location of a small surface water body used for the underwater storage of shaped oak timbers. This underwater storage method preserved the wood prior to its use for shipbuilding. The original pond's, no longer in existence, exact dimensions are unknown. Debris was unearthed in the late 1960s during trenching operations for installation of the IWTP system. Abandoned oak timbers were exhumed and reburied on Magazine Point. It is reported no hazardous materials were encountered during this effort.

13 Magazine Point Rubble Disposal Rubble, metal, concrete PSCR NFA (1996)

Site 13 is located East of Building 3644 south of, but in the same general area as Sites 32 and 33, and was identified in 1971 during the construction and upgrading of the existing WWTP. Beginning in 1965 the area between the dredge spoils area and Magazine Point was used as a rubble disposal area. A visual inspection conducted during the Initial Assessment Study (IAS) indicated the presence of brick, concrete, wood scrap metal and other inert building wastes.

14 Dredge Spoil Fill Dredge PSCR NFA (1997)

Site 14 is located south of Building 3450 and Building 3220 and has been used for placement of dredge materials removed from Pensacola Bay. These materials represent the sand, mud, and debris found at various depths within the Pensacola Bay dredged channels and basins.

16 Brush Disposal Area Pruning and tree trimming refuse PSCR NFA (1997)

Site 16 is northeast of the east end of Forrest Sherman Field. From the late 1960s to 1973 the site was used for the disposal of brush pruned and trimmed at NAS Pensacola. The Army may have used part of the site to burn garbage and dispose of ash.

18 PCB Spill Area Transformer oil, PCBs PSCR NFA (1996) & Completion Report (1998)

In 1966, a transformer at Substation A (located south of North Avenue and west of Center Avenue) reportedly failed, spilling approximately 50 gallons of transformer oil containing an unknown concentration of PCBs on the small gravel-covered area along the northeast side of substation A. It is assumed in the IAS (previously defined) that no immediate cleanup effort was conducted. A Preliminary Site Screening Investigation was completed in 1996 and a time critical soil excavation and off-site disposal remedial action was completed by the Navy in 1998 to remove the soil containing PCB concentrations exceeding residential PRGs. The regulatory agencies approved NFA.

19 Fuel Farm Pipeline Leak Petroleum products Transferred to Petroleum Program (UST Site 20)

Site 19 is located southwest of Forrest Sherman Field, approximately 1,300 feet west of the southern portion of Aircraft Runway 36. The site consists of an aboveground dual pipeline, which runs between the fuel farm and the tank truck loading facility at Forrest Sherman Field (Buildings 1879 and 1880). Parallel to the pipeline is an unimproved dirt road. The site is surrounded on all sides by scattered brush and woods, and the site terrain is generally flat. The only building located in the immediate vicinity of the Site is the Naval Base Pistol Range, approximately 1,300 feet north of the site. The underground/aboveground pipeline supplies fuel for aircraft at Forrest Sherman Field from the fuel farm located to the south. A leak from the aboveground portion of the pipeline was reported to have occurred in 1958, releasing JP-4 fuel to the surrounding environment. The amount of fuel initially discharged was not measured, but it was estimated that more than 360,000 gallons of JP-4 fuel was discharged at the site.

20 Pier Pipeline Leak Petroleum products Transferred to Petroleum Program (UST Site 21)

Site 20 is situated along the Pensacola Bay shoreline and consists of an approximately 30-foot wide concrete loading area immediately adjacent to the pier seawall, surrounded by a large asphalt parking lot. Previously, there was a 1,300,000-gallon Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) (No. 354) with a concrete containment wall adjacent to and west of the pier. This AST was used to contain Navy Special Fuel Oil, Distillate Diesel Fuel Marine (DFM), and JP-5 Jet Fuel from 1926 until the mid-1980. Pipelines extended from the fuel oil AST, presumably north toward Building 2573 to the berthing pier and possibly to other ship fueling areas. AST No. 354 was removed on November 17, 1993, and not replaced. The pipelines were inactive for several years. In 1981, a leak was discovered in the fuel pipeline leading to the berthing pier. According to available information, the lines had broken during the years of usage or were penetrated while a contractor was driving piles. The soil in the area of the leak appeared soaked with fuel oil, reportedly Navy Special Fuel Oil or DFM. An unknown volume of soil was removed and properly disposed of in 1981.

21 Sludge at Fuel Tanks Petroleum products Transferred to Petroleum Program (UST Site 22)

Site 21 is the former location of an aviation gasoline (AVGAS) tank farm. From approximately 1940 to the late 1960’s, nine ASTs (previously defined) were used to store AVGAS at the site. The tanks were routinely cleaned and the sludge from the bottoms of the tanks was disposed of on the ground surface in the immediate vicinity of the tanks. The ASTs have been removed from the site and the majority of the site is currently grass covered. Building 670, which is a fuel system pump house, is located at the eastern edge of the site, south of Radford Boulevard. Two USTs for contaminated fuel were reportedly associated with Building 670.

22 Refueler Repair Shop Petroleum products Transferred to Petroleum Program (UST Site 26)

Site 22 is the refueler repair shop located southwest of the intersection of John Tower Road and Taylor Road near the approximate center of NAS Pensacola. Crushed oyster shell, hard-packed gravel or soil, and weedy vegetation largely cover this irregularly shaped site, an approximately 300- by 400-foot open area. The site’s southwestern edge is paved and Building 1659 occupies its southwest corner. The site is currently used for equipment and vehicle parking. The site is generally flat with a land surface elevation averaging 29 feet above mean sea level. The site history indicated that petroleum fuel might have been released in the past as refueling trucks underwent repair.

23 Chevalier Field Pipe Leak Petroleum products Transferred to Petroleum Program (UST Site 23)

Site 23 is located in the southwest part of the former Chevalier Field. The site was the result of two separate fuel leaks: Navy Special Fuel oil was spilled in 1965 and diesel fuel marine was spilled in 1968 or 1969. The leaks were repaired but no immediate attempt was made to recover the released fuel products.

28 Transformer Accident Transformer oil PSCR NFA (1997) & Completion Report (1998)

In 1969, a transformer fell from a truck traveling on Radford Boulevard, just north of Building 632. The transformer broke open and spilled approximately 50 gallons of transformer oil onto the pavement. At that time it was not known whether the oil contained PCBs. The oil was reportedly washed into a nearby storm sewer drain. A Preliminary Site Screening Investigation was completed in 1996 and a time critical soil excavation and off-site disposal remedial action was completed by the Navy in 1998. The regulatory agencies approved NFA.

31 Soil North of Building 648 Paint waste and paint thinner Incorporated into Site 30 (OU 2)

Site 31 is an approximately 175- by 225-foot, unpaved area located adjacent to and north of Building 648 and Murray Road. North of the site is a large, tree covered parking area and immediately west of the site is a paved driveway. Most of the site area is enclosed by an iron and concrete fence. Building 648 was used for painting operations from 1949 until 1973. Typical operations included discarding the paint waste and spent paint thinner to the unpaved area north of the building.

34 Solvent North of Bldg. 3557 Solvent detergent NFA (2000)

During May 1984, a leak occurred in a pipeline at the north end of Building 3557. The leak reportedly resulted in the loss of solvent detergent used for cleaning aircraft. The solution contained 1.7 percent chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons solvent. A field investigation was completed at Site 34 and soil contaminated with naphthalene and lead was identified, excavated, and properly disposed of offsite. Naphthalene was detected in an on-site groundwater sample but was not detected in downgradient groundwater samples. Based on the soil removal it was expected that the limited area of elevated naphthalene detected in groundwater would naturally attenuate.

36 IWTP Sewer Line Industrial waste NFA (1997)

The industrial waste sewer line is about 23,000 feet long and is located in an area approximately 1 mile wide by 1.5 miles long in the southeastern portion of NAS Pensacola. Flow within the sewer line is toward the IWTP, which is located at the northeast end of the base.

37 Sherman Field Fuel Farm Petroleum products Transferred to Petroleum Program (UST Site 24)

The Sherman Field Fuel Farm site is located on the western perimeter of the base approximately 2,400 feet north of Radford Boulevard. The site is an approximately 3.5-acre fenced area including four cut and cover petroleum storage tanks. The petroleum storage tank system was installed in approximately 1945 and used to store JP-4 jet fuel. The fuel storage tanks were abandoned in place in 1995 when a new fuel facility was constructed adjacent to the south of the original fuel farm. The site history indicates, an equipment malfunction in 1983 resulted in the release of approximately 48,000 gallons of JP-4 jet fuel. NAS Pensacola personnel installed four recovery ditches initially and recovered approximately 600 to 700 gallons of free product.

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