Naval AiR Station Oceana

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The Navy is requesting property owner permission to sample private drinking water wells within a sampling area near Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

Introduction

PFAS are a family of thousands of different chemicals that have been used since the 1950s in many household and industrial products because of their stain- and water-repellent properties. PFAS are now present virtually everywhere in the world because of the large amounts that have been manufactured and used. Once these compounds are released, many of them tend to stay in the environment for a very long time. The Navy and Department of Defense (DoD) have developed policies to address past releases of PFAS at installations nationwide.

The most common activity that could have resulted in the historical release of PFAS to the environment at NAS Oceana (Figure 1) is the use of firefighting foam (specifically, aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF) for testing, training, firefighting, and other life-saving emergency responses. Because of this historical use, PFAS are present in the groundwater at NAS Oceana and have been detected in nearby drinking water wells that are located in the direction that the groundwater flows away from NAS Oceana.

On April 26, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing nationwide drinking water standards for certain PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The regulation applies to public drinking water systems. Operators of public drinking water systems regulated by the NPDWR have until April 2029 to meet these standards. In September 2024, the DoD published “Prioritization of Department of Defense Cleanup Actions to Implement the Federal Drinking Water Standards for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program,” which describes DoD’s plans to incorporate the EPA’s drinking water regulation into DoD’s ongoing PFAS responses and prioritize actions to address private drinking water wells with the highest levels of PFAS from DoD activities. Table 1 shows the levels that all of DoD, including the Navy, is authorized to use to address PFAS in private drinking water wells.

Table 1 presents the DoD PFAS Interim Action Levels for Private Drinking Water Wells. The DoD’s September 2024 memorandum can be found here.

These levels are based on current EPA NPDWR levels. If EPA updates applicable requirements, DoD will review and update its policy as appropriate.

Private Drinking Water Well Sampling near NAS Oceana

Certain PFAS have been detected in groundwater at NAS Oceana and in private drinking water wells (Figure 2) above the DoD PFAS Interim Action Levels for Private Drinking Water Wells. As a result, a sampling area was established 1 mile from the locations of these detections based on the current understanding of groundwater flow at NAS Oceana.

At this time, the Navy is requesting property owner permission to sample private drinking water wells located in the sampling areas (Figure 2), including those previously sampled by the Navy. If your drinking water is provided by the Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities, the Navy does not need to sample your drinking water.

Actions Based on Private Drinking Water Sampling Results

The preliminary results from the private drinking water well sampling are expected approximately 30 days after collecting the samples. The Navy provides notification to the property owners and tenants (if available) of their drinking water results and any follow-up actions, if needed.

The Navy will address PFAS in private drinking water wells in keeping with the DoD policy:

PFAS at or above the DoD PFAS Interim Actions Levels for Private Drinking Water Wells (Table 1). The Navy will work with property owners to implement an enduring solution as soon as possible. Options for enduring solutions may include connection to public water supply or installation of a drinking water treatment system. For any drinking water wells with PFOA and PFOS, individually or combined, above 70 ppt, the Navy will provide bottled water for drinking and cooking to property owners or tenants until a more enduring solution is implemented.

PFAS below the DoD PFAS Interim Action Levels for Private Drinking Water Wells (Table 1). For final remedial actions, the Navy will address drinking water down to EPA NPDWR or background levels in accordance with Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) requirements.

2016-2024 Private Drinking Water Well Sampling

From 2016 to 2024, the Navy sampled private drinking water wells based on information that was available at that time about potential PFAS releases at NAS Oceana. The 2016-2024 sampling area, shown in Figure 2, was established 1 mile away from on-base monitoring wells with PFOA and/or PFOS, individually or combined above 70 ppt, the Navy’s action levels at that time. Private drinking water well sampling was offered twice a year through 2024. Table 2 provides a summary of the results of the sampling. Table 3 presents the PFAS results. There was one detection of PFOA and/or PFOS above 70 ppt. The Navy has now connected this property to municipal water. The Navy has re-evaluated the 2016-2024 off-base private drinking water well results using the current DoD PFAS Interim Action Levels for Private Drinking Water Wells (Table 1). Two private drinking water wells near NAS Oceana contain PFAS at or above these levels. Once the property owners grants permission, the Navy will install an enduring solution.

^* *70 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, individually or combined, was the Navy’s action level at the time of this sampling. The one property with a drinking water well with an exceedance of 70 ppt has now been connected to municipal water.
 

¹HI - Hazard Index. Calculated for HFPO-DA, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS when two or more of these compounds are detected in the sample. Calculated per EPA recommendations (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for Three Individual Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and a Mixture of Four PFAS, 2024) as follows:

NC = Not Calculated. PFOA+PFOS is only calculated when both are detected. Hazard Index is only calculated when two or more of HFPO-DA, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS were detected

ND = not detected

NS = not sampled

J = laboratory estimated value

ppt = parts per trillion

Displays the highest detected value of each PFAS shown on this table per drinking water well sampled.

Identification of PFAS Releases at NAS Oceana

The Navy conducted a Preliminary Assessment (PA) [CH2M, 2022], Site Inspection (SI) [CH2M, 2018], and SI Addendum [CH2M, 2019] between 2016 and 2022. During these assessments, areas where known or suspected releases of fire-fighting foams and other PFAS-containing substances were identified and investigated. Sample collection and analysis of on-base potable water, groundwater, soil, surface water, and sediment were completed and PFAS were detected in these media. The PFAS sites investigated at NAS Oceana are listed below and the release area boundaries are depicted on Figure 3. Remedial investigations are ongoing at the following release areas:

AOC 1 - Fire Training Area and Northwestern Runway Area

• 1981 F-14 Crash

• Firefighting Training Area

• Fuel Tank Farm

• Runway 14L-32R/Runway 14R-32L West

AOC 2 - Northeastern Runway Area

• 1986 Oceana Boulevard Crash

• Construction Debris Landfill

• North Station Landfill

• Runway 14L-32R/Runway 14R-32L East

• Runway 5L-23R/Runway 5R-23L North

AOC 3 - Aircraft Maintenance Area

• 1977 A-6 Crash

• 1996 F-14 Crash

• 2013 F/A-18E Brake Fire

• Building 220 Fire Station Area

• Building 543/546 Area

• Building 830

• CALA

• D Avenue Landfill/Sanitary Landfill

• FITWING

• Fuel Pit #10

• Hangars 56, 111, 122, 137, 139, 145, 200, 223, 404, and 500

• Jet Test Cell Area

• Runway 5L-23R/Runway 5R-23L South

Remedial investigations are also planned for the following stand alone sites:

• SWMU 100

• Leyte Court House Fire

• Vehicle Crash Area

• Inert Landfill

The Navy will continue investigating PFAS at NAS Oceana following the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) process and will evaluate if actions are needed. To find out more about all of the environmental investigations at NAS Oceana, visit https://go.usa.gov/xSvtK.

NAS Oceana Drinking Water Investigation Documents

• NAS Oceana Final Basewide Perfluoroalkyl Substances Site Inspection, Sampling and Analysis Plan (February 2017)

• NAS Oceana Final Basewide Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Site Inspection Report (August 2018)

• NAS Oceana Final Basewide Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Site Inspection Addendum, Sampling and Analysis Plan (May 2019)

• NAS Oceana EE/CA for Private Drinking Water Public Notice (February 2020)

• NAS Oceana Final Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EE/CA) for Private Drinking Water (April 2020)

• NAS Oceana Final Action Memorandum for Private Drinking Water (April 2020)

• Open House Notification Letter for Properties on Public Water (December 2016)

• NAS Oceana Drinking Water Information Meeting Public Notice (December 2016)

• NAS Oceana Ongoing PFOS/PFOA Investigation Fact Sheet (September 2018)

• NAS Oceana Ongoing PFAS Investigation and Response Fact Sheet (November 2018)

• NAS Oceana Ongoing PFAS Investigation and Response Fact Sheet (February 2019)

• NAS Oceana Ongoing PFAS Investigation and Response Fact Sheet (August 2019)

• NAS Oceana PFAS Drinking Water Investigation Fact Sheet (October 2019)

• NAS Oceana Ongoing PFAS Investigation and Response Fact Sheet (December 2019)

• Preliminary Assessment for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Report (March 2022)

• PFAS Drinking Water Sampling Frequently Asked Questions (October 2022)

• PFOS/PFOA Drinking Water Sampling Property Owner Questionnaire (December 2016)

• Drinking Water Well Questionnaire (October 2022)

• Naval Air Station Oceana Ongoing PFAS Investigation and Response Notification Postcard to Properties on Public Water (November 2018 & February 2019)

• Naval Air Station Oceana Ongoing PFAS Investigation and Response Notification Postcard to Properties on Public Water (October 2019)

• Example Enclosure 1 for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Below 70 parts per trillion (January 2017)

• Example Enclosure 1 for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Above 70 parts per trillion (May 2018)

• Example Results Letter for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Below 70 parts per trillion (January 2020)

• Example Enclosure 1 for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Below 70 parts per trillion (January 2020)

• Enclosure 3 – Explanation of Laboratory Results (January 2020)

• Example Results Letter for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Below 70 parts per trillion (February 2020)

• Example Enclosures for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Below 70 parts per trillion (February 2020)

• Example Results Letter for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Below 70 parts per trillion (December 2021)

• Example Enclosure 1 for Properties with PFOA and/or PFOS Below 70 parts per trillion (December 2021)

• Enclosure 3 – Explanation of Laboratory Results (December 2021)

Links

• DoD PFAS website

• EPA PFAS website

• ATSDR PFAS website