This website provides background information on the Department of the Navy’s (Navy) Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) sites at the former Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Stockton. The overarching goal of the Navy’s ERP is to protect human health and the environment from past hazardous waste practices and releases at Navy Installation Restoration Program (IRP) sites. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest in San Diego, California manages the Navy’s ERP at NCTS Stockton. Located on Rough and Ready Island west of the City of Stockton, California, NCTS Stockton historically occupied 1,490 acres.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 created the legal mechanism for the cleaning up of abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. Although CERCLA did not apply to environmental restoration at military installations, its provisions were adopted by the Department of Defense (DoD) as a model for environmental cleanups by the military components. Accordingly, the process established by CERCLA for environmental restoration efforts is followed at NCTS Stockton Installation Restoration Program (IRP) sites.
The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) amended the CERCLA legislation in 1986. Among other changes, SARA established the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP). The Secretary of Defense provides oversight of the DERP and has delegated responsibility for the DERP’s implementation and the DoD’s lead agency status to individual military departments. The DERP cleans up hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, and military munitions remaining from past activities at military installations, installations undergoing base realignment and closure, and formerly used defense sites. Because the DERP has a substantially larger scope than CERCLA, certain petroleum releases may be remediated using DERP funds, sites do not need to be on the National Priorities List (NPL) to be managed using DERP funds, and the DoD serves as the lead agency on ERP projects.
The Port of Stockton is the current landowner of the former NCTS Stockton. Under the 2003 Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement governing the property transfer to the Port of Stockton, the Navy retained responsibility for any CERCLA actions. The Navy is the lead federal agency working with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and Regional Water Quality Control Board. In accordance with the CERCLA process, the Navy and state regulatory agencies collect and evaluate environmental data addressing issues related to past releases. Because NCTS Stockton is not on the National Priorities List, the State of California provides the lead regulator that oversees IRP activities. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) acts as the lead regulatory agency, and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) assists with oversight of NCTS Stockton’s IRP Program.
Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Stockton History
The former NCTS Stockton is located on 1,490-acre Rough and Ready Island (RRI) in the northern San Joaquin Valley of California. The island lies on the west bank of the Lower San Joaquin River, southwest of the City of Stockton. RRI is bounded by the Lower San Joaquin River, also known as the Stockton Deep Water Channel, and Burns Cutoff.
RRI was initially recommended as a supply sub-depot to relieve congestion at the Naval Supply Depot Oakland. Construction began in August 1944, and the U.S. Naval Supply Annex was commission in Stockton, California, in June 1945. The supply annex comprised 1,419 acres of RRI, and the remaining 79 acres belonged to an oil company.
World War II required improved radio and communications facilities, many of which were established in the San Francisco Bay area. To protect assets from Soviet threats, a decision was made in 1955 to move communications infrastructure away from the San Francisco Bay area and to U.S. Naval Supply Annex Stockton. The transfer began in 1959 and was complete by 1960. The naval communication station on RRI operated from 1960 until 2000.
In February 1996, Congress passed special legislation that transferred the NCTS Stockton property and assets to the Port of Stockton (“the Port”) for reuse as a maritime facility under an Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement (ESCA) between the Port and the Navy. In 1998 the Navy proposed a transfer of the property to the Port, except for any parcels with environmental concerns, which would be leased to the Port.
The NCTS Stockton facility remained under Navy management until July 2000, when Navy operations ceased and the Navy initiated property transferred in four phases to the Port through the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), the sponsoring agency.
The Phase I property transfer utilized a Finding of Suitability to Transfer (FOST) that conveyed to the Port 89 parcels covering approximately 496 acres and leased other 69 parcels. A Phase II property transfer under a separate FOST conveyed 33 of the 69 leased parcels covering about 412 acres to the Port.
A Phase III Finding of Suitability for Early Transfer conveyed the remaining 36 parcels to the Port in September 2003 following investigation and cleanup actions. The Phase IV property transfer, which included a remaining 60-acre parcel, was completed in 2010. RRI was conveyed by the Navy to the Port through MARAD in accordance with the Final Rule for Public Benefit Conveyances (PBC) of Port Facilities. Because MARAD was the federal agency responsible for the conveyance, RRI is required by the PBC to remain and function as a port facility, consistent with the mission of the sponsoring agency.
The former NCTS Stockton is informally categorized into four areas based on previous and current land use. These areas are identified as the landfill area, warehouse area, administrative area, and agricultural area. The Port currently leases the warehouse and administrative areas of RRI to tenants engaged in industrial operations and maritime activities. The agricultural area to the south of the warehouse area and administrative area are still used as farmland and the landfill area occupies the western part of the island. Land use at RRI is designated industrial and agricultural and residential development is prohibited by a 2011 consent decree.
Environmental Restoration Program Background
Environmental investigations and restoration activities have been ongoing at NCTS Stockton since the mid-1980’s. The Navy’s 1984 initial assessment study included reviewing historical records and conducting employee interviews and resulted in the identification of IRP Sites 1 through 4. The initial study recommended a confirmation study which included field sampling and verification of the initial assessment findings.
In 1989, the Navy completed an investigation of IRP Site 5. A 1992 site investigation identified 31 sites including the previously identified sites 1 through 5 and recommended additional investigation. Concurrent with the site investigation, an aerial photograph review identified 23 potential new sites. Following time critical removal actions conducted during the site investigation, treatability studies, remedial investigations and feasibility studies were performed to determine the most suitable remediation technology for each IRP site. Site appropriate remediation was conducted at each IRP site to achieve closure.
The Navy and the Port entered into an ESCA in July 2003 during the Phase III early transfer parcels. Under the ESCA, the Port is responsible for performing all environmental services except those deemed “Navy-Retained Conditions” as defined in the agreement. The Navy would provide funding to the Port for certain environmental services including response and corrective actions necessary to protect human health and the environment. The ESCA agreement was amended in 2007 during the Phase IV property transfer.
A covenant and agreement between the Navy, the Port, DTSC, and RWQCB was recorded with the property deed in 2003 restricting use of property and establishing a process and timeline for the completion of response and corrective actions, including any long-term obligations. In June 2011, a covenant and agreement to restrict use of property was fully executed between the Navy, the Port, DTSC, and RWQCB.
A “no further action” status for environmental concerns at all parcels was received from the DTSC and the RWQCB prior to the Phase I and II transfers. Phase III and IV parcels were transferred before all sites were closed under the conditions of the ESCA. The Port and the Navy continue to cooperate in managing the environmental condition of property at the former NCTS Stockton.
In 2018, the Port notified the Navy pursuant to the terms of the 2003 and 2007 ESCAs of a previously unidentified environmental condition. A Navy response action would be required to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater at IR P Site 3, the Former Fire Fighting Training Area. The environmental condition is both a Navy-retained condition and obligation” under the 2003 and 2007 ESCAs and a Government responsibility and environmental obligation under the deeds and agreements.
PFAS are compounds identified as “emerging contaminants” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To investigate potential PFAS release areas and areas of concern at former NCTS Stockton and other installations, the Navy follows the framework of CERCLA. A site inspection based on the 2020 basewide preliminary assessment for PFAS chemicals was conducted by the Navy at former NCTS Stockton in 2021.
Based on PFAS site inspection results, PFAS-impacted areas were identified within IRP Site 3, the Former Firefighting Training Area; closed IRP Site 45, the Soil Stockpile Area; and new areas of interest not previously investigated identified as IRP Sites 51 Firehouse #1, and IRP Site 52, Firehouse #2. These sites will be moving forward into the remedial investigation phase.
Additional background and environmental investigation information is provided on the NCTS Stockton Site Descriptions page of this website.
CLICK HERE for information on the Navy’s ERP.