All News Releases By Date

EPA, NAVY SIGN PACT ON ALAMEDA AIR STATION CLEANUP

Release Date: 7/26/2001
Contact Information: Leo Kay, Press Office, 415/744-2201

     SAN FRANCISCO   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Navy recently signed a legally binding agreement that sets enforceable deadlines and a formal regulatory framework for the Superfund cleanup of the Alameda Naval Air Station in California.

     The document, known as a "federal facility agreement," includes a listing of environmental documents that have been or will be prepared, an enforceable schedule for environmental investigation and cleanup work, and a process for dispute resolution.
                                                       
     "This agreement will provide us with a useful tool in helping EPA to continue to provide oversight of the Navy cleanup of Alameda Naval Air Station," said Keith Takata, director of the EPA's regional Superfund program. "The EPA, the state and the Navy will work together to clean up this property for future redevelopment."

     The Navy is conducting the cleanup of the 2,634-acre facility with U.S. EPA and state oversight and assistance.

    The U.S. EPA designated the air station as a federal Superfund site in July 1999 after concluding that it posed a significant threat to public health and the surrounding environment.  Soil, groundwater and marine sediment at the site are contaminated with industrial solvents, metals including chromium, copper and lead, petroleum products, PCBs, pesticides, and radium 226.  Final cleanup remedies are expected to be in place by 2005.