Base Realignment and Closure

Former Naval Shipyard Mare Island
At the Former Naval Shipyard Mare Island in California, the Navy installed a landfill cap over a Containment Area covering approximately 73 acres of the Investigation Area H1 site. The gentle sloping of the cap design decreases potential erosion and thus decreases maintenance costs. In this photo, the field team is installing the geo-composite venting layer.

Mare Island
At the Former Naval Shipyard Mare Island in California, over 120 acres of wetlands exist within the Investigation Area H1 site, with an additional 8.7 acres created during the Investigation Area H1 remedy installation. The cap is designed to drain surface runoff into the wetlands, enhancing their ability to support native vegetation and endangered species such as the salt marsh harvest mouse.

Base Realignment and Closure Updates

The U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) Removed Nearly 2,000 Acres of the Former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) from the Superfund List

• EPA deleted more than 1,900 acres of the former El Toro MCAS in Irvine, California, from the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites on January 21, 2014.
• El Toro MCAS was used to support the Fleet Marine Forces in the Pacific Ocean and served as a major West Coast jet fighter facility. Past military operations at the installation contaminated the groundwater with volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethylene, and the soil with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). EPA added El Toro MCAS to the NPL in 1990.
• EPA has determined that the Navy thoroughly investigated all environmental impacts at a total of 112 locations and took the appropriate cleanup actions to protect human health and the environment. Other than periodic reviews, no further cleanup is necessary on this portion of the installation.
• Of the 1,900 acres deleted from the NPL list, Heritage Fields El Toro, LLC owns 1,200 acres and plans to redevelop the majority of the property for the construction of approximately 9,500 new homes and development of space for commercial, retail, and other non-residential facilities. The City of Irvine owns the remaining 700 acres and will develop the Orange County Great Park, which will include a tournament quality sports complex, a wildlife corridor, and a golf course.
• For more information on El Toro MCAS please visit this website.

Property Transfer

• In FY2013, the Air Force transferred 639 acres using the Early Transfer Authority (ETA). ETA allows DoD to transfer property back to productive reuse before cleanup is complete.
  • The Air Force transferred 181 acres at the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, to the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency and the Airport Authority in FY2013.
  • The Air Force transferred 458 acres at the former McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California, to the County of Sacramento in FY2013. For more information about this transfer please visit this website.
• The Air Force transferred the last piece of federally-owned land at the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, to the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency on January 21, 2014. For more information about this transfer please visit this website.