NORTON AIR FORCE BASE CALIFORNIA EPA ID# CA4570024345 EPA Region 9 Other Names: Area II Landfill Bernardino County: San Bernardino City: San Click here for interactive site area map -TABLE OF CONTENTS Click on a category below or scroll down the page. • Site Description and History o Maps o Images • Threats and Contaminants o Description o Environmental Data • Cleanup Approach o Response Action Status • Environmental Progress • Potentially Responsible Parties • Site Documents and Reports • Community Involvement: Public Meetings, Newsletters, and Fact Sheets • Site Repositories/Library Sources • Contacts • Miscellaneous Information ------- -SITE DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY Description: The 2,165-acre Norton Air Force Base site began operations in 1942 and served as a major overhaul center for jet engines and the general repair of aircraft. The site had the responsibility of providing maintenance and logistics for liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles. Past hazardous waste management practices may have contributed to existing contamination problems throughout the base. The practices included burial of drums and other unspecified materials; disposal of waste oils, solvents, and paint residues into landfills, unlined pits, ponds, and drying beds; storage of contaminants in leaking underground tanks; and spills of gas, oils, solvents, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and acids. The areas of contamination on the base include two landfills, six discharge areas, four chemical pits, a fire training area, a fuel spill area, a PCB spill area, a chemical spill area, two waste storage areas, and an underground storage tank area. The base is undergoing cleanup and conversion to private use. Site Responsibility: This site is being addressed through Federal actions. NPL LISTING HISTORY Proposed Date: 10/15/84 Final Date: 07/22/87 Deleted Date: -THREATS AND CONTAMINANTS Norton's past trichloroethylene (TCE) usage as a common degreasing solvent affected localized soil and the upper water bearing zone of a drinking water aquifer. Drinking water is derived mainly from the middle and lower water bearing zones. Soil is also contaminated with dioxin, PCBs and heavy metals including chromium, arsenic and copper. People who accidentally ingest or come into direct contact with contaminated groundwater or soils may be at risk. Several City of Riverside drinking wells (Gage Canal Complex) have shown TCE levels slightly above the MCL (5 PPB). The Air Force implemented the Off-Base Water Supply Contingency Policy in conjunction with the City of Riverside to provide well-head treatment. ZE ------- -CLEANUP APPROACH The site's intial cleanup approach was in three stages; immediate actions and long-term phases focusing on cleanup of the entire site; the central base area and basewide soil sites. After several removal actions were completed, the cleanup approach was modified to better support a CERCLA approach. Accordingly, 2 operable units were established to mange the cleanup; OUl/Central Base Area that addressed groundwater, and OU2/Basewide that addressed non groundwater sites for entire base. ^Response Action Status Immediate Actions: In 1986, the Air Force removed the industrial wastewater treatment plant sludge drying beds. In 1989, 24 underground storage tanks were removed. The removal of the floor in Building 763 contaminated with TCE was completed in late 1992. A new floor was placed in the building, and is currently leased to the San Bernardino International Airport authority. OUl/Central Base Area (CBA): The OU1 ROD of November 1993 determined major components of the groundwater (GW) remedies which included deed restrictions, GW monitoring and extraction, wellhead treatment of water supplies, air stripping, treated water reinjection, and atmospheric emissions discharge. The CBA/OU1 ROD addresses four groundwater areas impacted by VOCs (trichloroethylene/TCE, 1,2-dichloroethylene/DCE & tetrachloroethylene/PCE): central base area, northeast base area, industrial waste treatment plant area, and off base area. Central Base Area (CBA): The CBA consists of two pump & treat (PAT) systems; the central base PAT (5 extraction & 3 injection wells) and base boundary PAT (3 extraction, & 6 injection wells) systems. In 1992, the Air Force completed an investigation into the nature and extent of contamination at the CBA and installed a Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) system to clean the TCE in soil, and installed a PAT system to clean the TCE in groundwater. In 1995, the base boundary PAT (BBPAT) system was installed to contain further migration of TCE off base. The SVE system was shut-down in July 1997 after successfully cleaning up the contaminated TCE soil in the central base area. The central base PAT was initially shut down in March 1999 when TCE levels fell below MCLs, but was restarted in March 2000 when TCE rebounded above MCLs. The system was again shut down in June 2002 to conduct a rebound study when TCE levels fell below MCLs. The Air Force plans to request for a permanent shut down of the system if supported by rebound test results. The BBPAT system was placed on standby since November 2001. It was also on standby status during April 2000 to May 2001 when TCE levels were below MCLs, but was restarted when TCE levels went slightly above MCLs. The AF plans to request a permanent shut ------- down of the BBPAT in FY03 as it appears to have achieved the ROD cleanup goals. Water Supply Contingency Plan (WSCP): The WSCP's purpose is to mitigate effects of the Norton AFB's off-base TCE plume on the municipal production well fields located southwest of the base. The sampling frequencies of selected monitoring wells (-80) and production wells (16-26) are based on TCE concentrations averaged over six months. The Air Force and City of Riverside are under negotiations to revise the sampling frequencies as TCE levels have decreased significantly. Current agreements in place include the following: a new production well provided by the AF to replace the Warren 2 and Warren 3 wells, Lockheed Martin is conducting well head treatments for 5 city production wells to mitigate their own plume that is migrating toward Norton's off base plume, and AF wellhead treatment at the Raub 5 production well since March 1998. Northeast Base Area (NBA): The NBA monitoring wells were installed to monitored VOC concerns mainly from PCE levels that are over MCLs. Highest PCE level detected in April 2002's sampling event was 9.1ppb at one well. Elevated TCE levels were found in an off base well during the April 1999 sampling event and the TCE was believed to be from off base also. In April 2001's sampling event, the TCE dropped to 0.72. The related Site 1 and 2 monitoring wells for evaluating remedy effectiveness are sampled on a quarterly basis, and others are sampled semiannually. Industrial Waste Treatment Plant (IWTP) area: Only the perched groundwater zone at Site 17 contains TCE, and the upper aquifer below the perched zone is clean. Monitoring for TCE in the perched zone has stopped since the monitoring wells have remained dry for four quarters of monitoring during July 2000 to April 2001. OU2/Basewide Sites: These are contaminated soil sites with no active GW remedy requirements. These sites consist of two landfills, an industrial waste lagoon, four waste pits, fire training areas, underground storage tanks, sludge drying beds, electroplating shop, sludge disposal area, drummed waste storage areas, spill areas and other miscellaneous sites. Although the draft final FS is expected to be out in September 2002, the anticipated re-dispute for institutional controls will delay the schedule of the final document. However, the AF assumed the risk of conducting various removal actions to promote reuse. The following is a list of sites and the AF's proposed actions to be addressed in the final FS (the proposed actions are subject to change). Site 1 Industrial Waste Lagoons: A removal action was completed down to 30 feet below ground surface (bgs) to address the solvent contamination. 55 soil confirmation samples showed majority of the contamination was removed and the AF recommends no further action. ------- Site 2 Landfill Operation, Monitoring, and Maintenance (OM&M): The existing soil cap cover and gas control treatment systems completed in December 1998 are intended to be the final remedy. The flare system commissioned in February 1999 operates four days per week when there is sufficient landfill gas to operate it continuously. GW was affected by VOCs from the landfill, but is below MCLs. GW monitoring is performed on a regular basis. The AFs proposed remedy is OM&M in accordance with State landfill regulations, and land use restrictions. Site 5 Fire Protection Training Area: A removal action consisting of SVE for VOCs and soil excavation down to 13 ft bgs was completed for lead, dioxins, and PAHs. The site was partially backfilled using soil from the small arms range's berm and covered by 3 feet of fill from the Santa Ana River. Because two confirmation samples contained lead levels above PRGs, the AF proposes land use restrictions. Former Small Arms Range (SAR): A removal action was completed for lead in the berm and part of the cleaned berm soil was pushed to Site 5 as backfill. The firing line structures and support buildings remain in place. The AF proposes land use restrictions. Site 7 Industrial Waste Treatment Plant Sludge Drying Beds: 63 samples were analyzed for metals; 20 for PAHs. The elevated PAH levels are believed to be caused by a highly weathered asphalt road next to the site, and not from sludge residuals. Metals were found to be within background concentrations. The AF proposes to remove and dispose of the concrete walls, scrape down 6 inches of the surface soil in the beds area and sludge storage locations to achieve RCRA clean closure. Beyond this, no further action is proposed. Site 10 Landfill No.l: A removal action was completed to address concentrations of heavy metals. However, dioxin was later found and the AF proposes to conduct a follow-on removal to unrestricted levels, and off-base restoration in accordance with the US Fish & Wildlife Service's guidelines for endangered species concerns. Site 12 Waste Pit No. 3: 14 samples were taken with two samples showing elevated lead concentrations. The AF proposes hot spot removals for the locations of the two samples which will significantly decrease the lead, arsenic and cadmium contamination. The AF proposes no further action after that. Site 13 Industrial Waste Treatment Plant Sludge Disposal Area: A removal action was completed for metals and PCB concerns. 66 soil confirmation samples were taken for a final risk assessment and the AF proposes no further action. Site 17 Drummed Waste Storage Area: Subsurface TCE soil contamination was found at 25 feet bgs. A clay layer at 30 bgs exhibits TCE contamination when ------- perched GW is present. The perched zone has been dry since 1998 and the AF has been monitoring soil gas using the dry monitoring wells. The AF proposes to remove the entire site 17 structure (sumps, concrete, brick lining, and soil in contact with concrete) for off site disposal. The AF proposes no further action after that. Site 19 Drum Storage Area: 125 soil samples were taken to screen for PCBs and lead concerns. Only 19 of 74 samples showed some PCB levels. The AF proposes institutional controls and maintenance of the concrete cover, a 20-inch concrete used for aircraft parking, to prevent exposure. Building 752 (Radium): The interior radium remediation of Building 752 was completed and approved for unrestricted use by the State/DTSC. Three radium hot spot areas exist from an exterior pipeline. The AF proposes to remove and dispose of the three hot spots for unrestricted land use and no further action after that. Area of Concern (AOC) 4 Building 301: 67 PAH and 69 metals soil samples were analyzed for AOC 4. Data showed contaminants present as a series of hot spots, and not evenly distributed. The site has been transferred to the Airport Authority under an FAA covenant that restricts all residential type reuse. The AF proposes no further action beyond the FAA restriction. AOC 18 Buildings 451/452: 67 soil and 28 soil gas samples were collected to define the extent of PAH and metals contamination. Data showed contaminates were present only at a single hot spot where fueling activity had occurred. Maximum contaminate concentrations were shown not to be characteristic of the site overall in the risk analysis. The site has already been transferred and the AF proposes no further action. AOC 33 Building 747: Three in-ground sumps were identified as the VOC soil gas source concerns. Two of the three sumps were removed. The AF plans to remove the third one in 2003 and proposes no further action after that. AOC 39 Golf Course Outfall Area: 40 soil samples were taken collected from within the drainage ditch for PAH concerns. The AF proposes no further action based on biased sampling in the area of contamination, and the risk is at the mid point of the risk management range. AOC 40 Golf Course Maintenance Area: The area is currently unavailable for reuse pending completion of RCRA closure of the adjacent industrial waste treatment plant facility. More than 75 soils samples were collected to define extent of contamination for PCBs, arsenic and chlordane. Sampling results showed the contamination present as a series of hot spots. The AF proposes to remove all structures, debris, and top 6 inches of soil to unrestricted levels with ------- off-site disposal of all materials. Shallow soil gas contamination by VOCs from 10 sites/areas potentially could pose an indoor air inhalation risk. Accordingly, the AF performed indoor air modeling using the Johnson-Ettinger indoor air risk model. Input parameters for the air modeling were agreed by all concerned agencies. The regulatory agencies hope to closeout the unresolved risk issues upon receipt and review of the air modeling results. Any sites where the AF has chosen institutional controls (IC) as the remedy must be resolved by the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) dispute resolution process before the basewide FS can go final. The AF and regulatory agencies disagree on the amount of regulatory oversight on post ROD documents with ICs. Although the AF signed a consensus statement for ICs in March 2000, they are not honoring the agreement and all concerned agencies have to re-dispute the IC issues. Site Facts: In 1986, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a Cleanup and Abatement Order requiring Norton to clean the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge Drying Beds. EPA and the Department of Defense signed the Federal Facilities Agreement in June 1989 for cleaning up the base. Norton Air Force Base is participating in the Installation Restoration Program, a specially funded program established by the Department of Defense (DOD) in 1978 to identify, investigate, and control the migration of hazardous contaminants at military and other DOD facilities. Norton Air Force Base was closed in 1994 under the Base Realignment and Closure Act. -ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS ~ ~ T] Cleanup Progress: The response actions taken for contaminated soils and groundwater have reduced the potential for exposure to contaminants at the site. The ~ proposed remedies at several sites has been changed from institutional controls (IC) to removals to promote reuse. Restoration/Reuse Progress: Most of the former base has been leased or transferred for reuse. The Inland Valley Development Agency and San Bernardino International Airport Authority are a joint powers authority that act as the local reuse agency (LRA) for property leases from the Air Force until they can be transferred by deed to new owners. The master reuse plan is to redevelop the former base into an intramodal transportation hub for foreign freight. Norton AFB is competing against George AFB for the same prospective tenant to develop an intramodal transportation hub for foreign freight. The kangaroo rat, listed as an endangered species found on base, could stop the intramodal development as the US Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) designated 400 acres for the K-rat but the local reuse agency (LRA) thought it was only 54 acres. The LRA is conducting an ------- intensive Section 7 consultation with the Service in hopes to scale back the amount of protected acreage. If necessary, the LRA is ready to plead their case with the law makers to force the Service to be responsive. -POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE PARTIES Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) refers to companies that are potentially responsible for generating, transporting, or disposing of the hazardous waste found at the site. Online information about the PRPs for the site is not yet available. -SITE DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS Administrative Records: Online versions not yet available Records of Decision: Online versions not yet available Technical Documents: -COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Public Meetings: The Air Force hosts a public forum in the City of San Bernardino annually . Newsletters and Fact Sheets: Online versions not yet available -SITE REPOSITORIES/LIBRARY SOURCES ------- The public information repositories for the site are at the following locations: Norman F. Feldhym Central Library, 555 West 6th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410 The most complete collection of documents is the official EPA site file, maintained at the following location: Superfund Records Center Mail Stop SFD-7C 95 Hawthorne Street, Room 403 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 536-2000 Enter main lobby of 75 Hawthorne street, go to 4th floor of South Wing Annex. -CONTACTS EPA SITE MANAGER: ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: E-MAIL ADDRESS: James Chang 75 Hawthrone Street San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 744-2214 EPA COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COORDINATOR: ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: David Cooper 75 Hawthrone Street San Francisco, CA 94105 1-800-231-3075 E-MAIL ADDRESS: ------- PUBLIC INFORMATION (415) 947-8701 CENTER: E-MAIL ADDRESS: r9.info@epamail.epa.gov STATE CONTACT: Stephen Niou ADDRESS: Department of Toxic Substances Control 5796 Corporate Avenue Cypress, CA 90630 PHONE NUMBER: John Broderick RWQCB, Santa Ana Region 3737 Main Street, Suite 350 Riverside, CA 92501 S. Niou: (714) 484-5458 PRP CONTACT: ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: COMMUNITY CONTACT: Linda Geisinger ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: After Hours (Emergency Response) State Environmental Protection Agency US Environmental Protection Agency (800) 852-7550 (800) 424-8802 ------- -MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION STATE: CA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 40 EPA ORGANIZATION: SFD-8-1 ------- |