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National Information |
Site Information |
National Priorities List (NPL) HistoryProposed Date
Final Date
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Superfund Program
Air Force Plant PJKS
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Site Type: Federal Facility |
Air Force Plant PJKS is owned and operated by Lockheed Martin Astronautics Operation. The plant is located 25 miles southwest of Denver, near Waterton, Colorado.
PJKS consists of 464 acres, surrounded by another 4700 acres of Lockheed Martin land. Company operations at PJKS include designing, developing, testing and manufacturing a variety of advanced technical systems for space and defense. In 1989 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the PJKS site on its National Priority List.
The Air Force is responsible for the cleanup at PJKS. It is addressing soil and groundwater contamination from cleaning solvents, fuels, polychlorinated byiphenyls, (PCBs) and metals. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is the lead regulator of the cleanup, with EPA oversight. Many studies were done during the 1990s to determine the nature and extent of site contamination.
The Air Force submitted a Supplemental Remedial Investigation (SRI) Report to CDPHE and EPA in 1999. The report details investigations about the nature and extent of soil and groundwater contamination across PJKS. The SRI is being used to help assess potential risk to human health and the environment. It also will support the ongoing cleanup at locations with high risks.
Site Risk
The potential risks to human health and the environment stem from contaminated soil and groundwater. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) completed a Public Health Assessment for PJKS in March 2000. The purpose of the study was to assess whether contamination from the plant might threaten public health. ATSDR concluded that PJKS poses no apparent public health hazard to the surrounding neighborhoods.
| Media Affected | Contaminants |
| groundwater, soils, structures, surface water | TCE, PCBs and NDMA |
Cleanup Progress
Groundwater
1) To treat TCE, a bedrock pilot study began in fall 2003 at three source locations known to have high contaminant concentrations in the bedrock aquifer groundwater. These locations include the engineering propulsion lab, the systems & components area and the D-1 Landfill. Results indicated that the process reduced TCE concentrations by two-thirds at the D-1 Landfill Bedrock Pilot Study monitoring well. However, this same treatment was less successful at treating TCE at the Engineering Propulsion Lab and the systems and components area. After conducting supplemental activities at those locations and performing additional sampling, the study demonstrated that in-situ bioremediation works at all three source areas.
2) In September 2005, the U.S. Air Force prepared and provided for public comment a Focused Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to evaluate cleanup options for TCE in groundwater at PJKS. The preferred alternative described in the EE/CA was In Situ bioremediation, as demonstrated in the above pilot study.
3) To date, the Air Force attempts to find an acceptable technology to reduce levels of NDMA in groundwater at PJKS have proven unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has instituted an interim measure by which all groundwater leaving Lockheed Martin property is collected for TCE and NDMA teatment. This includes groundwater from PJKS.
Annual Groundwater Monitoring
The Air Force monitors for NDMA and VOCs, including TCE, in the groundwater at PJKS every spring and fall. The most recent 2007 groundwater monitoring report shows no significant data changes. The trend indicates that the groundwater plume is stable.
Soils
In October 2005, the Air Force completed numerous interim measures, including excavating soils in 16 locations, known as the combined soils, that had high levels of PCBS. One of these locations will require an environmental covenant, which ensures restricted use, because some PCBs remain capped in place in that area. Currently, remediation is complete at 51 of the 53 contaminated soil areas at PJKS. The remaining two soil areas of concern will be addressed during the D-1 Landfill excavation in 2008.
Next Steps
- The Air Force will submit a formal Feasibility Study Workplan in 2008 to determine possibilities for the overall groundwater remedy. The Feasibility Study will include the results of the pilot studies already conducted to date. Ongoing groundwater interim actions will continue at the three source areas described above.
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Site-wide groundwater monitoring will continue annually.
- The final contaminated soil areas will be addressed with the D-1 Landfill excavation in 2008-09.
Operable Units (OUs)
To make the cleanup more manageable, PJKS has been divided into six Operable Units (OUs). An OU is made up of areas with certain qualities in common — for example, similar wastes or industrial processes. Cleanup is under way at each OU.
OU1 consists of systems and facilities that were used for testing equipment, which used mainly hydrazine fuels and nitrogen tetroxide.
OU2 covers the engineering propulsion laboratory facilities, where engines were tested. It is also where rocket propellant gas and flourine gas were generated. The investigation includes soils, building structures and groundwater. In October 2001, the Air Force completed a soil removal action at two high priority sites at OU2 — the Upper and Lower Volcanoes. About 6000 tons of PCB-contaminated soil were removed.
OU2 also contains the T8-A containment pond, which was cleaned by removing and treating the pond water, removing the sediment, and shutting off the sources of water to the pond. Today, the cleanup and closure of the T8-A pond is complete.
OU3 is made up of the test stands and deluge system where rocket engines were test fired. In 1986 two half-full drums of scrap metal alloy containing low levels of radioactive waste were removed from the D-1 Landfill, part of OU3. In fall 2005, the site investigation was completed at the D-1 landfill, including utility abandonment, well abandonment, and soil excavation. Cleanup will begin in 2008-2009.
OU4 involves the Lariat Gulch groundwater plume that affects groundwater, surface water and sediment along an unnamed Lariat Gulch tributary. The plume consists mainly of solvents. It extends north of the PJKS property boundary onto Lockheed Martin property. The remedial investigation for Lariat Gulch was completed in 2002. Cleanup options are now being developed via the Feasibility Study for groundwater.
OU5 covers the Brush Creek groundwater plume which flows beneath the West Fork of Brush Creek and one of its tributaries, also beneath the East Fork of Brush Creek. Groundwater beneath the East Fork of Brush Creek on PJKS property is monitored regularly. A geotechnical investigation was conducted there to help guide future remedial work.
OU6 is the ordnance-testing laboratory once used for detonation of waste detonators and ordnance. Suspected contaminants include propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics, pesticides, greases and oil solvents. It was recently confirmed that the Open Burning/Open Detonation Unit in OU6 requires no further cleanup.
The U.S. Air Force expects environmental remediation at Air Force Plant PJKS
to continue into 2014. Long-term treatment of groundwater source areas and groundwater pump and treatment systems will be ongoing.
Community Involvement
The PJKS Community Restoration Advisory Board has been involved in this cleanup effort since 1995. The RAB members are dedicated and important to the PJKS Restoration effort.
Rab meetings are held quarterly and are open to the public.
On-going response action activities and site-specific updates are mailed as fact sheets to the community mailing list.
Community interviews are conducted at least every three years to help identify potential community concerns.
An Information Repository is mainted for public viewing at the Columbine library.
At certain decision-making points in the environmental cleanup process, EPA requires that the Air Force publish in local papers a notice announcing any proposed action, where relevant information can be reviewed, and details of public meetings and comment periods.
Site Documents
Contacts
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EPA David Rathke Jennifer Chergo |
Colorado David Walker Danny Lutz |
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US Air Force Corey Lam Judy Charles, Public Affairs Specialist |
View Documents at: EPA Superfund Records Center Columbine Branch Library U.S. Air Force ASC/EMR Building 8 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) |
