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Washington Navy Yard
Current Site Information
EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)
District of ColumbiaEPA ID# DC9170024310
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Congressional District
Last Update: January 2009
Other Names
NoneCurrent Site Status
EPA is in the process of setting up a meeting to discuss risk assessment and background issues as they relate to the sediment contamination in the Anacostia River. The meeting will take place in the 3rd or 4th week of February 2009. The Navy has developed a revised approach for Phase II of the Near Shore Sediments in the River. SSA 12 (Base Wide Fill) workplan is scheduled to be submitted to EPA in March 2009. The Navy is scheuled to submit a draft RI for Site 6 in March 2009. The Navy is scheduled to submit a Draft RI report for sites 21, 22, and 23 in March 2009. EPA has completed it's review of the Site 10 ROD the ROD is scheduled to be signed March 2009. The Eco-Subgroup will continue to assist the team with it's ecological risk assessments.The ROD for sites 8 & 17 is scheduled to be signed in June 2009.Site Description
The site, located at 901 M Street, SE, is bordered by the Anacostia River to the south, by the Southeast Federal Center to the west, and by public housing to the north. The Southeast Federal Center is not included as part of the Washington Navy Yard site.
The Navy Yard is designated as a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) gaining facility because employees have already begun moving into the facility. In January 1997, the Navy completed a BRAC Construction Environmental Investigation on the affected buildings. The investigation analyzed samples taken from soils, groundwater, and inside buildings. The BRAC buildings have also gone through a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and the Navy Environmental Section has provided recommendations to their design agents on precautions that must be taken to ensure that the buildings are safe for occupancy. The view of the Navy is that there are no areas of concern located in the BRAC areas, except for site 6, the incinerator area, which was handled as a removal action during the Summer of 1998.
EPA Region III issued a RCRA 7003 order (effective July 16, 1997) that required the Navy to perform the removals as interim measures (under Superfund procedures), perform further studies, and clean up the site based on the results of the studies. The RCRA 7003 order remained in effect until EPA and the Department of the Navy signed a final Superfund Interagency Agreement on June 30, 1999. The Navy has supported the listing of the site on the NPL, and EPA Region III received a letter from former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry dated November 1, 1996, which also supported the NPL listing of the Washington Navy Yard.
The Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) between the Navy Yard, District of Columbia, and EPA was signed on June 30, 1999. Numerous cleanup projects have been implemented at the Washington Navy Yard including lead paint, PCB, and mercury removal and the rehabilitation of almost six miles of stormwater and sewer pipes. Additional work is being done at several other sites at the Yard. The partnering team has made an agreement in principle regarding an approach to site-wide background.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Anacostia Watershed Society have been working with the Navy and EPA to develop a supplemental environmental project that would benefit the community. Local community concern is focused on pollution in the Anacostia River. EPA Region III is also working to identify other Federal and non-Federal facilities that may be contributing to pollution in the Anacostia River as part of our involvement with the Anacostia Watershed Toxics Alliance. The Navy took sediment samples in the Anacostia River in September/October 2006. The validated results will be presented at the next paretnering meeting on February 7, 2007.
Progress has continued throughout the past year at the Washington Navy Yard with the following accomplishments:
* Site 6 (Building 118) -- removal of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-impacted sediment, groundwater, and construction debris. The sump inside Building 118 was also modified to minimize groundwater entry, resulting in a significant decrease in groundwater volume requiring treatment from the sump. Approximately 42,000-gallons of groundwater were treated during the removal action and 23 55-gallon drums of sediment were removed. A focused RI report for site 6 was finalized in September 2005. Based on the results of the Site 6 RI the Navy conducted a supplemental RI report which inclued additonal sampling and a revised report. The RI report was completed in June 2007 and the Action Memo for the EE/CA was signed in August 2007. The ROD is scheduled to be completed in January 2010.
* The Remedial Investigation for Site 16 (presence of free-phase mercury) was completed April 2002. Site 16 was the first site investigated at the Washington Navy Yard based on the presence of free-phase mercury. DC DOH Comments for site 16 have been resolved and the team reached consensus on it's approach to the FS. The Navy will collect a minimum of two additional discrete samples at the base of the mercury excavation as part of the FS. The FS was reviewed by the Navy in August 2004. Site 16 has since been put together with site 5 for ROD purposes. The ROD was signed on September 29, 2006
* With the cooperation of the Naval District Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and local community groups, a bi-monthly environmental open house is held at the Washington Navy Yard. This open house will be held at a local church because it will be in conjunction with the public meeting for Site 4. The open house sessions provide an opportunity for the community to ask questions and view informational posters and displays about environmental issues of interest at and around the Washington Navy Yard. Informational posters were displayed by the Washington Navy Yard, GSA (Southeast Federal Center), IT/OHM (Storm Sewer Project), Bridges to Friendship, and the Anacostia Watershed Toxics Alliance. The environmental open houses have currently been held in conjuction with the RAB meetings which are now held quarterly. RAB meetings were held on March 7, 2007, June 6, 2007 and September 5, 2007. The next meeting will be held December 5, 2007 where EPA will have a joint meeting with the respective Tier II representatives of the participating partnering orginazations, EPA, Navy and the DCDOE. representatives from EPA, DCDOE and the Navy briefed the RAB and community at large regarding the Proposed Plan for the Phase II Sites 1,2,3,7,9,11 and 13 at the aforementioned March 7, 2007 RAB meeting. The ROD for this was signed in September 2007.
No Further Action Decision Report (NFADR) EPA along with DDOE and the Navy signed the NFADR for SSAs 1,2,6,7,11, and 13. The document was signed in December 2006 and officially closes out these SSAs.
The Navy Yard took a proactive approach to addressing toxics loading to the river during storm events by initiating a Low Impact Development (LID) program at the Yard. Several LID projects were completed in 2005 in an attempt to help improve the water quality of the Anacostia River.
Almost six miles of storm sewer have been rehabilitated. This action included sewer lining, excavation, and repairs, and was completed in 2005.
Site Responsibility
The United States NavyNPL Listing History
Proposed Date: 03/06/1998.Public comment period closed 05/05/1998.
NPL Listing Date: 07/28/1998
Threats and Contaminants
The principal contaminants at the site are Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a combination of heavy metals including lead, polycyclic biphenols (PCBs), and dioxins.Contaminant descriptions and associated risk factors are available from the Agency for Toxic Substance Disease Registry (ATSDR), an arm of the CDC, website at:
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html