Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

CERCLA
In response to environmental problems posed by past hazardous waste disposal practices, Congress directed theEPA  to develop a program to manage and control past disposal sites. This program was outlined in theComprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 and was amended by theSuperfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. CERCLA and SARA established a series of programs for the clean up of hazardous waste disposal and spill sites nationwide.

CERCLA also established the National Priorities List (NPL), which guides the EPA in determining which sites require further investigation. MCB Camp Pendleton was placed on the NPL on November 15, 1989.

SARA
SARA amended CERCLA on October 17, 1986, after the EPA had administered the Superfund program for six years. SARA made several important changes and additions to the program. It stressed the importance of permanent remedies and innovative treatment technologies in cleaning up hazardous waste sites and required Superfund actions to consider the standards and requirements found in other State and Federal environmental laws and regulations. In addition, it provided new enforcement authorities and settlement tools, and increased State involvement in every phase of the Superfund program.

SARA also increased the focus on human health problems posed by hazardous waste sites; encouraged greater citizen participation in making decisions on how sites should be cleaned up; and increased available funding for these purposes.

IR Program
The DoD (Department of Defense) developed the IR Program in 1986 to identify, assess, characterize, and clean up or control contamination from past hazardous waste disposal operations and hazardous materials spills at United States Navy and Marine Corps installations. In addition, the IR Program is charged with making every effort to reduce the risk to human health and the environment.

The IR Program is the DoD's equivalent to the EPA Superfund program. To ensure consistency, IR Program cleanup actions reasonably interpret and apply EPA policy and guidance when making cleanup decisions. The program was established to meet federal requirements regarding the clean up of hazardous waste sites, outlined in CERCLA, as amended by SARA.

Learn more about the IR Sites on MCB Camp Pendleton.

• Initial Assessment Study
• Sources of Contamination at MCB Camp Pendleton
• Federal Facilities Agreement
• Current IR Site Status
• Active IR Sites Summary

Initial Assessment Study
Naval Energy and Environmental Support Activity (NEESA) conducted an Initial Assessment Study (IAS) of MCB Camp Pendleton in September 1984, resulting in the identification of eight potentially contaminated sites. In July 1988, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest (NAVFAC SW) [formerly SW DIV] conducted a Site Investigation (SI) of the Base, identifying an additional 66 IR Sites, resulting in a total of 74 IR Sites.

Contamination
Contamination at MCB Camp Pendleton primarily resulted from past waste disposal practices, relating to maintenance and repair of trucks, tanks, and aircraft that generated vehicular fluids and solvents, many of which are now out of date due to the development of environmental regulatory guidelines. Base support operations, such as pest control and dry cleaning, have also generated contamination. IR Site 3, the Pest Control Wash Rack in 26 Area, was affected by pesticides and led to MCB Camp Pendleton's placement on the federal NPL on November 15, 1989.

Federal Facilties Agreement
In 1990, theDepartment of the Navy (DON) , Marine Corps, and regulatory agencies entered into a Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The FFA is a legally binding document that outlines the schedule for completing the investigation and cleanup of sites at the Base. Parties to the FFA included the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) , California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), the Navy, and the Marine Corps. The FFA specifies the working relationships among the Marine Corps and each agency.

View more information on the FFA at MCB Camp Pendleton, including historical Meeting Mintues and upcoming meeting dates.

Current Status of IR Sites
The Installation Restoration (IR) Program at Camp Pendleton originally grouped IR Sites into five Operable Units (OUs) based on similarities, such as types of environmental issues, selected cleanup methods, and/or geographic location. Currently, Records of Decision (RODs) have been signed for OUs 1 through 4, and portions of OU 5. IR Program activities are ongoing for IR Site 7 (OU-5), as well as six other sites that are being addressed individually, without incorporation into an OU.

The table to the below summarizes the active IR Sites on Camp Pendleton. In addition, there are three sites which have been closed, yet are undergoing revegetation under the IR Program. For a visual reference of the active IR Sites on Base, reference the map below.

Operating Unit (OUI)	Site Number	Description
OU-3	IR Site 7	20 Area Box Canyon Landfill
OU-4	IR Site 1D	20 Area Refuse Burning Ground
OU-5	IR Site 1H	Refuse Burning Area Near 62 Area
OU-5	IR Site 13	12 Area (Former Location of Bldgs 1280 & 1283)
OU-5	IR Site 21	Former Fuel Dock Facility
OU-5	IR Site 33	South of 52 Area Armory
OU-5	Site 62	62 Area Former Asphalt Batch Plant
OU-5	IR Site 1111	26 Area (Ash & Debris Disposal Area) *RACR Final/NFA iROD pending)
OU-5	IR Site 1115	13 Area FSSG Lot
OU-5	22/23 Area Groundwater	22//23 Area
No OU	IR Site 150	Bldg. 210577
No OU	Site 1114	41 Area Arroyo
No OU	Site 1116	14 Area Groundwater
No OU	Site 1117	15/16 Area Groundwater
No OU	Site 1118	21/26/52 Area Groundwater
No OU	Site 1119	26 Area Groundwater

IR Sites Undergoing Revegetation

Operating Unit (OU)	Site Number	Description
OU-3	IR Site 1A	14 Area Refuse Burning Ground
OU-5	IR Site 1A-1	14 Area Waste-Burn Pits
OU-4	IR Site 30	31 Area