NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER

NOVEMBER 2015

KIMBERLY FINCHNASA AMES PROJECT MANAGER

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• FY16 Site Management Plan (SMP)– Draft Final SMP under review; Final SMP: December 2015

• Community Involvement Plan (CIP): Sept. 2015

• AOI 6 Former Storm Drain Ditch– Multiple soil removal actions conducted from 1990-2001

(lead and PCBs)

– Draft Remedial Action Completion Report (Oct 2015) under review

• NASA VI area of responsibility – 7 buildings– Draft Tier Response Evaluation Report (July 2015) under

review; Tiers 3B/3A (long-term monitoring)

NASA AMES UPDATENOVEMBER 2015 RAB

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Upcoming activities

• Land Use Control Implementation and Monitoring Plan (FY16)

• VI monitoring NASA buildings

• AOI 14 Action Memorandum and Removal Action

NASA AMES UPDATENOVEMBER 2015 RAB

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Information: https://environment.arc.nasa.gov

NASA AMES UPDATENOVEMBER 2015 RAB

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AREA OF INVESTIGATION 14REMOVAL ACTION

OVERVIEW

NOVEMBER 2015

KEVIN BRICKNELL, PE

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Site Background

Engineering Evaluation/ Cost Analysis

OVERVIEW

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Action Memorandum

Cleanup (removal action)

AOI 14 SITE BACKGROUND.

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● Over 400 soil samples collected from AOI 14 during various investigations conducted from 1992 to 2014

● N217 and N217A Areas: 

● 5.5 acres, native and fill material

● Areas do not pose unacceptable risk to human and ecological receptors

● Former Soil Fill Area:  

● 8 acres, fill material placed on existing surface of stormwaterretention pond 

● Area poses potential current and future risk to human and ecological receptors

• Fill material placed at the Former Soil Fill Area (FSFA) is – contaminated with PCBs, DDT, and Lead– potential source of contamination to surrounding stormwater pond (Navy

Installation Restoration (IR) Site 25)

REASON FOR REMOVAL ACTION AT AOI 14

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• NASA, with EPA and Water Board concurrence, is conducting a non-time critical removal action (NTCRA) to prevent erosion of contaminated soil from AOI 14 to adjacent Navy IR Site 25

REASON FOR REMOVAL ACTION AT AOI 14

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– Currently, silt fence in place to prevent soil erosion

• NTCRA intended to:– Evaluate and address all

potential human and ecological risks

– Serve as the final action at AOI 14

• Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (Final September 2015)– Summarizes contaminants, potential risks, and exposure pathways– Evaluates cleanup options for effectiveness, implementability, and cost– 30-day Public Comment Period completed October 5, 2015

• Action Memorandum (Ongoing)– Documents the cleanup decision process and identifies the selected cleanup option

• Removal Action (Targeted for September 2016 to March 2017)– Removal Action Work Plan—design document– Implements the cleanup action

AOI 14 TIMELINE

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Objectives:• Prevent erosion of contaminated soil to protect wetland receptors

• Prevent terrestrial ecological receptor exposure to contaminated surface and subsurface soil

• Prevent industrial worker exposure to contaminated surface and subsurface soil

Cleanup Goals:• Consistent with Site 25 cleanup goals for DDT, PCBs, Lead

REMOVAL ACTION OBJECTIVES AND CLEANUP GOALS

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• AOI 14 Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis evaluated and compared three cleanup alternatives:– Alternative 1: No Action– Alternative 2: Soil Cover and institutional controls– Alternative 3: Excavation and Off-site Disposal

EE/CA ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION

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Alternative 3: Excavation and Off-site Disposal

• Excavation of all fill material in the northern portion of the FSFA where contaminant concentrations exceed cleanup goals

• Transportation of contaminated soil off site to an appropriate disposal facility

• Grading of disturbed areas for stormwater drainage, revegetation, and habitat mitigation

NASA’S SELECTED ALTERNATIVE FOR AOI 14

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Clean SoilDirty Soil

Excavate

Regrade

Native Soil

AOI 14 EXCAVATION

Implementation of Alternative 3 will:

• Allow complete onsite habitat mitigation and habitat improvement

RESULTS OF AOI 14 REMOVAL ACTION

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• Allow for unrestricted site use

• Require no long-term O&M

• Serve as the final action for AOI 14

• Finalize the Action Memorandum (April 2016)

• Removal Action Work Plan (August 2016)

• Implementation (September 2016 to March 2017)

• Removal Action Completion Report (October 2017)

NEXT STEPS

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QUESTIONS?

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