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NPL Site Narrative for Fort Ord
FORT ORD
Marina, California
Federal Register Notice: February 21, 1990
Conditions at proposal (July 14, 1989): Fort Ord covers 46 square miles on Monterey Bay approximately 5.6 miles north of Monterey, Monterey County, California. The installation is bordered by the City of Marina and the Salinas River to the north, El Toro Creek to the east, Seaside and Del Rey Oaks to the south, and Monterey Bay to the west.
Fort Ord was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range for units then stationed at the Presidio of Monterey. Its primary mission now is training. Industrial operations at Fort Ord include vehicle maintenance areas, a battery charging/repair facility, photographic processing laboratories, spray painting operations, a plastics shop, laundry/dry cleaning facilities, vehicle wash racks, and a small arms repair shop. Chemicals and hazardous wastes were managed and disposed of at Fort Ord.
According to tests conducted by the Army in 1986, elevated levels of contaminants were detected in off-base ground water. The contamination is emanating from the base and may be contaminating the drinking water supplies of the City of Marina; however, the exact location of the source has not yet been identified. The contaminants include carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene. An estimated 38,600 people obtain drinking water from wells within 3 miles of hazardous substances on the fort. Ground water is also used for irrigation. In addition, soil and ground water are contaminated at the Fire Drill Area, where approximately 600 gallons of petroleum products have been spilled. Fort Ord has identified at least 18 other contamination problems.
Fort Ord is participating in the Installation Restoration Program (IRP), established in 1978. Under this program, the Department of Defense seeks to identify, investigate, and clean up contamination from hazardous materials. As part of IRP, the Army is implementing a sampling plan to investigate ground water contamination. The Army is treating contaminated soil and ground water at nearby Fritzsche Army Airfield Fire Drill Area.
Status (February 21, 1990): IRP activities continue.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.