UST and Fuel Pipeline Removal Program at Alameda Point

In August 1994 there were 101 underground storage tanks (USTs) at the Alameda Point Naval Air Station (NAS). Eighty-three were inactive, thirteen were active, and five were exempt. The exempt tanks are used for emergency overflow containment and are not covered under UST regulations.

San Francisco Bay Navy Public Works Center (PWC) removed 66 of the inactive tanks by late summer 1995. Five other tanks are being proposed for closure in place since they are inaccessible for removal. The remaining 12 inactive USTs are scheduled for removal in Fiscal Year (FY)1997 along with the thirteen active USTs. In addition to these USTs, an Environmental Baseline Survey is being conducted and this survey identified 10 suspected USTs. There are currently being verified and if any are found they will also be removed.

Furthermore, approximately nine miles of inactive and one mile of active fuel lines are planned for removal or abandonment in FY 1997.

Excavation Confirmation Sampling

In general, the Navy followed the Tri-Regional Board Staff Recommendations for Preliminary Investigation and Evaluation of Underground Tank Sites. These recommendations include minimum verification analyses for underground tank leaks. The maximum concentration found in excavation samples during tank removal is provided in the UST Summary Tables. The tank condition (LEAK or OK) was evaluated based on the presence of petroleum products in the excavation and stockpiled soils and the criteria provided by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) staff for "clean soil".

Contaminated Soil Management

The contaminated soil generated from UST removal during 1994-95 was stockpiled in existing building B410, a paved area south of B547, and Area 37 for future deposition. The Navy has asked the RWQCB staff to review UST removal confirmation sampling results (soil pile data) and to recommend what to do with the soils. Based on review of the data and two site visits, RWQCB staff, in concurrence with DTSC staff, did not belief the soils posed a human health or ecological risk. However, RWQCB was concerned about erosion control during rain events. For this reason, RWQCB recommended the following:

CLEAN SOILS CAN BE USED ON AN UNCONDITIONAL BASIS.

gasoline:	less than 10 ppm
diesel:	less than 100 ppm
jet fuel:	less than 100 ppm
motor oil:	less than 1,000 ppm

SOILS SHOULD BE resampled (to see if petroleum was being degraded), landfilled, used for a vendor treatability study, or soil storage facility in compliance with Chapter 15 requirements should be built to store soils.

The soilpiles were removed in February and March of 1997 in most instances they were used to fill two abandoned water tanks on Parcels P12 and P13, and to modify the drainage system on the unpermitted Site IR15 Hazardous Waste Landfill at Parcel P15. A small portion of the soil was removed from the installation for off-site disposal.

Tank Identification

In general, UST Tank Identifications were based on the building number closest to the tank. For instance, Building 13 (B13) is located near UST T13-1. If more than one tank was located in the same location than the second tank was identified as T13-2.