The Navy recently met with peninsula residents at the Point Loma library to discuss its efforts to excavate, remove and dispose between 7,000 and 10,000 cubic yards of exposed automobile shredder residue from a site at the Naval Base Point Loma. According to the Navy, the waste could be a health risk to the surrounding area, as it contains harmful toxins.

THE SITE
The site, which is located on the base west of Catalina Boulevard, borders a canyon adjacent to the Point Loma Ecological Conservation Area (PLECA), a 640-acre protected ecosystem that ends at the Pacific Ocean.
The residue is fairly localized, most of it buried 20 to 30 feet below the surface in layers about 15 feet thick. “[The site] primarily is construction debris, soil, wood, concrete, asphalt,” said Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest representative Jason Sturm. “A smaller portion, which contains the shredder residue, has elevated concentrations of lead, cadmium, chromium, dioxins and PCB’s [polychlorinated biphenyls].”
But its gradual climb to the surface and proximity to homes, public areas, Navy facilities and environmental resources are just some of the reasons the Navy is requesting timely remediation of the problem.
Erosion of the hillside continues to expose shredder residue and it is unclear if toxins have leaked into the surrounding environment, said Strum, who added the near-torrential rains of 2004 and 2005 carved large channels in the canyon where debris could have reached the ocean.
Combined with the instability of the slope, which is beginning to show large rifts, the non-compacted fill shifts both vertically and laterally, said Naval Facilities Engineering Command representative Alan Vancil. The next storm could cause even more erosion and expose the environment, water, fish and eventually the residents of the San Diego to harmful, potentially deadly toxins.
“What we’re doing right now with the removal action is a preventive measure. It’s removing a potential threat,” said Navy public affairs officer Lee Saunders.
In 1986, the Naval Energy and Environmental Support Agency (NEESA) confirmed that the area was an undeveloped canyon prior to the 1950’s.
Recently, the Navy established that the canyon was filled with rubble and debris from the construction of the Fleet Combat Training Center, now known as the Commander, Third Fleet Headquarters, during the 1970s. It appears, however, that the shredder residue was dumped before much of the construction rubble, as it is found below the construction waste.

THE PLAN
The Navy has planned a comprehensive, multi-faceted removal effort in order to protect residents and the environment during the process. Everything from site preparation to dust and erosion control will be checked and measured to ensure the safest possible path for removal.
Excavation is scheduled to begin this September and run through December. Approximately 20 to 30 trucks a day will travel up Catalina Boulevard to Nimitz Boulevard to the I-8 to Highway 163 to I-15. Shaw Environmental Representative Rich Wong said that they are fully prepared to handle any type of circumstance and are confident in their drivers who have been doing this type of work for many years.
Hazardous material will be transferred to one of the few sites in the nation that accepts this type of hazardous waste, U.S. Ecology’s Beatty operation 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nev. Non-hazardous construction waste will be taken to the Miramar Landfill, according to the plan.
Prior to removal, the Navy will build a new access road extending from Catalina Boulevard to the excavation site to provide easier access for trucks and other large vehicles than provided by the current road, Electron Drive.
Monitoring the air will also be a priority, Sturm continued. To prevent dust and debris from reaching unsafe levels in the air, the Navy plans to install an 8-foot-tall fence as a physical barrier, as well as wet the ground with water and a special compound designed to create a “crust.”
Initially, only the automobile shredder residue and the hazardous material will be removed, not the construction fill that was placed on top. Further action depends on continuous monitoring of the area, said Sturm.
Restoring and re-filling the hole left at the site will be among the last steps of the process. The excavated part of the site will be refilled with engineered clean-fill and revegetated with native flora. Sturm said the Navy could propose to stop work there and simply monitor the site if COPC levels are found to fall within an “acceptable risk range.”
“It’s not going to be an easy removal but we can accomplish it and it will provide a long-term solution.” Said Sturm.

COMMENTS
The Navy welcomes the public’s comments on the Time Critical Removal Action for Navy Base Point Loma Site 1, which is available for review at the Point Loma Library, Voltaire St. The 30 day public comment period extends from Aug. 15 through Sept. 14.