EPA Issues Fine To Navy Over Munitions RI/FS

Seattle, Washington Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 issued a $45,000 fine to the Navy as a result of a formal dispute resolution process involving UXO cleanup options examined in the Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS) for the Jackson Park site. The 232-acre property located in Bremerton, Washington on the EPA's Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) was once home to the former Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD) Puget Sound that operated from 1904 to 1959. The UXO or discarded military munitions (DMM) in the area are the result of past activities conducted at the NAD including the mishandling of military munitions primarily during and after WW I and WW II.

The Jackson Park housing complex was constructed on the site in the early 1970s without a through UXO cleanup or removal taking place. Now almost 4 decades later, the Navy is involved in the remedial action process to address UXO and other environmental hazards at the site. The initial RI/FS issued by the Navy acknowledged that subsurface UXO and DMM exist on the property and in nearby Ostrich Bay. The Navy is currently relying on education and signage to protect local residents, the public and the Suquamish Tribe.

The EPA contended that the Navy needed to consider more rigorous UXO and DMM cleanup options in the RI/FS for the residential and shoreline areas of the property. This disagreement led to a formal dispute resolution process that was recently concluded with the Navy agreeing to look at a broader range of alternatives. The Navy has also submitted a revised plan for the site, which is currently under review by EPA. As a result of the formal dispute, EPA assessed $45,000 in stipulated penalties.

According to an EPA's news release on the issues, top EPA officials have stated - "the original feasibility study submitted by the Navy did not meet federal Superfund requirements for considering the full and appropriate range of cleanup alternatives. EPA maintained that since both housing complex residents and the public have easy access to the area, the Navy must consider investigating a broader range of upland and intertidal area cleanup alternatives, including more munitions removal.....with this agreement in place, we're satisfied with the Navy's commitment to consider more removal alternatives for the subsurface munitions at the site."