Port Hadlock Detachment is a 2,700-acre U.S. Navy facility on Indian Island near Port Townsend, Washington. The Navy has used it for munitions storage and handling since 1939. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List and later deleted it in 2005 after cleanup was completed. The site is now ready for its anticipated uses, with all cleanup goals met and land-use controls in place.
Contamination came from landfills, storage areas, burn pits, and disposal sites across the property. Groundwater, soil, sediment, and shellfish were affected. EPA identified 33 contaminants of concern, all within Operable Unit 1 (Site 10, the North End Landfill area). Groundwater contaminants include arsenic, lead, mercury, benzene, PCBs, and pesticides such as gamma-chlordane and DDT compounds. Soil contaminants include arsenic, beryllium, PCBs, and several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A third category covers RDX (an ordnance compound), pentachlorophenol, and other chemicals. People could be exposed by touching or ingesting contaminated groundwater, soil, or sediment, or by eating contaminated fish. Wildlife feeding in or near contaminated water bodies also faces risk. Human exposure is currently under control, though groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data.
The Navy is the lead agency responsible for cleanup. A remedial investigation began in 1991, and EPA finalized the cleanup plan in August 1995. The plan selected an engineered cap, monitoring, and institutional controls for Site 10. The Navy completed capping and erosion protection at the North End Landfill by 1997. Six additional contaminated areas found after 1995 were addressed through removal actions or closures. The site achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in June 2006. As a federal facility, the site undergoes five-year reviews on a regular schedule. The most recent review was completed on August 6, 2025. The 2020 review found cleanup actions remain protective in the short term but noted the Navy needs to address shoreline erosion at Site 10 and maintain monitoring and land-use controls.
Community members can follow ongoing activities through the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest website, where the sixth five-year review document is expected to be posted. For questions, the Navy's public affairs office can be reached at (360) 340-5592 or navfacnwpao@us.navy.mil. EPA's Remedial Project Manager can be contacted with questions. EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator is also available to help connect the public with site documents and information.
