Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center sits in Indian Head, Maryland, and has operated as a naval explosives and propellants testing facility since 1890. Over a century of manufacturing, testing, and waste disposal contaminated soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment across the property. The site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in September 1995. Cleanup is governed by a December 2000 Federal Facilities Agreement between the EPA, the State of Maryland, and the U.S. Navy. The site has been divided into 63 operable units covering different geographic areas and contamination problems.
Contaminants of concern span several media types. Groundwater contains volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, vinyl chloride, and various dichloroethene forms, along with metals including arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese, and thallium. Soil and sediment hold arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and other metals at locations like the Caffe Road Landfill and the IWO/Scrap Yard. The IWO/Scrap Yard also has dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in soil. Additional groundwater contaminants include carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and perchlorate. The Navy is also investigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically PFOA and PFOS, which were used in firefighting foam. Health risks include exposure through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation of contaminated media, eating contaminated fish, and encountering unexploded ordnance on-site.
The U.S. Navy leads cleanup efforts and updates a Site Management Plan each year covering all 114 areas. EPA has issued Records of Decision for 12 operable units, with remediation strategies ranging from bioremediation and chemical oxidation to excavation and engineered caps. Several areas have finished remedial action, including former drum loading areas, landfills, and spill sites. Many units tied to unexploded ordnance ranges are still in investigation phases, with cleanup activities estimated through 2028. Human exposure control and groundwater migration control both have insufficient data to determine whether conditions are under control. Physical construction is not yet complete, and the site has not been deleted from the National Priorities List. The most recent five-year review was completed in August 2022 and found that current remedies protect public health in the short term. The next five-year review is scheduled for 2027.
Community members can get involved through the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB), which holds annual meetings each October at the Indian Head Senior Community Center. These meetings are open to the public. The Navy also maintains a community outreach website with details on the RAB and the site's Community Involvement Plan. Records can be reviewed at the Charles County Public Library in La Plata, Maryland, or at the EPA Region III office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by appointment.
