Norfolk Naval Shipyard sits in Portsmouth, Virginia, and covers several areas including a 533-acre main shipyard, storage annexes, former landfills, and disposal areas. The Navy proposed the site to the National Priorities List in March 1998, and it was finalized on the list in July 1999. A Federal Facilities Agreement signed in September 2004 between the Navy, EPA, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) set the framework for cleanup.
Contaminants found in soil include metals such as arsenic, barium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, vanadium, and zinc. The site also contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). These were found across several areas, including the Paradise Creek Disposal Area and the 1927 Landfill. The Navy is also investigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which came from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) used in firefighting at the site. Current assessments indicate human exposure is under control, but groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data.
The site is divided into ten operable units. Completed work includes remediation of the Scott Center Landfill, the Paradise Creek soil disposal area, the Southgate Annex, the Metal Plating Shop and its industrial wastewater treatment plant, and the 1927 Landfill. Two former landfills, New Gosport and Scott Center, were addressed through waste removal and creation of tidal wetlands. Cleanup remedies at various units include soil covers, land use controls, and restrictions prohibiting residential housing, childcare facilities, and schools. Work on Paradise Creek groundwater began in January 2010 and continues. Investigations for two additional units, the 1942-54 Landfill and the Fire Station area, are starting in 2025. The most recent five-year review was completed in August 2021. Different source documents list the next review as either 2024 or between August and October 2026. Physical construction is not yet complete across all units, and the site has not been deleted from the National Priorities List.
Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program. The EPA, Virginia DEQ, and the Navy are working to reestablish a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) to give the public a role in cleanup decisions. The most recent Community Involvement Plan was finalized in 2019. The Navy maintains an Administrative Record with detailed public files, available online or in person at the Portsmouth Main Library at 601 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, phone (757) 393-8501.
