Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Cheatham Annex sits in Williamsburg, Virginia. It has a long industrial history, first as a World War I shell-loading plant and later as a Navy weapons storage facility. That history left behind contamination serious enough to land the site on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List. One source gives the NPL listing date as January 2001, another as December 2000. The site is divided into 24 operable units covering landfills, disposal areas, groundwater zones, and areas with specific contaminants.
Contaminants found at the site include metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, and several others. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the pesticides DDT and DDD, and Aroclor 1260 (an industrial chemical mixture) have been found in soil, sediment, and groundwater. The Navy is also investigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which were likely released through firefighting foam used at the site. Exposure can happen by ingesting, touching, or inhaling contaminants, or by eating contaminated fish.
The Department of the Navy leads the cleanup under a Federal Facilities Agreement signed in March 2005 with EPA and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Several operable units have reached decisions requiring no further action, including the Site 1 Landfill, the Site 11 Bone Yard, the Old DuPont Disposal Area, and the Penniman Area of Concern groundwater. However, many units are still in early investigation stages, with remedial investigation and feasibility study work estimated to run through 2027 and 2028. No operable unit has yet reached construction completion or sitewide readiness for reuse. Physical cleanup construction is not yet complete across the site.
To reduce risk now, catch-and-release fishing restrictions are in place at Penniman Lake and Youth Pond. Land use controls block residential construction, daycares, schools, and playgrounds in restricted areas, and prevent access to contaminated groundwater. EPA assessments currently show human exposure is under control, though groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data.
Community members can get involved through a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) being reestablished by EPA, the Virginia DEQ, and the Navy. A 2021 Community Involvement Plan outlines participation options. The Administrative Record is available in person at the York County Public Library at 8500 George Washington Memorial Highway in Yorktown, or online through EPA's databases. The Navy also maintains a website with current cleanup status information.
