Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek sits on 2,215 acres in Virginia Beach, Virginia, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The Navy has operated the base since 1946, originally as a training facility for landing craft personnel. Past activities, including vehicle and boat maintenance, boat painting, sandblasting, electroplating, laundry and dry cleaning operations, and pesticide application, left contamination in soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water. The EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in May 1999. A Federal Facilities Agreement signed in October 2003 by the Navy, EPA, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) guides the cleanup.
Contaminants at the site include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride, found mainly in groundwater. Chlorinated solvents including 1,1,1-trichloroethane and carbon tetrachloride were also detected. Metals such as arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel are present across multiple media. Pesticides like DDT and dieldrin were found in sediment near landfill areas, along with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pentachlorophenol. The site is also being investigated for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which came from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) used in firefighting.
The cleanup is organized into twelve operable units, each targeting a specific area or type of contamination. Remedies include soil covers, land use controls, groundwater monitoring, bioremediation, chemical oxidation, and natural attenuation. The site reached construction completion in 2015 and achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in August 2015. A final remedial action ran from February 2022 through October 2023. Seven operable units still require long-term groundwater monitoring. Two units, OU 07 (Site 13 PCP Tank) and OU 11 (Building 3033 Former Vehicle Repair Facility and Waste Oil Tank), have remedial investigations starting in June 2025, with completion estimated between June and August 2027. One operable unit, Site 10 Landfill, does not yet have a decision document. Human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. However, groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data on contaminated groundwater movement. Land use controls prohibit residential use, childcare facilities, schools, and playgrounds in affected areas. The most recent five-year review was completed in March 2024, and the next is scheduled for 2029.
Community members can review the 2022 Community Involvement Plan through the Navy's Community Outreach webpage. The Administrative Record is available online or in person at the Virginia Beach Central Library at 4100 Virginia Beach Boulevard. Questions can be directed to the EPA's Remedial Project Manager, Sydney Adams, or to contacts at the Navy's Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic and the Virginia DEQ.
