Tyndall Air Force Base sits on a narrow peninsula about one mile southeast of Panama City, Florida, covering roughly 29,000 acres. The EPA added it to the National Priorities List in 1997. The site is divided into 57 operable units, each addressing a different contaminated area such as former landfills, fire training sites, crash sites, and industrial facilities. Remedial action officially began on March 27, 2018, and the most recent five-year review was completed on August 21, 2024.
Past operations released several contaminants into soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water. Lead, antimony, and arsenic appear in soil at former range areas including the Tower Range, Beacon Beach Gunnery area, and Skeet Range East. Lead has also been found in groundwater at Skeet Range East. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzo(a)pyrene compounds are present in soil at multiple landfill and range sites. Polychlorinated biphenyls, specifically Aroclor 1254 and Aroclor 1260, were found in soil at the Beacon Road Landfill. Investigators also found chlorinated solvents in groundwater near the flightline and hangar area, and DDT breakdown products in sediment at Shoal Point Bayou.
The U.S. Air Force is the lead cleanup agency, with EPA oversight and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection serving as co-regulator. A Federal Facility Agreement signed on September 20, 2013, guides the work. Completed actions include emergency removal of lead-shot-contaminated soil at Tyndall Elementary School in 2015 and 2016, remedial action at a former landfill contaminated with polyaromatic hydrocarbons and metals, excavation and offsite disposal of waste at a landfill contaminated with benzo(a)pyrene, and stabilization and excavation at a former training range with lead shot. Several operable units, including the Wherry Landfill, Beacon Road Landfill, and Beacon Beach Gunnery area, have finished remedial action. The EPA granted partial NPL deletions for completed operable units in 2023 and 2024.
EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable human exposure pathways exist at this time. However, migration of contaminated groundwater has not yet been fully evaluated, physical construction is not complete, and the site is not ready for anticipated reuse. Many operable units are still in the investigation or feasibility study phase, with remedy decisions expected through 2027 and 2028. Military fencing and security personnel restrict public access to the entire base.
Community members can follow cleanup progress through the site's Technical Review Committee, which keeps interested parties informed. The Air Force announces public meetings on proposed remedies through local newspaper ads. To join the Technical Review Committee or learn about upcoming meetings, contact the EPA's Remedial Project Manager. Public records related to cleanup are available at the Tyndall Base Library at 640 Suwannee Road, Building 916, or at the Bay County Library at 898 West 11th Street in Panama City.
