This Superfund site covers about 20 square miles of groundwater beneath North Hollywood and Burbank, California. It was added to the National Priorities List in June 1986 after assessments identified widespread contamination. The site is divided into four operable units: a basinwide unit, two North Hollywood units, and a Burbank unit. Cleanup work has been active for decades, but the site has not yet reached construction completion or sitewide readiness for reuse.
The primary concern is groundwater contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified 20 contaminants of concern, all found in groundwater. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene (TCE), tetrachloroethene (PCE), benzene, and carbon tetrachloride. Other contaminants include 1,4-dioxane, hexavalent chromium, perchlorate, arsenic, and 1,2,3-TCP. Multiple industrial parties introduced these chemicals over time. The contaminated groundwater sits about 250 feet below the surface, which makes vapor intrusion and worker inhalation exposures unlikely. EPA has determined that human exposure is under control, though groundwater migration is not yet stabilized.
Two major pump-and-treat systems are running. In the North Hollywood area, a system operating since 1989 has extracted and treated roughly eight billion gallons of contaminated groundwater using aeration and granular activated carbon filtering. EPA selected a second remedy to address hexavalent chromium and 1,4-dioxane through wellhead treatment and is proposing to reinject treated groundwater into source areas. In the Burbank area, the remedy has been running since 1996 and has removed about 36 billion gallons of contaminated groundwater. The City of Burbank blends extracted water with treated water to lower nitrate levels and distributes it through the public water supply.
The most recent five-year review, completed September 28, 2023, found that response actions protect public health and the environment in the short term. Continued protectiveness requires modifications to the North Hollywood treatment system and further work on chromium and 1,4-dioxane. A new remedial investigation and feasibility study for the Burbank unit is estimated to wrap up between July and September 2027. The second North Hollywood remedy unit began its remedial action phase in September 2023, with design and action work estimated to continue through late 2028. The next five-year review is estimated between September and November 2028. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions, limit land uses that could expose people to contamination. Currently, 150 businesses operate on-site, employing about 4,741 people.
Community members with questions can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the primary Remedial Project Manager. Operable unit contacts are also available for more specific inquiries.
