Intel Corp. (Santa Clara III)

Overview

This 4-acre site at 2880 Northwestern Parkway in Santa Clara, California was used by Intel for chemical quality control and microprocessor testing from 1976 until 2008. Volatile organic compounds were released into shallow groundwater, threatening drinking water supplies for Santa Clara Valley residents. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1986 and has led cleanup efforts since 2006, with assistance from the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Five contaminants were identified in groundwater: 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, and trichloroethene. EPA determined each poses an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment based on the amounts found and potential exposure effects. The main health concern involves ingesting or touching contaminated groundwater.

Intel constructed a groundwater treatment system in 1985 and operated it until 1994. The original cleanup plan, selected in September 1990, used carbon adsorption, treatment, surface water discharge under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, and institutional controls. By 2010, only a limited area of contamination remained, and a Record of Decision Amendment adopted in September 2010 shifted the approach to monitored natural attenuation. Physical construction of the cleanup was completed in August 1992, and operation and maintenance activities continued under state oversight through November 2018.

Multiple five-year reviews conducted from 1995 through 2016 confirmed that the cleanup protects public health and the environment. The 2016 review found groundwater contamination had been reduced to below drinking water standards. Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site achieved its readiness for anticipated reuse in September 2010, and EPA deleted it from the National Priorities List on September 24, 2019. The property now operates as a data storage center run by Vantage Data Centers, with no restrictions on future use.

Community members with questions about the site can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator.