Fort Ord is a 27,827-acre former U.S. Army base in Monterey County, California, that closed in 1994 after operating since 1917. The Army added it to EPA's Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Contamination came from leaking petroleum storage tanks, a 150-acre landfill, fire drill areas, motor pool sites, small arms ranges, and an 8,000-acre firing range. The site has been divided into 13 operable units, each targeting specific contamination problems in different areas.
Contaminants are spread across soil, groundwater, and surface areas. Groundwater contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and vinyl chloride. Surface soils hold heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic, along with petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticide residues including DDT and dieldrin. Explosive-related compounds, TNT, RDX, and HMX, are present in soils, and unexploded ordnance including artillery projectiles, rockets, grenades, land mines, and bombs remain in parts of the firing range. EPA has identified over 80 chemicals of concern at the site.
Cleanup is carried out under a Federal Facility Agreement signed in 1990 by the Army, EPA, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and California Regional Water Quality Control Board. The Army leads most of the cleanup, with EPA providing oversight. The Fort Ord Reuse Authority manages a privatized portion under a separate agreement with EPA and state regulators. Active cleanup work includes groundwater treatment systems at three locations, landfill capping with gas removal, and soil vapor extraction for VOCs. The Army also maintains fencing, warning signs, and patrols to limit access to munitions areas. Contaminated groundwater is not being used as a drinking water source, and a plume that migrated near Marina has been remediated.
As of the most recent five-year review in September 2022, construction cleanup is not complete and the site is not yet ready for its anticipated use. Groundwater migration is under control, but EPA performance measures indicate human exposure is not yet under control. A partial deletion of 11,934 acres from the NPL occurred in May 2021, covering military munitions and soil pollution cleanup on those acres. Groundwater and soil gas cleanup on deleted acres, and all cleanup on the remaining 15,893 acres, continue under Superfund. The next five-year review is expected between September and November 2027. More than 19,280 acres have already been transferred to new owners, including the Bureau of Land Management and California State University, which now hosts CSU Monterey Bay on the former base.
Community members can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager for information. State contacts at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board are also available. Key documents and five-year review reports are accessible through EPA's Superfund database.
