Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base

Overview

Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base is a 5,687-acre equipment maintenance and storage facility east of Barstow, California. It was added to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in November 1989. Investigators have identified 38 areas of contamination, mainly tied to vehicle-related and war surplus wastes. Cleanup is still in progress across the site.

Contaminants have been found in both groundwater and soil. Groundwater contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, benzene, and several chlorinated methanes. Soil contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals such as lead, cadmium, copper, and antimony, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pentachlorophenol, and semi-volatile organic compounds. The EPA determined these substances pose unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.

The Marine Corps has led several cleanup actions. Contaminated sludge in old wastewater lagoons was excavated and treated in 1993. PCB-impacted soil was removed from the Industrial Waste Disposal Area in late 1997. To protect people on the base, an alternate drinking water supply was provided and one well is being treated. For nearby residents, the Marine Corps connected one family to the Southern California Water Company and installed carbon-filtered systems on wells for two other families. Major cleanup milestones include completion of groundwater remediation (now in operation and maintenance), landfill remediation finished by August 2000, soil cleanup concluded in June 2002, and a basewide remedial action that ran from April 2019 through September 2020. A sitewide investigation for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) began in October 2024 and is estimated to finish between September and November 2026.

Currently, human exposure is under control. EPA assessments show no unacceptable exposure pathways are active, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. However, construction is not yet complete across the entire site, and the site has not met all conditions for sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse. The most recent five-year review was completed in September 2023, and monitoring continues to confirm groundwater stays within its original contamination area.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA staff assigned to the site, including the Community Involvement Coordinator and the Remedial Project Manager.