Pearl Harbor Naval Complex covers about 12,600 acres of land and water in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is an active military facility that includes the Naval Shipyard, Naval Submarine Base, Naval Station, Naval Supply Center, and several other installations. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List on October 14, 1992. Cleanup is still in progress, and the site has not yet achieved construction completion or deletion from the list.
Military operations contaminated soil, sediment, and groundwater at multiple locations across the complex. Contaminants include metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, along with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides like DDT and dieldrin, volatile organic compounds like trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, petroleum hydrocarbons, asbestos, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Ford Island Landfill carries the widest range of these contaminants. Pearl Harbor sediments, spanning 5,000 acres of water and 36 miles of shoreline, contain cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, PCBs, and zinc. Exposure pathways through ingestion or skin contact with contaminated soil, sediment, and groundwater are not yet fully under control, according to EPA assessments.
The U.S. Navy leads cleanup efforts under EPA and Hawaii Department of Health oversight. EPA organized the site into 47 operable units covering specific areas and contamination types. Several units have finished remedial action. Completed work includes PCB thermal desorption at OU 01 in July 2012, remedial actions at the Makalapa rinsate pit, Ford Island landfill, and NSY dry dock between 2011 and 2016, and removal of underground and aboveground storage tanks at the Shipyard in 1995. Ford Island received landfill capping in 1997 and soil excavation in 2003 and 2006. The Aiea Laundry site used soil vapor extraction from 1993 to 1998, and a pilot study is now testing a vapor barrier system for remaining contamination. The State of Hawaii manages three petroleum-only areas separately.
Other units are still in investigation or design phases, with estimated completion dates running through 2027 and 2028. A 2023 CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) investigation at Red Hill is addressing PFAS contamination. Remedial investigations at Harbor Sediments are also ongoing. Cleanup approaches across the site range from land use controls and monitored natural recovery to engineered caps, dredging, and excavation with offsite disposal. Some areas have received "no further action" determinations. The most recent five-year review was completed in September 2024, and semi-annual monitoring of the Ford Island landfill continues.
Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. For technical questions about remediation, contact the EPA's Remedial Project Manager.
