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NPL Site Narrative for Marine Corps Combat Development Command
MARINE CORPS COMBAT DEVELOPMENT COMMAND
Quantico, Virginia
Federal Register Notice: May 31, 1994The Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC) is located in Quantico, Virginia, 35 miles south of Washington, D.C. along the Potomac River. The MCCDC covers approximately 56,000 acres in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and eastern Fauquier County. MCCDC is bordered by Prince William Forest Park to the north and the Potomac River to the east. Residential areas are located on the western and southern portions of the base.
Operations at MCCDC began in 1917 when 5,300 acres of land adjacent to the Potomac River near Quantico was leased by the Department of Defense in order to establish a new marine training camp. In April 1943, 50,985 acres of land west of Route 1 was obtained to accommodate increased training activities. Currently the emphasis at the Command is to prepare Marine Corps officers for general combat by providing varied background in tactical operations and performing research and development of Marine Corps equipment.
Studies conducted by the Navy in 1988 identified five areas of potential contamination. The three described below were initially evaluated in detail.
The Old Landfill was the primary base landfill from the 1920s to 1971. It covers 8 acres along the west bank of the Potomac River. The northern portion of the landfill, known as the Defense Reutilization Marketing Office storage yard, was used for the draining and storage of electrical transformers. Extensive PCB contamination has been identified in soils, ground water, and Potomac River sediments.
The Recently Closed Landfill is a 28-acre landfill that operated from 1971 to 1983. Wastes disposed of from base activities included waste paints and solvents. Landfill leachate was observed leaking from the southern portion of the landfill. Shallow ground water and leachate samples were found to contain various organic compounds.
The Old Batch Plant is an area 30 feet by 50 feet that was used for the storage of electrical transformers in the 1970s. The majority of the area is paved, but covered with varying amounts of soil. Soils are contaminated with PCBs. Surface water runoff drains into the Potomac River.
Another source that has been identified is the Pesticide Burial Area, where pesticides were dumped into a pit 16 feet in diameter by 8 feet deep. Pesticide contamination was detected, but not quantified, and arsenic contamination was detected in one soil boring. In addition, the Arsenic Burial Area was used for a one-time disposal of 27 drums containing the product "arsenic of lead", apparently used for weed control.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.