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NPL Site Narrative for Schofield Barracks (USARMY)
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS
Oahu, Hawaii
Federal Register Notice: August 30, 1990Conditions at proposal (July 14, 1989): Schofield Barracks, an installation of the Army Support Command, Hawaii, covers 17,725 acres in central Oahu, Hawaii. The area around the barracks is mostly rainforest; the closest municipality is Wahiawa to the north. The facility is divided into two areas: East Range and the Main Post. Schofield Barracks was established in 1908 to provide a base for the Army's mobile defense of Pearl Harbor and the entire island. Industrial operations involve maintenance, repair, painting, and degreasing, all using various organic solvents.
In April 1985, the Hawaii Department of Health informed the Army that high levels (30 parts per billion) of trichloroethylene (TCE) had been detected in wells supplying drinking water to 25,000 people at Schofield Barracks. An additional 55,000 people in Wahiawa and Miliani obtain drinking water from public wells within 3 miles of hazardous substances on the base.
An Army investigation in May 1985 confirmed TCE contamination of on-base drinking water wells, and recommended short-, medium-, and long-term measures. In September 1986, the Army started operating an air stripping facility to remove TCE from the contaminated Schofield Barracks wells, making the water safe to drink.
Within 3 miles downstream of the base, Wahiawa Reservoir is used to irrigate 3,000 acres of pineapple fields and is also used for recreational activities.
Schofield Barracks is participating in the Installation Restoration Program, established in 1978. Under this program, the Department of Defense seeks to identify, investigate, and clean up contamination from hazardous materials.
Status (August 30, 1990): Schofield Barracks continues to treat contaminated ground water at a rate of 3 to 6 million gallons per day.
EPA plans to negotiate an Interagency Agreement with the Army under CERCLA Section 120 to cover future activities at the site.
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.