Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Calverton, New York

Site Description

 NWIRP Calverton, New York was a Government-Owned Contractor-Operated (GOCO) facility located in Suffolk County on Long Island, approximately 70 miles east of New York City. Established in 1954 for the development, assembly, testing, refitting, and retrofitting of Naval combat aircraft; Northrop Grumman Corporation was the sole operator of the facility from its construction in the early 1950s until Northrop Grumman operations ended in February 1996.  Originally, the Facility comprised approximately 6,000 acres.  In September 1998, about 2,569 acres of the developed property were transferred to the Town of Riverhead for redevelopment. A year later, approximately 2,935 acres of undeveloped land from the site were transferred to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) for wildlife management, and 140 acres were transferred to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for expansion of the Calverton National Cemetery.   In 2007, two additional parcels (Parcel C1 and Parcel D) were transferred to the Town of Riverhead. Parcel C1 (Site 10A – Jet Fuel Systems Laboratory [2 acres]) was transferred with residual contamination underneath a concrete slab and requires future inspections to ensure protection of human health. Parcel D (Sites 1 – Northeast Pond Disposal Area and 9 – Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) Area [145 acres]) was transferred without environmental restriction.   Currently, the Navy actions are limited to environmental investigations and cleanup activities.

Operational Activities- NWIRP Calverton was involved in other activities including operation of paint shops, machine shops, vehicle maintenance shops, pest control shops, battery shops, print shops, electrical shops, boiler plants, wash racks, fire-fighter training, and degreasing and storage of oil and chemicals.    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was used to manufacture Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF), which was used to extinguish fires, for testing, training, firefighting, and other life-saving emergency responses.

Surface Water Bodies - There are approximately five (5) surface water bodies.  The eastward-flowing Peconic River; Peconic Bay; McKay Lake and Northeast Pond; and the Swan Pond.    

Potential Threat from Contaminated Soil and Sediments - No threat is anticipated from contaminated soil and sediments. 

Potential Threat from Contaminated Surface Water -There are no on-site surface water bodies that pose a threat to human health or the environment.  McKay Lake, a man-made basin, received non-contact cooling water, as well as treated industrial and sanitary wastewater from the facility. The water in McKay Lake was tested and determined that it did not pose a threat to human health or the environment.   

Potential Threat from Contaminated groundwater/Off-property drinking water wells -Due to this historical use, PFAS are present in Former NWIRP Calverton groundwater and may also be present in nearby off-property drinking water wells located in the direction that groundwater flows away from Former NWIRP Calverton.   

Contaminants of concerns (COCs) - Current contamination consists of limited VOCs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) in the subsurface soils and VOC contamination in groundwater and potential residual munitions and explosives of concern (MEC); groundwater volatile organic compounds (VOCs); Petroleum, chlorinated solvents, PFAS (primarily perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS),  and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)); and Xylene, potential residual Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) in soil which likely originated at the cannon test area.

Media Impacted by Contaminants - Surface and Subsurface soil; Surface Water; Sediments and Groundwater.  

Summary of PFAS investigation

Preliminary Assessment (PA)  A PA, which was initiated in 2017, and finalized in 2021 (Tetra Tech, 2021), identified 15 areas of concern (AOCs) where releases of PFAS may have occurred, and require further PFAS assessment and investigations.  The AOCs investigated are as follow: Aircraft Paint Hangar (AOC-1) and (AOC-2); Paint Stripper Building (AOC-3); Noise Suppression Hush House(AOC-4); (Aircraft Fuel Storage Terminal (AOC-5);  Aircraft Development  and Hangars (AOC-06),  Flight Emergency Shelter (AOC-07, AOC-08), Jet Fuel Spill  (AOC-09), F111 Crash Site (AOC-10), EF111 Crash Site (AOC-11), North East Pond (AOC-12), F-14 Crash Site (AOC-13 ), Leased Fire Training Area (AOC-14), Compass Calibration Area (AOC-15).  Based on the results of the PFAS PA, a PFAS Site Inspection (SI) was completed (Tetra Tech, 2023).  Sample collection and analysis of groundwater, surface water, and soil were conducted from January 2019 to March 2022.  PFAS were found in groundwater and soil at Former NWIRP Calverton.  The Navy will continue investigating PFAS at Former NWIRP Calverton following the CERCLA process and will evaluate if actions are needed.

Source of PFAS /Onsite Property Investigation  Based on Site Inspection Report (SIR), which was conducted from 2017 and 2018, addresses groundwater and surface water quality downgradient of the AOC-01 and AOC-02, which may have been PFAS contaminations.   Building 168 (New Aircraft Paint Hangar) and Building 318 (Existing Paint Hangar) were identified as containing fire suppression systems that utilized aqueous firefighting foam (AFFF), which is a known source of PFAS.   During the 1980 to 1981 timeframe, a full dump of this material was reportedly initiated to test the system.   PFAS contamination was discovered in 2016.  PFOA and PFOS in groundwater and soil have led to a facility wide PFAS investigation to define the lateral and vertical extent of the plume.

Onsite Groundwater Investigation - Based on SIR for on-site groundwater monitoring wells from 2017 through 2018, PFAS was detected in all groundwater monitoring wells and in the effluent groundwater from the Fence Line Treatment System (FLTS) tested (The fence line treatment system captures groundwater from the Site 6A volatile organic compound (VOC) plume).  PFOA was detected at higher concentration than PFOS in groundwater from 31 of the 33 monitoring wells.  Concentrations of PFOA and PFOS (total and combined) exceeded the life lifetime health advisory of 70 ng/L (parts per trillion (ppt)) at 4 of the 33 monitoring wells.  In 2018, additional sampling locations were selected to further evaluate the migration of PFAS off property and at the Peconic River.  During both events, pore water and surface water samples were also collected to evaluate the potential PFAS migration to the Peconic River. 

Off-Site Surface Water Investigation - In 2018,  additional sampling locations were selected to further evaluate the migration of PFAS off property and at the Peconic River.  Pore water samples were collected at two (2) locations, and surface water samples were collected at seven (7) locations along the Peconic River and the unnamed pond on property.   The pore water sample contained a total PFOA and PFOS concentration of 75.8 ng/L (ppt), which exceeds the EPA lifetime health advisory of 70 ng/L (ppt).

Off-Site Private Drinking Water Wells (PDWW) Investigation- 2016 and 2020, the Navy sampled private drinking water wells based on information that was available at that time about potential PFAS releases at Former NWIRP Calverton. The 2016-2020 sampling area was established 1 mile in the direction that groundwater flows away from the potential release areas.  The Navy sampled 16 PDWWs based on information that was available at that time about potential PFAS releases at Former NWIRP Calverton.  13 PDWWs with detection of PFOA and PFOS were below 70 ppt action level at the time, and 13 PDWWs with detection below the DOD interim action levels (3xMCLs of the EPA Final Drinking Water Rule), and 3 PDWWs with no detection of PFAS. 

Additionally, 30 PDWWs sampling were collected near Former NWIRP Calverton beginning in January 2025.  13 PDWWs show no detection of PFAS, and 17 PDWWs were below DoD interim action levels.  

Onsite Remedial Investigation Workplans (RIWs) - The NWIRP prepared several Remedial Investigation Workplans (RIWs) consecutively to evaluate and determine the horizontal and vertical extent of PFAS contamination in groundwater and soil, and surface water downgradient of the Unnamed ponds and Peconic River at Site 14 (Noise Suppression House), and at Site 16 (Flight Emergency Shelter) to determine risks to human health and ecological receptors.  In August 2024, an additional Remedial Investigation Workplan (RIW)was submitted to Evaluate data gap at the Swan Pond and reference water body for the PFAS at Site 2- Former Fire Training Area. 

Site Responsibility at this Facility

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials has primary responsibility for oversight of the Navy's remedial investigation and cleanup activities.  EPA Region 2’s RCRA program is kept informed of site cleanup progress by NYSDEC.  There are continuing Restoration Advisory Board meetings and a Community Involvement Plan in place to enable meaningful community involvement in the cleanup process. Currently, there are no operational activities or process-type operations being conducted at the Calverton facility that could generate hazardous waste nor are there any requirements for storage of hazardous materials on the Navy’s property. Waste from the Navy’s ongoing environmental restoration program (formerly known as the ERP) will be stored for less than 90 days at a designated areas on each parcel.   A RCRA Permit Modification was issued February 14, 2007, to remove Sites 1, 9, and 10A, since they were transferred to the Town of Riverhead. A RCRA Permit Modification was issued July 28, 2008, to select excavation and off-site disposal of source areas at Sites 6A and 10B.  Currently, a Part 373 permit application was submitted by the Navy on March 4, 2022.   The NYSDEC has not yet issued a Permit renewal. The permit renewal review is slated for this Fiscal Year 2026.