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Hazardous Waste Cleanup: United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland

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Cleanup Status

The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is located between the south bank of the Severn River and historic downtown Annapolis, Maryland. The Perry Center is located in the northwest portion of the USNA campus. The Perry Center consists of several buildings utilized for material storage, USNA vehicle repairs, bus parking, and construction equipment storage. Two Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) SWMU six Perry Center Dry Cleaning Plant) and SWMU eight (Perry Center Gasoline Station)] and four Areas of Concern (AOCs)  [AOC three (Perry Center Wash Rack), AOC four (Perry Center Ready Room), AOC 12 (Perry Center Bus Heater Power Feeder Site), and Storm Water Sewer System] are located within the Perry Center.

EPA issued a final remedy decision for the site on January 8, 2015.

EPA's remedy for the site consists of requiring the Facility to maintain a soil cover system and implement and maintain groundwater use and land use restrictions through Institutional Controls at Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 13. SWMUs six and eight; Areas of Concern three, four, and 12; and the Perry Center Storm Water Sewer are considered Corrective Action Complete without Controls.

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Site Description

Interactive Map of U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland


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The USNA was founded in 1845 as the Naval School and encompassed 10 acres of Old Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1850, the Naval School became the USNA. The USNA eventually expanded to 338 acres after filling in shoreline along the Severn River. The USNA is a four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen to be professional officers.

Since on or about the 1910s wet garbage and refuse generated at the various Severn River Naval Command activities were burned in an incinerator in SWMU 13 and some refuse, wood, and scrap metal were deposited along the southern shoreline of the Shady Lake.

Results from the environmental investigations identified that SWMU 13 is underlain by a thick sequence of fill with layers of ash and cinder.

The historic operation of the Former Storage Yard Number One, Incinerator, and Rubbish Pile, SWMU 13 resulted in the release of metal and organic contamination.

To address the potential adverse effect to the ecological environment (avian omnivores represented by robins) a soil cover was installed in 2009.

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Contaminants at this Facility

Elevated levels of lead were identified in surface soil at SWMU 13 based of the finding of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Investigations. The combination of data from hotspot delineation sampling events and the findings of the risk assessment indicated that a potential for adverse effect to avian omnivores from the presence of lead in the surface soil.

The RCRA Corrective Action Investigations also identified unacceptable risks from elevated levels of lead in the subsurface soil exist in SWMU 13.

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Institutional and Engineering Controls at this Facility

 The area associated with SWMU 13  has restrictions to prohibit residential use and groundwater and also require maintenance of soil covers.

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Land Reuse Information at this Facility

The facility is under continued use.

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Site Responsibility at this Facility

RCRA Corrective Action activities at this facility are being conducted under the direction of the EPA Region 3 with assistance from Maryland Department of the Environment.

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