Cleaning up radium paint contamination at Building 5

The middle of Building 5, in the mezzanine area, is where radium-226 luminescent paint was applied to aircraft dials and other devices from 1941 to the mid 1950s. The Navy plans to begin removing the radium contamination from the mezzanine area in December of 2012 or January of 2013.  The harmful health effects of radium […]

Cleaning Up Jet Fuel at Building 5

Background The Navy has three cleanup programs at Alameda Point:  Superfund, Petroleum, and Radiological.  The Petroleum Program takes care of underground concentrations of petroleum, mostly jet fuel, and is organized by corrective action areas.  One such area outside Building 5 made it onto the calendar this year. Dumping jet fuel – Building 5, the largest […]

Navy Studies Radium-contaminated Drain Lines at Alameda Point

Background Up until passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, it was common practice to dispose of chemicals by dumping them down sewer and storm drain lines that drained into the nearest surface water.  Many people did this in their homes. At Alameda’s former Naval Air Station the worst legacy of this practice was […]

Environmental Cleanup – Seaplane Lagoon; RAB Tour; Lead; Groundwater

Seaplane Lagoon dredging contractor fails to meet deadline The Navy was expecting the contractor to complete the dredging of both the northeast corner and the northwest corner of the Seaplane Lagoon by mid-April prior to the arrival of the endangered California Least Terns.  The terns nest on the Wildlife Refuge and feed in the Seaplane […]

Point Being: March Mudness

Seaplane Lagoon Dredging Raises Concerns Radioactive alarm bells went off for many people when they saw the radiological warning signs posted on the fencing around the Seaplane Lagoon dredging operation. But so far, air readings have shown insignificant levels of radiation. The first soil testing of the dredge mud will take place this summer. The dredging operation […]