Environmental Assessment, Remediation of Former Oakland Army Base

EKI is currently assisting the City of Oakland (City) with the environmental assessment and remediation of 366 acres of the former Oakland Army Base in Oakland, California. The army base served as a major cargo port, distribution center, and warehousing facility from 1941 until its closure in 1999. Redevelopment plans for the base include a variety of commercial and industrial uses as well as maritime, rail and other port activities.

The City’s primary concerns for the site center around contamination of soil and groundwater resulting from historical activities such as maintaining and repairing locomotives, vehicles, equipment, and base facilities. In addition to preparing a remedial action plan/risk management plan as a guide for addressing environmental issues that will be encountered during the site’s redevelopment, EKI performed the following services:

• Performance of historical records reviews and site assessments;
• Preparation of remediation plans and specifications;
• Oversight of the implementation of remedial design;
• Preparation of sampling work plans and performance of subsurface investigations;
• Preparation of completion and closure reports for sites that comply with the requirements of the RAP/RMP;
• On-going coordination and liaison with DTSC, RWQCB, and Port of Oakland;
• Preparation of Five-Year Reviews; and
• Overall technical program management services.

Outcome

Through EKI’s work as its lead consultant on the army base remediation project, the City now has the clarity it needs to address environmental issues that will be encountered during the site’s redevelopment, allowing it to spend more time addressing other aspects of the redevelopment process. The City also now has stepwise sampling protocols that weren’t previously in place, a cost control measure that minimizes laboratory costs and ensures more efficient sampling protocols.