Military

Air Force Plant 14
Burbank, CA

The former Air Force Plant No. 14 is located in Area 1, Burbank Operable Unit (OU), of the San Fernando Valley Area 1 through 4 site. Since 1941, there has been a geographic, functional, and organizational relationship among Air Force Plant No. 14; two Plancors, 236 and 1193; and Lockheed Martin Corporation's plants and air terminal. The facilities were used for the design, manufacture, and repair of military and civilian aircraft. Air Force Plant No. 14, a government-owned, contractor-operated facility, was established in 1947 when the government exchanged some of its Plancor facilities for Lockheed's Plant B-1. In 1974, all property owned by the Air Force was conveyed to Lockheed Martin Corporation. Since DoD's disposal of this property, Lockheed has used the facilities for the design and production of missiles, satellites, and military and commercial aircraft.

In late 1980, groundwater contamination was discovered in water supply wells in Burbank, California. The wells contained the chlorinated solvents trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE). The results of a groundwater monitoring program conducted from 1981 through 1987 indicated that approximately 50 percent of the water supply wells in the eastern portion of the San Fernando Valley groundwater basin were contaminated.

In 1984, Lockheed began conducting extensive site investigations to find the sources of the groundwater contamination and to determine the extent of the contaminated groundwater's migration off site. A number of sources of contamination were found, including a waste disposal area, underground storage tanks, a chip recovery area, sumps, clarifiers, degreasers, and pipes. PCE was found in the groundwater. In June 1986, the Burbank OU was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).

In FY88, Lockheed received a Cleanup and Abatement Order for soil and groundwater remediation at Plant B-1, Building 175, where a clarifier was found to have a softball-sized hole. Soil and groundwater were remediated by an integrated soil vapor extraction (SVE) and groundwater treatment system. In FY89, EPA signed the Record of Decision for remediation of groundwater at the Burbank OU. This groundwater pump-and-treat system is located southwest of Plant B-1. In FY96, Lockheed Martin began operating the groundwater pump-and-treat system at Plant B-1. Lockheed also constructed an SVE system, which is now operating at the site. In FY97, Lockheed Martin filed a CERCLA cost recovery lawsuit against the United States seeking more than $500 million. FY98 Restoration Progress Lockheed Martin continued site restoration. Negotiations continued between the United States and Lockheed Martin regarding CERCLA liability.