Cost So Far
$1.32M
Money already spent on the evaluation and cleanup of hazardous sites.
Expected Additional Cost
$33K
The estimated amount of money needed for evaluation and cleanup of hazardous sites at this installation.
Completion Date
2018
The date the DOD says cleanup of all sites was completed. Long term monitoring may continue after this date.
Former Chico Army Airfield (the Site) comprises 1,450.32 acres in Butte County, California, and is located two miles north of the City of Chico, in the northeastern corner of the great Sacramento Valley. It is bounded by four roads: Oasis Drive to... see more » Former Chico Army Airfield (the Site) comprises 1,450.32 acres in Butte County, California, and is located two miles north of the City of Chico, in the northeastern corner of the great Sacramento Valley. It is bounded by four roads: Oasis Drive to the north, Cohasset Road to the east, Eaton Road to the south, and Hicks Lane to the west. The Former Chico Army Airfield is now operating as a general aviation airport, Chico Municipal Airport, and a light industrial park. The Site is owned by the City of Chico and other individual property owners in the County of Butte. DoD-built improvements included cantonment, warehouse, aircraft and vehicle maintenance facilities, hangars, landing strips, groundwater wells, a sewage treatment plant, and underground fuel tanks. Most of the structures constructed by the U.S. Army have been removed or are currently used for Chico Municipal Airport operations. The government-owned land consisted of 10.97 acres, containing 15 buildings used for civilian war housing. The balance of the land, 1,045.32 acres that were under lease, contained approximately 300 buildings and structures, a 6,700-foot runway, taxiway, airfield facilities, a street system, a water system (subsequently sold to California Water Service Group), an electrical distribution system (subsequently sold to Pacific Gas and Electric Company), a sanitary sewerage system, and a railroad line (subsequently leased to the Sacramento Northern Railway Company. Government-owned land located east and adjacent to the Site known as the civilian war housing area was identified in the 1995 INPR prepared by Dynamac Corporation as part of the Chico Army Airfield Site, but was covered as a separate FUDS project called the Civilian War Housing Project, FUDS Number J09CA0785; and therefore is not considered a part of the Chico Army Airfield site. The coordinates of the Site are 39°48'9" North an (Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) « see less
3 Hazardous Sites
Below are the locations of hazardous sites associated with this military installation, according to the DOD. A site’s contamination may affect a much larger area, including public and private lands and the water supplies beneath them.
High Risk
Medium Risk
Low Risk
Risk Not Evaluated or Not Required
Response Complete
We haven't independently confirmed the location of every site. If you notice a site placed at the incorrect location, please contact us.
Not all sites in the DOD data include location information, so there may be sites listed below that are missing from the map. The risk level of a site refers to a relative risk assessment made by the DOD to prioritize the cleanup of sites.
2 Active Sites
Sites where military cleanup actions are still ongoing. The risk level of a site refers to a relative risk assessment made by the DOD, which prioritizes the cleanup of sites that pose greatest threat to safety, human health, and the environment.
Site ID: 03HTRW
HAZARDOUS, TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Unknown Site Type
Cost
$22K
Cost in 2015 plus expected future cost of cleanup
Final Cleanup Action
Sep 2018
Contaminated Areas
Groundwater: Medium Risk
Contamination of groundwater and well #43 water. Human and animal
Contaminants: Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) 100.0 ug/L Trichloroethylene (TCE) 540.0 ug/L
Site ID: 01CON/HTRW
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS REMOVAL (CONTAINERIZED HAZARDOUS, TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE)
Underground Storage Tanks
Cost
$11K
Cost in 2015 plus expected future cost of cleanup
Final Cleanup Action
Sep 2016
1 Inactive Site
Sites where military cleanup actions are complete, according to the DOD. Note that this status does not necessarily mean the site is no longer hazardous, as many of these sites are put under long-term monitoring or other restrictions.
Site ID: 02PRP/HTRW
PRP/HAZARDOUS, TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Contaminated Ground Water
Cost
Unknown
Final Cleanup Action
Sep 2004
Update (Dec. 5, 2017): We have changed the source of the installation cost data after being notified by the Department of Defense that they erroneously reported their own cost figures on the DERP website. We are now displaying the costs the department says are the most accurate available, from the Pentagon’s DERP database that we received in a FOIA request.
Note: The risk level of a site refers to a relative risk assessment made by the DOD to prioritize the cleanup of sites.
Data: All data comes from the Defense Environmental Restoration Program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and will be released soon at the ProPublica Data Store. Read our methodology »