Radioactive radium waste not an issue The massive pile of dredge mud that has been sitting between the Seaplane Lagoon and the hangars is now dry enough to be tested to determine the exact contaminant profile and hauled away.

The contaminant of greatest concern to community has been radium-226, the radioactive ingredient once used to make aircraft dials glow in the dark. Testing revealed that the sediment did not contain elevated radium levels and therefore would not need to be disposed of at a special radioactive waste site. There were several solid objects, referred to as “buttons,” that were found which contained elevated radium. Those objects and the surrounding soil were removed for special disposal.
The piles of dredge soil neatly arranged and numbered next to the old Control Tower are waiting to be hauled away to a hazardous waste disposal site.
Wildlife Refuge Truck Route
In addition to trucking dredge soil to a hazardous waste site, there is a large mound of asphalt that is being trucked onto the wildlife refuge and out to an area where clean soil and fill material is being stored for future use. This asphalt is from a temporary pad that the Navy laid down in the dredge soil dewatering area. It was covered with plastic and not contaminated, and now it is no longer needed.
PCB hotspot
Early this year the Navy began its dredging project to remove contaminated sediment from the northeast and northwest corners of the Seaplane Lagoon. The Seaplane Lagoon ranked as one of the worst PCB sites in the Bay Area according to a regional Water Board study. Continue reading “Seaplane Lagoon Dredging Update”