Decades later, cleanup continues at naval base

But the end may be in sight. A list of potentially contaminated sites that once numbered 100 is down to single digits, said Barney.

“We want to get it done right the first time,’’ said Barney, in a recent telephone interview. “We want to make sure when we turn the property over, it’s in good condition for subsequent reuse.’’

The Navy has been studying the base and scouting out potential environmental hazards since the 1980s. As part of those efforts, the Navy conducted interviews with people who used to work at the base; reviewed construction drawings and blueprints; and examined old aerial photographs to identify areas that might still contain traces of jet fuel, oil, or other substances.

As time went by, awareness grew, environmental regulations evolved, and the number of potentially contaminated sites on the base increased, according to Barney.

Initial cleanup activities at South Weymouth took place in 1986, when two drums of PCB-contaminated soil were removed and 5,000 gallons of spilled jet fuel was cleaned up, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Since then, additional site assessments were conducted. Contaminated soil has been dug up and hauled away in trucks. Up to 50 underground oil storage tanks have been removed, according to Barney.

The West Gate Landfill, which was used for trash from the 1940s to the 1970s, has been capped. So has another landfill on the base.

“The vast majority of environmental concerns have been addressed,’’ said EPA spokesman Bryan Olson, who is in charge of military base cleanups in New England.

The handful of sites that remain includes an old hangar known as Building 82, and Building 81, which was the site of a small office building and garage. (Chlorinated solvents were detected in soil and ground-water samples at both locations a decade ago.)

Another part of the base is known as the “solvent release area.’’ It was located near the pistol range and a hobby shop, where military personnel worked on vehicles. Field studies are under way at those three sites, and remedies will be selected by next year, according to the EPA.