SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District released its Final Remedial Investigation Report for the Former Beale Air Force Base Titan 1-A Missile Complex remediation project. The report assesses environmental conditions specific to trichloroethene (TCE) contamination near the former Titan 1-A, a nuclear missile site operated by the Department of Defense from 1962 to 1965.
The report also outlines potential risks to human health and the environment posed by the presence of TCE. Among the findings detailed in the report is that the extent of TCE in groundwater that exceeds maximum contaminant levels is largely known. Additional groundwater monitoring wells and soil vapor probes along with western edge of the plume have already been installed to collect additional data and better inform the selection of remedial technologies. The California Regional Water Quality Control Board has reviewed the document and shared it on their GeoTracker web page.
Additionally, USACE published the first 2024 Semiannual Groundwater and Soil Vapor Monitoring Report. This report presents groundwater and soil vapor sampling results from May 2024, which help track environmental conditions and support ongoing evaluation of potential remediation needs.
With the remedial investigation complete, the project will now move into the next phases:
- Treatability Study (Spring 2025) - USACE will conduct a treatability on-site to evaluate injection treatment technologies including a combination of in situ chemical oxidation and enhanced bioremediation to reduce TCE concentrations in groundwater and soil vapor.
- Feasibility Study (2025) - USACE is evaluating remedial alternatives based in part from results from the Treatability Study. A complete analysis of the alternatives will be presented in a Feasibility Study report.
- Proposed Plan (2026) - USACE will present its proposed remediation strategy and solicit public input during a designated comment period.
- Record of Decision (2027) - Following the public comment period, USACE will finalize its selected remediation approach in an official Record of Decision.
- Remedial Design/Remedial Action (TBD) - Once the Record of Decision is approved, the project will proceed with design and implementation of selected remediation measures.
The Final Remedial Investigation Report and the 2024 Semiannual Groundwater and Soil Vapor Monitoring Report are published on the Titan 1-A website.
About USACE
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is committed to protecting public health and the environment through comprehensive environmental restoration efforts at former military sites.
Release no. 25-003