Site history: The Site is an abandoned metal recycling facility
which operated in Oxnard from 1965 until 2004. Scrap metal, including
radioactive material, was processed at the smelter portion of the facility
located on the west side of the Oxnard Industrial Drain (OID). Halaco process
wastes were disposed of in the OID, and on a waste disposal area located on the
east side of the OID. Wastes located in the disposal area have migrated
off-site into groundwater, the lagoon area, adjacent former and current wetland
areas, a public beach, and the Pacific Ocean. The waste pile and associated
surface impoundment currently contain approximately 500,000 cubic yards of
waste. Preliminary site contamination investigations have revealed a
combination of several metals and radionuclides, including aluminum, arsenic,
barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese,
nickel, silver, zinc, cesium-137, potassium-40, thorium-228, thorium-230, and
thorium-232.
Location: The Halaco facility is located in Oxnard, California, and is in close proximity to the Ormond Beach wetlands, Ormond Beach Lagoon, Ormond Beach, and the Pacific Ocean. The Ormond Beach wetlands are some of the few large-scale wetlands that remain along California's southern coast. Plans are underway to reconnect these wetlands to other adjacent wetland habitats to restore the great stretch of wetland habitats that once existed in this area. These coastal wetlands are home to several endangered or threatened species, including the tidewater goby, the western snowy plover and the California least tern. The adjacent sand beach supports high densities of marine invertebrates and serves as foraging habitat for tens of thousands of migrant and resident shorebirds.
Trustees:
Case status: Under the authorities of the Emergency Response
Program, the Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX (EPA), the site has
been secured against trespassing, removal actions have been conducted on the
smelter portion of the facility, and the waste pile has been re-graded and
covered to prevent erosion into the adjacent wetland. On March 7, 2007, the
site was proposed for listing on the National Priority List, and further site
characterization and remediation will be conducted.
