Moffett wetlands slated for full cleanup Moffett wetlands slated for full cleanup (June 17, 2005)

By Jon Wiener

A Navy report released Monday announced that after years of pressure, the public and various regulatory agencies have achieved their goal: The Navy will conduct a full cleanup at the contaminated Moffett Field drainage pond known as Site 25.

According to the report, the Navy plans to remove enough of the contaminants from the soil around the pond -- which include DDT and PCBs -- so that the land can be restored to tidal marsh. The cleanup's goal will be to reduce the pollution to a level that will not affect the fish-eating birds that frequent tidal marshes, such as the endangered California clapper rail.

The cleanup will also remove any threat to human health so as to allow recreational activity in the area. One example of recreational use on Site 25 is an extension of the Bay Trail through the area, a proposal long sought after by local advocates.

The announcement was expected due to several hints dropped last month by Navy officials after cost estimates for the cleanup came in at $3 million less than originally thought. But the move marks a significant departure from the Navy's original plan.

Part of the reason for the switch was NASA's decision to change its plans for the site from a drainage pond that sits dry half the year to a year-round managed pond that includes fish and a partial restoration. NASA owns most of the 250-acre site. The Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District had already announced plans to restore the 50-acre portion it maintains, also polluted from decades of runoff at Moffett Field.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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