Hangar One not its problem, Navy says Hangar One not its problem, Navy says (January 21, 2005)

Dispute could go to Washington, D.C.

By Jon Wiener

Navy officials continue to deny responsibility for the toxic pollution inside Hangar One, despite pressure from the two regulatory agencies overseeing the Moffett Field cleanup.

On Monday, the Navy released its final plan to investigate Hangar One, a study which will include sampling of chemicals on the exterior of the building only. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Regional Water Quality Control Board, both critical of the plans, must approve them before they can proceed.

If the two sides can not reach an agreement by Feb. 16, the fight over whether the Navy should clean up the interior of the building, located on NASA Ames property, will enter a formal dispute process that could lead all the way to Washington, D.C. The federal EPA administrator would have the final say if the disagreement gets that far.

According to Lida Tan, an EPA project manager, this would be the first time that the dispute process is used on the Moffett cleanup since it began more than a decade ago.

Lead paint and other toxic compounds inside the 8-acre-wide building have held up plans for an interactive museum and theme park there, even raising the possibility that the National Historic Landmark could be demolished.

Costs for building SpaceWorld Hangar One, a theme park backed by NASA and the cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale, could run close to $400 million. Estimates for a full Hangar One cleanup could run in the tens of millions of dollars, but the Navy's decision also has ramifications for similar hangars around the country.

"We really don't care who pays for it as long as it's done," said Tan.

Shelly Clubb, NASA Ames' environmental services chief, said that NASA offered to help pay for the investigation and cleanup, but the Navy refused.

"If they don't do the work, they're basically condemning it to be nothing more than a visual landmark," said Clubb.

A chorus of critics has accused the Navy of trying to avoid its responsibility at the Hangar, which it built in 1933. The Navy had received comments on its plan from 28 separate groups or individuals by last week, said Rick Weisenborn, a remedial project manager for the Navy.

"The Navy is well aware of the importance of the building," said Weisenborn.

NASA traced asbestos, PCBs, lead and zinc to the hangar's building materials in 2003, turning the National Historic Landmark into Moffett Field's newest Superfund site. The Navy painted over the outside of the building to prevent continued leaching of pollutants, but has not addressed the interior contamination.

Navy officials argue that Hangar One qualifies for a federal law exemption that applies to the insides of "residential buildings or business or community structures." But Tan and others have said the Navy is misusing the exemption, which was designed to protect homeowners from liability if they have lead paint in their homes.

The Navy also bore criticism for its plans to exclude lead from its investigation.

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

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