Records Research Report Jacobs Engineering Benicia Arsenal

1 INTRODUCTION...... 1-1 1.1 SITE HISTORY OVERVIEW ...... 1-5 1.1.1 Military Activities...... 1-6 1.1.2 Post Closure Uses...... 1-19 1.2 SITE CHARACTERISTICS ...... 1-23 1.2.1 Site Geology and Soils ...... 1-23 1.2.2 Site Hydrology and Hydrogeology...... 1-24 1.3 RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY...... 1-25 1.3.1 Information Sources and Procedures...... 1-25 1.3.2 Attachments and Appendices to this Report ...... 1-26

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1 INTRODUCTION

The research was performed, and this report written, under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) for Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS), which has as its objective environmental restoration of former military sites from past military practices.

The Benicia Arsenal (Arsenal), located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco, California, was established in 1849 and assigned several missions throughout its 115-year history. The Arsenal functioned as a site for testing gunpowder; for storing, issuing, and repairing Army ordnance; as a principal ordnance and stores repository and distribution point for the Pacific Coast; and as a transshipment depot for holding and storing ammunition and explosives for the Port of San Francisco. Between 1849 and 1944, the United States acquired a total of 2,728.04 acres for the Arsenal, 190 acres of which was actually tidelands located in the Carquinez Strait to the south and Suisun Bay to the northeast (ref 651) (Appendix C1).

When fully developed, the Arsenal consisted of approximately 300 buildings, two motor pools, NIKE missile repair facilities, an explosives holding area, and a network of 109 storage “igloos”. Figure 1.1 illustrates the location and boundaries of the Arsenal, and Figure 1.2 presents a 1997 aerial photograph overlain with the 1958 Department of Defense (DOD) configuration for the Arsenal (ref 637 and 643) (Appendix C1).

This research report is not a decision document. It is rather an accumulation of facts from many sources. It is the first step in the process; tracing the history of each building, utility, and activity in sufficient detail for judgements to be made about the potential for long-term environmental damage to soil, surface water, groundwater, and air quality caused by military activities. Information in this report is organized chronologically first by area, then facility-by-facility (using the military definition of facility) to allow for greater clarity of presentation. This report does not identify hazards associated with building materials (e.g., asbestos) or hazards resulting from normal uses of hazardous materials (e.g., lead-based paint).

Engineers, geologists, hydrologists, and chemists from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with guidance, review, and approval from the regulatory community,

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will continue the process by scoping an environmental site investigation of the Arsenal by reviewing the historical records information, technical manuals, and standard operating procedures presented or referred to in this report. The scoping process will identify areas of potential contamination and potential chemicals of concern (PCOCs) which warrant study.

Under the FUDS program, there will not be a total evaluation of the environmental condition of the Arsenal; only those areas which research shows have a potential to have been damaged by the military will be considered for investigation. Also, land previously owned, leased, or used by the DOD that is characterized as having “beneficial use” (defined as use by subsequent landowners or lessors in a manner that would either mask contamination caused by DOD or continue contamination in the same manner) is excluded from further consideration under the FUDS program.

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FIGURE 1.1

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Figure 1.2

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1.1 SITE HISTORY OVERVIEW

The primary mission of the Benicia Arsenal (Arsenal) was to serve as a supply and distribution depot, with the functions of storing, repairing, maintaining, issuing, and distributing supplies to the Army. Thus, the history of the Arsenal between 1849 and 1964 is one of alternating expansion and contraction, depending upon the state of the nation at the given time.

During wartime, the Arsenal would staff up to handle large quantities of military supplies, vehicles, weaponry, and ammunition awaiting shipment to active theaters of operation. Then, with the end of hostilities, the Arsenal would be inundated by arms and supplies “rolling back” for reconditioning or salvage. During times of peace, a smaller crew would maintain the Arsenal’s facilities and conduct ongoing activities. This pattern of expansion and contraction prevailed from the Arsenal’s founding through the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, and the Korean conflict.

In addition to military personnel, the Arsenal historically employed a significant number of civilian personnel during peak periods. At the start of World War I, civilian employees at the Arsenal numbered 45, but the number quickly increased to 300. World War II saw an increase in the number of civilian employees from 85 in 1939 to 4,535 in 1942; and at one point in 1943, despite this rapid staff expansion, 500 boxcars of high explosives were backed up on the Arsenal’s railroad tracks awaiting unloading.

After World War II, a “right-sizing” reduced the number of employees to about 1,400, but the Korean conflict caused that number to increase again to more than 6,700 in 1951. When the Korean conflict started, there were still over 146,000 tons of various supplies from World War II stacked in the open due to lack of warehouse space. By 1952, some 3,200 boxcars of supplies were arriving each year.

Activities quickly dwindled after the Korean conflict ended in 1953 and, in spite of its subsequent NIKE missile mission, the Arsenal’s decline was rapid. Tons of supplies were sold off or otherwise disposed, and the work force was down to about 2,300. In 1961 the Arsenal was ordered deactivated with a target date of 1964.

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Privatization efforts following the Arsenal’s closure have resulted in the transfer of the Arsenal property to private entities, and the establishment of a number of manufacturing, distribution, and shipping tenants on the former Arsenal grounds. Chief among them is the Exxon Oil refinery, situated on over 400 acres at the former site of munitions storage igloos.

1.1.1 Military Activities

The Benicia Arsenal was established largely through the efforts of Dr. Robert Semple and Thomas Larkin, founders of the City of Benicia. The two foresaw the need for a military post as an adjunct to the new settlement, and won government approval of their proposal to locate an Army post next to their city. Semple and Larkin received 5 square miles of property from Gen. Mariano Vallejo for their city, the only stipulation being that it be named for Vallejo’s wife, Senora Francesca Benicia Vallejo (ref 289).

The Arsenal was created in 1849 with a land transfer of 345 acres from the city founders. This site, originally referred to as the “Post at Point near Benicia, California,” was first occupied on 30 April 1849 with the arrival of two companies of the 22nd Infantry, and construction of a supply branch headquarters for the Army of the Pacific was begun shortly thereafter. The troop area, constructed by the Quartermaster’s Department, was designated as Benicia Barracks and occupied approximately 99.5 acres in the northwest portion of the reserve. The Quartermaster’s and Commissary depots were established in the southeastern portion of the site, bordering on the Carquinez Strait. The California Ordnance Depot was established at a site that adjoined the Barracks to the east. In 1852, the installation’s designation was changed from “California Ordnance Depot” to “Benicia Arsenal” (ref 536). Figure 1.3 presents the area of the original Barracks and Arsenal reservations.

Although military occupation had begun in 1849, land title litigation was not concluded until 1861, when the U.S. Supreme Court determined that General Vallejo, who had claimed the land as part of his holdings under the Mexican government, had no legal title to the property. This land then became public domain. President Lincoln set the Arsenal lands aside for military purposes in 1862 (ref 536) (Frontispiece preceding the Preface).

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Figure 1.3

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By 1859, the Arsenal had seven additional structures, all built of sandstone blocks quarried from native materials on-site: the hospital, two magazines, a guardhouse, two shops, and a three-story storehouse (Clock Tower). The Clock Tower, located along the southeastern waterfront, was constructed with a crenellated roofline with battlements, apertures for howitzers, loophole windows for musketry, and two lookout towers.

Benicia Arsenal was included in the Ordnance Department plan, along with Watervliet Arsenal, Allegheny, Washington, and St. Louis. These five installations provided manufacturing services to the Atlantic, the Central, the West, and the Pacific regions of the country (ref 536).

1860–1899

During the Civil War, Benicia Arsenal supplied troops being dispatched to the East Coast, and shipped arms to Atlantic Coast arsenals, with large shipments to New York Arsenal. Vessels destined for Atlantic ports would first come up the bay from San Francisco to the Arsenal to take on shipments of ordnance and troops. Arsenal shops cleaned and repaired guns and carriages, made ammunition boxes and chests, repaired saddles and bridles, made holsters, and packed ammunition (ref 536).

By the end of the Civil War, the Arsenal had become the ordnance distribution center for the West Coast. The large and continuing influx of equipment and weaponry for repair resulted in the facility becoming filled with obsolete and worthless equipment. Its new role in testing gunpowder manufactured on the West Coast led to the development of a siege gun firing range and an experimental rifle powder proving ground. These were active from 1882 until 1890 at a site along the southern waterfront near Army Point, which provided a 12-mile firing range up the Suisun Bay for the siege guns (ref 536). The experimental firing gallery was developed near Army Point for gunpowder firings (ref 213). The Arsenal also supported the Philippines with ordnance during the Spanish- American War in 1898.

The Arsenal had ongoing problems establishing a reliable water source. To counter the problem in the early days, at least 14 cisterns were installed to store rainwater captured during the wet months. Following 10 years of planning and funding requests, a 20-year exploratory drilling program began in 1862 to locate a satisfactory drinking water source.

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This effort failed; only nonpotable water was available, even from a well drilled to a depth of over 1,400 feet. The effort cost over $100,000 (ref 536). The Arsenal maintained a number of reservoirs that served both as fresh water drinking sources and as a water reserve for firefighting during the hot, dry months of summer.

Water was frequently pumped directly from the Carquinez Strait at Army Point to replenish the reservoirs (ref 536).

1900−1941

After 1900, shops at the Arsenal were engaged in the manufacture of targets and target materials for seacoast artillery firing practice, field or mobile artillery, and small arms; assembly of powder charges and fixed ammunition; assembly of rapid fire ammunition; loading of “armor-piercing (A.P.) and D.P.” (acronym as yet undefined; possibly “defense penetrating”) projectiles with high explosives; modifying armor-piercing projectiles; and fabrication for repair and replacement of seacoast artillery materiel (ref 518). By 1905 the stores handled annually weighed approximately 8 million pounds, and total powder manufactured annually was estimated at 150,000 to 250,000 pounds (ref 211). The amount of ammunition stored at the Arsenal was generally about 500,000 pounds (ref 211).

On 18 October 1912, a fire in Storehouse No. 29 (Clock Tower) rocked the town of Benicia with explosions. Firefighters tried to pour water through the barred upper windows, but burning debris went through to the lower floor, detonated 15 million rounds of small arms ammunition, and set fire to 34,000 rifles and other supplies. Another major fire at the Arsenal occurred on 12 August 1922, when a spark ignited loose powder on the ground in the old Barracks area. The resulting fire destroyed a powder magazine, some enlisted men’s quarters, and other minor structures. Bombs exploded in mid-air and others went into pastures or into the bay. Two men were later killed retrieving “duds” from a pasture (ref 165).

With the start of World War I, the Arsenal supplied the permanent Army posts on the Pacific Coast, the mobilization Camps Lewis, Kearny, and Fremont, and serviced the

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91st Division’s weaponry before it sailed for France. The workforce at the Arsenal increased from 45 to 300 during this time (ref 165). Between 1917 and 1922, five concrete storehouses were constructed in the shop area to receive supplies returning from World War I. The blacksmith shop, machine shop, and carpenter shop were employed in manufacturing cast iron projectiles for seacoast artillery target practice (ref 518).

A request was submitted on 13 March 1923 by the Chief of Ordnance to salvage, by melting down and separating the lead from, 75,416 unserviceable bouchon1 and detonator assemblies at the Arsenal. The request recommended preparing an 8-foot square enclosure constructed of heavy mesh wire and lined with fine mesh wire. Three to six boxes of bouchon and detonators would be placed in the center of the enclosure and exploded by firing a 22-caliber bullet from a safe distance. The resulting fragments would be collected and put into a melting pot, and the molten lead would then be run off into molds (ref 119). Records did not indicate whether this salvage work was performed at the Arsenal.

Between 1924, when General John J. (“Black Jack”) Pershing signed the order combining the Barracks and Arsenal into one 334.9-acre unit as the Benicia Arsenal Reservation, and 1939, the only new task the Arsenal took on was assembling blank ammunition for salutes (ref 165).

In 1928 and 1929, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company gave the government 153 acres to reimburse it for the land the railroad had acquired for constructing the new rail line, and for the loss of two high explosive storage magazines that became unserviceable because of their location near the new Carquinez rail bridge. Southern Pacific also built two ammunition magazines, and the Arsenal built five more standard magazines and four underground magazines (ref 518).

Improvements to the Arsenal during this period included four officers’ quarters (built of brick), 11 enlisted men’s barracks and quarters, eight shop buildings, 19 magazines, and 39 storage buildings (ref 544). Pine Lake was constructed in 1940 by building a

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Records Research Report Jacobs Engineering Benicia Arsenal

dam across the end of a draw. This allowed for the additional storage of 90 million gallons of fresh water for irrigation and fire protection (ref 518).

World War II

World War II brought massive expansion of the Arsenal. The Arsenal now served as the principal supply point for the campaign areas throughout the Pacific. Physical expansion included the addition in 1941 of 1,847 acres and over 200 structures. The new structures included the deepwater concrete wharf, which cost nearly $3.5 million and was capable of docking four Liberty-ship transports at one time (ref 165). Other new structures were 109 concrete igloos buried in the hills for underground ammunition storage, a new shop for rebuilding combat and artillery vehicles, several warehouses, a reservoir, and extension of the rail facilities in the ammunition and industrial areas (ref 536).

Within 24 hours of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 125 truck convoys were loaded in the magazine area and dispatched to forts, air fields, and anti-aircraft emplacements, depleting Arsenal stores in the process (refs 165 and 536). The first five convoys went to McClellan Air Base near Sacramento, each hauling $5 million worth of machine guns (ref 165). The Arsenal’s supply of ammunition, from high explosives to small arms, was completely exhausted by these initial shipments (ref 536).

A link-loading plant to produce .30 and .50 caliber machine gun belts began operation in May 1942. By the end of the year, the predominantly female staff had processed over 42 billion rounds of ammunition (refs 500, 51). The number of civilian employees dramatically increased, from 85 in 1929 to 4,535 in October of 1942. Despite this increase, the incoming shipments to the Arsenal were more than the workers could unload. As a result, by mid-1943 500 boxcars loaded with high explosives were backed up on the Arsenal’s railroad tracks. Troops from the Ordnance Maintenance Group at Camp Stoneman assisted in unloading while waiting for their sailing orders. In 1944, 150 young men from the California Youth Authority were brought in to help, and Italian soldiers from a Florence, Arizona, POW camp, as well as German POWs from a camp at Stockton Ordnance Depot, were temporarily added to the work force (ref 165). In the latter half of 1942, the Arsenal removed 850 tons of obsolete materiel from the

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warehouses to be sold for scrap for the war effort. This was only 200 tons less than the total obsolete and unserviceable materiel scrapped during the previous 13 years (ref 536).

The final land expansion took place in 1944 with the leasing of a parcel at the northern end of the Arsenal. This new land was used for explosives holding, artillery testing, and ammunition demolition

During World War II, the Arsenal became a filler depot, with the mission of supplying the theaters of operation served by the ports of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The Arsenal supplied weapons ranging from small arms to mobile anti-aircraft artillery, and a range of equipment from fire control instruments to tank chassis (ref 536). The Arsenal was responsible for holding and storing all classes of ammunition and explosives for the Port of San Francisco, including bombs up to 500 pounds (ref 536). In 1944, landing vehicles-tracked (LVTs), which played a mayor role in the U.S. invasion of the South Pacific islands, were added to the Arsenal’s supply and repair mission. During the first six months of this new mission, the Arsenal overhauled 388 of these vehicles (refs 500, 51).

The Arsenal’s role in World War II included receiving special shipments of materiel for temporary storage. These shipments, marked “Project DUCOL,” were given “hottest priority possible.” They included 500-pound bombs and incendiary fuses; these were quietly unloaded and dispatched to the Alameda air terminal via truck convoy for use in Doolittle’s raid over Tokyo (ref 536).

After the war, the Army ordered expenditures cut, and many of the Arsenal’s facilities— including the bank, post office, and movie theater— were closed. Employment fell to 1,402 in 1947, but rose again to 2,389 in 1948 and stabilized there (ref 165). Shop activities at the Arsenal were primarily renovation and reclamation of materiel returned from the war. Arms and vehicles were stripped, cleaned, rebuilt, and prepared for storage or for sale as salvage through the War Assets Administration (WAA). Thousands of weapons, including handguns, machine guns and mounts, artillery, and fire control pieces, were repaired. Also, hundreds of tons of unrepairable or obsolete ammunition were destroyed by the Arsenal (ref 51).

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After the war, general ordnance supplies from Ogden Arsenal, and automotive and vehicle supplies from Stockton Ordnance Depot, were reassigned to Benicia for distribution. Because chemical warfare supplies (CWS) were not allowed to be stored overnight in nearby Oakland, these supplies were shipped to the Arsenal by rail from CWS depots in all parts of the country. Included were bombs, grenades, 4.2-inch shells, and containers holding toxic substances (ref 231). Efforts were made to coordinate arrival times with shipment times; however, when storage was required, igloos and open areas were used for this purpose (ref 231).

Korean Conflict and Far East Hostilities

Large-scale Arsenal expansions took place just prior to and following the Korean conflict with the addition of approximately 40 to 50 structures. Many of these additions were warehouses for inert materiel and transitory shelters. During this time, the Arsenal also reached its peak activity, with nearly 7,000 civilians on its payroll (ref 536).

A decision was made in December, 1949, to deactivate the Stockton Ordnance Depot and to concentrate all operations for general Field Ordnance Supply for the West Coast at Benicia. By the end of June, 1950, the Arsenal had received over 17,000 tons of automotive supplies and vehicles from Stockton. By the time the Korean conflict began, the final shipments from Stockton had arrived. When added to the supplies still returning from World War II and new procurements destined for Korea, thousands of supply boxes had to be spread out across the Arsenal’s open fields. By 1951, nearly 150,000 tons of supplies were stored outside (ref 536).

In the first half of 1950, nearly 71,000 small arms units were rebuilt, and 347 tanks were processed through the cleaning and painting branch (ref 151). During 1951, the rebuild operation at the Arsenal was running on a three-shift basis. Salvage operations during 1950 sold approximately 700 tons of tank hulls and 100 gross tons of scrap tires (ref 151). Shop equipment purchased included a forge furnace, steam generators, paint spray booths, steam cleaners, infrared ovens, sandblast machines, and grit blasting machines. During this time, the Arsenal conducted testing, including measuring burning time for 60 millimeter (mm) mortar illumination and determining the effectiveness of low- grade, high-sulfur-content gasoline and high-additive oils (ref 15).

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According to the Benicia Arsenal History for the latter half of 1951, the Vehicle and Artillery Branch consisted of three sections: the vehicle section, the on-vehicle materiel section, and the maintenance-in-storage section. The Vehicle and Artillery Branch was responsible for receiving, unloading, storing, warehousing, and loading for shipment all wheeled artillery weapons, automotive vehicles, and on-vehicle materiel sets. It was also responsible for their care and preservation (ref 541).

Storage capacity at the Arsenal was also increased during the early 1950s with the addition of several acres of “hard top” and four large concrete warehouses. These were built between 1952 and 1954 to cope with the flood of surplus materiel continuing to come into the installation. So much materiel was “rolling back” that much of it had to be stored in tarpaper shelters, in tents, and under tarps (ref 165). By the end of June 1952, over 9,620 tons of materiel was warehoused at the Arsenal.

When the maintenance-in-storage program began, the vehicles in storage were rusty and dirty, and had little or no protective processing applied. During the latter half of 1951, 2,761 units were processed in an effort to prevent their further deterioration. All work was performed on the vehicles and artillery in the outside storage areas. Three improvements to the outside storage areas were installed: a paint shield to increase efficiency, a bracket to secure and hold recoil mechanisms in place, and a lubrication rack for the processing of all C-1 and C-2 transport vehicles. The lube rack enabled cleaning of the vehicles and more efficient processing of their cooling and fuel systems. At the same time the Arsenal was in the process of installing a drain rack for the draining of waste gas and oil (ref 541).

Explosives were routinely burned on the Arsenal grounds. A demolition site on the northwest edge of the Arsenal is shown on base maps (ref 544). Much of the demolition performed at the Arsenal was reportedly small arms ammunition. In 1951 alone, 1.8 million pounds of scrap materiel was recovered from burned small arms ammunition (ref 151).

After the U. S. involvement in the Korean conflict ended, the Arsenal continued to ship a great deal of materiel under the Mutual Defense Assistance Pact (MDAP) due to the communist threat in Southeast Asia. During 1953, shipments to Indo-China alone

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totaled 5.4 million pounds. The Arsenal also shipped to Thailand, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Iran, and Denmark under this pact. MDAP shipments were suspended in July 1954 following the signing of the Korean peace agreement. By April 1955, 21 ships loaded with supplies returned from the Korean conflict bound for the Arsenal. Much of this equipment was classified as unserviceable, obsolete, or surplus (ref 536).

The Cold War

In 1954, a shop was established at the Arsenal for reconditioning NIKE guided missiles. NIKE missile bodies were stored in open areas as well as in warehouses. In 1954 and 1955, NIKE missile batteries were temporarily stationed at the Arsenal. Two sites have been identified in the western area of the Arsenal, and one near the southern boundary. These sites reportedly had temporary NIKE launching racks which held the missiles in readiness, along with all-weather control vans and other equipment (ref 536). The installations remained until 1957.

The Arsenal’s mission of rebuilding NIKE guidance and propulsion systems began in 1954 at a shop building in Area I, with a schedule to complete 290 missiles during fiscal year (FY) 1956. The Arsenal was then assigned the task of storing and issuing these missiles. By the end of 1955, the inventory of NIKE equipment totaled over $7 million. By the end of 1957, the facility had repaired 619 NIKE missiles (ref 269), and in the first half of 1958, 584 missiles were repaired. The first NIKE Hercules missile arrived at the Arsenal for rebuilding in February 1959 (ref 536).

Despite the scope of effort for the NIKE program, the bulk of maintenance at the Arsenal remained in conventional arms, combat vehicles, and general purpose vehicles. Small arms being rebuilt included .22 caliber to .50 caliber machine guns, mortars, and ground mounts. Artillery rebuilds ranged from rifles to 240mm howitzers. Combat vehicle rebuilds included M29 and M48 tanks, and transport vehicles including ¼-ton trucks, tractors, and trailers. Fire control instrument maintenance ranged from wristwatches to M38 fire control and gun systems. Engines, transmissions, generators, and carburetors were also reconditioned. Nearly 570,000 square feet of open storage space was used in maintenance operations (ref 500). Records indicate that maintenance-in-storage was performed in these open storage facilities throughout the Arsenal. Approximately 15,000

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tons of current items of issue required maintenance-in-storage in the beginning of 1955. World War II items requiring maintenance-in-storage totaled 21,000 tons, which included 36,835 units of vehicles and artillery for the same period in 1955 (ref 536).

In 1957, a new site in the area of the inactivated magazines (Area S) was selected for the construction of a consolidated maintenance facility. Although the maintenance facility was never constructed, a report addressed long-standing concerns regarding existing maintenance buildings that had been constructed on improperly-compacted mud-clay tidelands. Buildings in these areas were subject to continuous severe differential settling. Floors, pavements, ramps, and footings had to be brought up to grade yearly, and frames and trusses jacked up to counter this settling. The siting study reported that “overhead traveling cranes and heavy machine tools, which create impact or vibration during regular operations suffered greatest damage. The underground connecting utilities such as gas, water, sewer and drain lines, have been severely displaced” (ref 500), according to this report.

By 1958, operations slowed at the Arsenal. Although there was a huge abundance of surplus materiel from World War II and materiel was still coming in from the Far East, no new work was being issued for the Small Arms Shop. The shop was closed and most of the staff transferred to the storage division. Also, by 1958, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel established a 10-pound demolition restriction at the Arsenal. Most heavier demolition was performed at the Presidio in San Francisco, Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Camp Stoneman in Pittsburgh, or Fort Cronkite, north of San Francisco. According to a former EOD employee at the Arsenal, in 1951 Fort Cronkite was the demolition site used for destruction of defective tear gas canisters from Alcatraz Prison, as well as for defective acetylene welding tanks and 30- and 50-pound bombs (Putnam, 1998).

By the end of 1959, most of the supplies being stored from World War II were disposed of through sale or transfer, including thousands of tons of automotive parts and supplies. New work at the Arsenal included production of “O” rings for guided missiles, with a peak production of 25,000 daily. The Rubber Production Shop was outfitted for this task with a rubber mill, extruder, and other production equipment (ref 536). Figure 1.4 shows the layout of the Arsenal site in 1958.

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Closure and Privatization

On 30 March 1961, the DOD announced plans to deactivate the Arsenal and close out or transfer its mission to Tooele Ordnance Depot in Utah. Closure was set for 30 March 1964. As a consequence, the return of vehicles for rebuild decreased and shipments greatly increased. In 1961, the Arsenal held a closed-circuit television auction (the first of its kind) to sell surplus locomotives, boats, cranes, vehicles, tires, and engines (ref 536).

During this closeout period, the Arsenal took on a new mission of calibrating and maintaining test equipment for assuring the accuracy of barometers, pressure gauges, and microwave equipment. It maintained the only primary reference standards laboratory of the Ordnance Corps west of the Mississippi River. The laboratory performed these tasks in support of its maintenance mission and for the missile sites (ref 536). The standards covered every element of electrical measurement from direct current through the upper limits of microwave. The standards also included the physical fields of pressure, mass, and temperature (ref 561). The laboratory certified the accuracy of all physical and electrical measurement standards used at Ordnance depots west of the Mississippi, White Sands Proving Ground, the San Francisco and Los Angeles Ordnance Districts, and agencies in Alaska, Hawaii, Okinawa, and Korea.

By April 1962, the Arsenal had lost its distribution depot mission, becoming a reserve depot to Tooele Army Depot. The guided missile mission was phased out, as were all rebuild operations. Rebuild operations for anti-aircraft artillery, fire control, guided missile materiel, and overhaul and calibration of test equipment for guided missiles were transferred to Tooele. By the end of 1962, the civilian employee force numbered 765. There were 191 permanent, 91 semi-permanent, and 40 temporary buildings at the Arsenal when it became inactive (ref 536).

According to the Port of Benicia Five Year Plan, prepared in 1981 for Benicia Industries, Inc., the phase-out plan of the Arsenal as a military installation was completed in 1962.

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Figure 1.4

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Negotiations began as early as 1962 between the City of Benicia and the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA) for the City’s acquisition of the old Army properties. Benicia Industries, Inc., and the City of Benicia ultimately agreed to cooperate in developing a proposal to the GSA for the Arsenal properties. GSA accepted the resultant agreement, which provided for a 66-year master lease to Benicia Industries, Inc., for the development and operation of the properties (ref 539).

1.1.2 Post Closure Uses

Following the closing of the Arsenal in 1964, the DOD and the GSA transferred the Army property to the City of Benicia for $6 million. Benicia Industries, Inc., gave the city the purchase money in exchange for the master lease on the facility in order to develop it into an industrial base for Benicia. The master lease was consummated in 1964 and became effective in 1965. Under the terms of the lease agreement, Benicia Industries, Inc., was committed to creating an industrial park (ref 583). The state deeded the waterfront to the city, and the tidelands reverted to the state when the Army pulled out (ref 165 and 539).

Substantial legal proceedings with the state authorities were needed to pave the way for the port operations. Three tideland grants to the City resulted from the legal proceedings. The first included the area that was occupied by the existing dock (Pier Building 95); the second tideland grant covered an area from the dock, westerly to the southern end of East 7th Street (Figure 1.1); and the third extended from the dock area easterly to the property line of the lands acquired by the City. These three tideland grants were included in the 66-year lease (ref 539). On 5 April 1967, the tidelands were officially transferred to the City of Benicia.

Table 1.1 summarizes the records research findings for the disposal of the Arsenal acreage, and Table 1.2 provides a summary of the Arsenal’s primary functions between 1849 and 1964.

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Table 1.1 Disposal of Benicia Arsenal Land

Land Area Method of Disposal Disposal Date 360.78 acres Public domain/License/Lease acres 11 January 1962 reported excess 575.45 acres Lease terminated from City of Benicia 11 January 1963 5.03 fee acres General Services Administration 12 March 1964 quitclaim deeded to the City of Benicia 1,785.45 fee acres General Services Administration 20 February 1965 quitclaim deeded to the City of Benicia 1.33 acres Reassigned to Benicia Arsenal 26 February 1965 Cemetery 2,728.04 Total acres 11 January 1962 through 26 February 1965 Source: Revised Site Survey Summary Sheet Benicia Arsenal Sacramento District, Corps of Engineers, January 1997

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Table 1.2 Benicia Arsenal Historic Responsibilities Years Military Period Primary Responsibilities 1849-1859 Native Benicia Barracks, home to two Army divisions, was taken over by the American Arsenal installation, becoming the first Ordnance Supply Depot in the west. hostilities 1860-1899 Civil War Proving ground for testing various types of gunpowder manufactured on Spanish- the Pacific Coast; cleaning and repairing of arms, guns, and carriages; American War manufacturing of holsters, ammo boxes, and chests; packing of ammunition; principal repository and distribution point for ordnance; and storage of ordnance for the Pacific Coast. 1900-1941 World War I Storage, issuance, and repair of Army ordnance; principal distribution and maintenance depot for military arms and equipment on the West Coast; manufacture of targets and target materials for firing practice by seacoast artillery, mobile or field artillery, and small arms; assembling of powder charges and fixed ammunition; modification of armor-piercing projectiles; parts fabrication for repair or replacement of seacoast artillery materiel; repository of returned supplies from war efforts. 1941-1950 World War II Major Arsenal expansion involved construction of a concrete wharf capable of docking four ocean-going vessels simultaneously, 109 ammunition storage bunkers, several warehouses, shops for rebuilding of combat and artillery vehicles, and numerous shop building additions. Arsenal was responsible for supplying the Pacific Ports of Embarkation with small arms, automatic weapons, light field artillery, mobile anti-aircraft artillery, heavy field artillery, fire control instruments, tank and gun motor carriages, parts, supplies, tools and equipment for weapons and tanks. Also responsible for rebuilding, reclaiming, and modifying all forms of artillery and weaponry. Transshipment depot for storage and holding of all classes of ammunition and explosives for the Port of San Francisco (including 500-pound bombs). Arsenal area expanded from 345 acres to over 2,000 acres in 1941. Additional leased land was added in 1944. 1950-1953 Korean Conflict Provided Field Ordnance Supply operations for the West Coast following release of Stockton Ordnance Depot as Sub-Depot to Benicia; transshipment support; maintenance of general supplies, field artillery, armored and half-track cars, and combat vehicles; proving ground for 155mm howitzer tubes manufactured under contract by Yuba Manufacturing Company; rapid expansion of rebuild operations. Peak civilian employment of nearly 7,000. 1954-1960 Cold War and Shop established for the reconditioning, maintenance, and repair of NIKE Far East guided missile propellant systems and internal guidance systems. Became hostilities part of anti-aircraft defense of the San Francisco Bay area with NIKE missiles secretly placed atop the Arsenal’s hills. Tire Rebuild Branch started rebuilding and recapping tires; extensive rebuild of artillery, as well as transport, general purpose, and combat vehicles, and general supplies requiring maintenance-in-storage; storage and issuance of missiles (less their explosive components and fuels); manufacture of “O” rings for guided missiles in Rubber Production Shop; extensive property disposal. 1961-1964 Closure and Ordnance Supply Depot involving the storage, stock control, maintenance privatization and distribution of general ordnance supplies and equipment for Army, Air Force, National Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps. Made urgent shipments to South Vietnam. Functional testing of artillery materiel and calibration of ordnance test equipment and calibration standards. W-1 and W-2 moved to new locations for vehicles previously stored in open space. September 1962, guided missile rebuild operations complete. Arsenal operations performed with skeleton force. Inactivation manual established for shutdown scheduled for 30 March 1964. (ref 536)

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The most significant tenant at the industrial park is the Exxon Oil Refinery (Exxon), formerly Humble Oil, which built a $216 million complex in 1966-69 on 400 acres of former Arsenal property. Exxon can receive supertankers at Benicia too large for the Panama Canal. Benicia is also a port of entry for foreign automobiles (ref 165). In 1966, Volkswagen brought in two shiploads of automobiles for discharge at the pier and eventual storage at the Port of Benicia (Port). The commencement of a log export operation in 1967 included the storing of approximately 20 million board feet of lumber bound for Japan (ref 539).

Toyota Motor Company purchased a piece of property in the Port in 1970. Following the Toyota transaction, several leases and agreements were made with other automobile companies, including Chrysler Motors, Nissan Motor Corporation in the USA, Subaru of Northern California, and American Isuzu Motors, Inc.

In 1975, Benicia Industries, Inc., took fee title to all lands covered by the original master lease, with the exception of the tidelands, in exchange for lands owned by Benicia Industries, Inc., west of East 7th Street (ref 539).

According to a 1980 appraisal document for Benicia Industries, Inc., over 80,000 vehicles were processed through the industrial park in 1979 and managed by Solano County Warehouse Company, a division of Benicia Industries, Inc. (ref 576).

The area formerly occupied by the Arsenal is currently a combination of residential, light to heavy industrial/commercial activities, warehousing, and a port. Exxon operates a refinery encompassing much of the former igloo storage area. Other occupants include the City of Benicia, Benicia Industries, Inc., and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Much of the former Arsenal lands have been incorporated into the Benicia Industrial Park. Included in Appendix C2 is a map of the present-day Benicia Industrial Park. The park is home to hundreds of businesses, including Arts Benicia; B.F.I. Services; Cullen Engineering Associates, Inc.; Big 4 Rents; Ziggy’s; and Gail Estudillo’s American School of Classical Ballet. Several of the Arsenal buildings are currently being used for industrial endeavors. Occupants, operations, and landowners identified through records research are presented in the tables and included in the discussion of each area in Section 2.

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1.2 SITE CHARACTERISTICS

The Benicia Arsenal lies along the eastern flank of the Coast Range geomorphic province. The Sulphur Springs Mountains, north of the Arsenal, are part of a system of ridges that begin at Benicia and stretch northwest along the eastern side of the Napa Valley. The Arsenal is bounded to the south by the Carquinez Strait. The strait is a narrow, deep channel cut simultaneously with the elevation and folding of the adjacent hills. Geomorphically, the local area varies from the low-lying tidal flats of Suisun Bay’s west shore, and rolling hills and steep drainages within the Arsenal, to the 957-foot crest elevation of the Sulphur Springs Mountains less than 5 miles to the north of the Arsenal.

1.2.1 Site Geology and Soils

The following description of the soils and lithology of the Arsenal is based largely on work by Dibblee and Sims (ref 727 and 728). Most of the Arsenal (with the exception of the flat portions adjacent to Carquinez Strait/Suisun Bay and the alluvial valley of the drainage canal) is composed of a thin layer of soil, underlain by bedrock. Where fully developed, soil beneath the Arsenal consists of three major horizons: surface soil, organic clay, and weathered sandstone/siltstone. The surface soil is typically silty organic clay, or pale brown to dark grayish-brown clay. Underneath the surface soil is light olive-brown, silty organic clay. Underlying this clay is yellowish-brown, weathered sandstone and siltstone. The thickness of soil varies from a few inches to several tens of feet within the Arsenal. The three soil horizons do not exist consistently throughout the Arsenal.

The bedrock consists of layers of sedimentary rocks, principally siltstone, sandstone, and shale. Individual layers vary in thickness from less than a foot to tens of feet. These layers are stacked on top of each other and generally tilt toward the west- southwest. This tilting was caused by the uplift of the Coast Range mountains. The siltstone and sandstone are typically tan or yellowish-brown in color. The shale is commonly red to reddish-brown. The bedrock beneath the Arsenal is part of the Panoche, Chico, and Martinez Formations (“formation” is a term used by geologists to group a body of rocks with similar characteristics), and is approximately 150-250 million years old.

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The flat portions of the Arsenal bordering the Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay consist of unconsolidated sediments, such as mud and silt. The alluvial valley in which the drainage canal lies consists of sediments which range in thickness from approximately 15 feet at the north end of the Arsenal to more that 80 feet near Suisun Bay (ref 726).

1.2.2 Site Hydrology and Hydrogeology

The location, quantity, and quality of groundwater beneath the Arsenal is not well known. Throughout most of its history the Arsenal lacked a satisfactory fresh water supply. In 1872, the Army attempted to obtain a water source by drilling a well in the southern portion of the Arsenal. During drilling, groundwater was first encountered at a depth of 960 feet. Drilling continued until the well was 1,407 feet deep. However, this water was determined to be unfit for human consumption. Although the well installed in 1872 did not identify groundwater until a depth of 960 feet, several monitoring wells installed at the Arsenal by private parties for environmental investigation have identified water bearing strata at much shallower depths. At this time, data from these wells have not been evaluated by USACE; however, information regarding the locations and depths of existing monitoring wells installed by private parties will be reviewed and summarized in the Arsenal-Wide Investigation Workplan. An important part of the environmental investigation at the Arsenal will be to evaluate this information, and to determine where groundwater exists, its quality, and where and how it moves (ref 726).

In the flat portions of the Arsenal bordering Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay, it is likely that groundwater is directly connected to these bodies of water. As such, it is relatively shallow and most likely under tidal influence. Specific water quality data for this groundwater have not been reviewed; however, the water is assumed to be brackish as it most likely represents inflow and underflow of bay waters (ref 726).

Adjacent to the Arsenal, in the bay itself, are tidal flats and marshlands where a maze of natural drainage channels have created islands. Several marshlands, identified as swamps on historical site maps, have been filled in and developed. The Arsenal contains one main surface drainage, Sulphur Springs Creek Drainage Canal (drainage canal); which begins as Sulphur Springs Creek above, and flows directly into, Lake Herman. The drainage canal then conducts the overflow from Lake Herman to Suisun Bay (Figure 1.4).

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1.3 RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY

To document DOD use of the Benicia Arsenal, information appropriate to the Arsenal’s various missions throughout its 115-year history from 1849 to 1964 was collected from approximately 50 sources. Information was also collected on land acquisitions by DOD during this period, as well as land transfers and the termination of leases held by DOD at the time of closure.

1.3.1 Information Sources and Procedures

Following initial meetings with the USACE, a comprehensive search and review of archived military records was initiated. The military records search began at the National Archives, Pacific Sierra Region, in San Bruno, California. An initial telephone call was placed to identify the point of contact/archivist for the Benicia Arsenal. The San Bruno facility maintains a web site that lists available record groups for all federal holding facilities. Following a review of the record groups available, those that would need to be searched for information were identified and retrieved. After these records were reviewed, significant items were reproduced by the researcher. These steps were followed for all holding facilities, including the National Archives at Washington, D.C. (Archives I), the National Archives at College Park, MD (Archives II), and the National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, St. Louis, MO.

Other records sources researched included the City of Benicia; the Solano County Archives; the Benicia Historical Museum and Cultural Foundation; the Solano County Department of Environmental Management; California State University, Sacramento; Cullen Engineering; and the Benicia Library.

Additional information for this preliminary investigation was obtained from personal interviews with former Arsenal employees, and from site reconnaissance. Each retrieved document was assigned an internal (project) reference number that was included in a reference table for use by all project personnel.

Some discrepancies may exist between information presented in this Records Research Report and previously published discussions of the Arsenal. These discrepancies are considered to be the result of the more in-depth research effort conducted for this report.

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In a number of instances, newly-discovered information is inconsistent with earlier comments related to building uses, disposal practices, post-closure occupancy, and other significant points. [For example, previous reports indicated that the Arsenal was vacant between its closure (in 1964) and 1975. Current research has identified the presence of tenants as early as 1965.]

1.3.2 Attachments and Appendices to this Report

Many of the records, photographs, and conversations used in the preparation of this report are included in appendices that accompany this report. The contents of these appendices are summarized in Table 1.3.2.

Table 1.3.2 Summary of Appendices

Appendix Contents of Appendix Identification Appendix A1 Aerial photograph review based on aerial photographs retrieved from various sources for the years 1924, 1928, 1945, 1947,1952, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1996, and 1997. Appendix A2 Aerial photographs for the years 1924, 1928, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1978, 1996, and 1997. Appendix B Historical photographs from various years during Department of Defense occupation of the Arsenal. Appendix C1 Original maps and drawings from the Benicia Arsenal from the 1850s to deactivation in 1964. These reference documents were obtained from various sources including: Cullen Engineering; National Archives I; National Archives II; National Personnel Records Center; National Archives, Pacific Sierra Region; and Camel Barn Museum and Cultural Center. Appendix C2 Original reports and drawings from various sources other than Department of Defense, including: Benicia Industrial Park Association; Harding Lawson and Associates (HLA); and Brown and Caldwell. Appendix D Original historical records from the Benicia Arsenal obtained from various sources including: National Archives I; National Archives II; National Personnel Records Center; National Archives, Pacific Sierra Region; Camel Barn Museum and Cultural Center; and the City of Benicia. Appendix E1 Summary of the Site Assessment report, organized according to street names. Appendix E2 Site Assessment Report prepared by Vista Information Services, 1997. Appendix F Summary of Solano County Department of Environmental Management records reviewed. Appendix G Potential sources of information (list of all sources contacted in conducting the research for this report and/or of potential value for future investigations).

Also included with this volume of the report are Attachments 1 through 9. These records are included as attachments because of their identification of specific chemical use at the Arsenal and their direct connections to Section 2.0 of this report. These documents are primarily training standards and specifications. A preliminary site assessment performed in 1994 at Building 57 is also included.

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