SITE HISTORY

The Navy acquired the majority of the Makalapa Crater Navy Salvage Yard (NSY) as part of the 1939 expansion of Naval Yard Pearl Harbor, which included Makalapa Crater. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the area was used for dredge spoil disposal. During World War II, Makalapa Crater NSY was used as a salvage yard, burning dump and solid waste landfill for disposal of materials from cleanup operations and damaged equipment, such as metal scrap, engine parts, empty ammunition casings, airplane parts and ship parts. The property lies immediately east of Interstate H-1 and Naval Station Pearl Harbor, which is now part of the active Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. 

The Makalapa Crater NSY was approved as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) in 2015. As a result of the FUDS designation, all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers environmental assessment, evaluation and remediation activities must comply with the established mandates under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District is currently conducting environmental assessment and evaluation activities which will help determine the extent of remediation and clean-up actions that are deemed necessary under the FUDS program.

The 19.3-acre site is occupied by portions of two public schools: Admiral Arthur W. Radford High School (RHS) resides on property owned by the City and County of Honolulu and Makalapa Elementary School on property owned by the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Makalapa Crater NSY also occupies a portion of the H-1 Interstate adjacent to the northwest corner of RHS and a portion of Bougainville Drive adjacent to the south RHS boundary.

Classrooms and administrative facilities are NOT within the FUDS boundary and NOT a FUDS. 
The RHS athletic complex (football, baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, gymnasium and small basketball court) and the MES playground are the only areas located within the FUDS project boundary for the Makalapa Crater NSY and are the only areas of the two schools that are being studied.

PROJECT STATUS

In March 2024, the team conducted additional sampling needed to complete the Remedial Investigation Report, which includes a detailed Human Health Risk Assessment. This additional sampling included four vapor intrusion sampling locations on both Makalapa Elementary and Radford High School property, four soil gas sampling locations, and multi-incremental soil sampling on the north end of the Formerly Used Defense Site boundary. All sampling activities were conducted in adherence to and compliance with the CERCLA processes (see image below).

In May 2024, USACE shared the preliminary results of the sampling with Hawai’i Department of Education (DOE) and the Hawai’i Department of Health (DOH) officials and have included these findings in the Remedial Investigation Report which also includes the Health Risk Assessment. USACE submitted the draft Remedial Investigation Report to the DOH on December 18, 2024, for their review and response.  Once USACE receives DOH feedback and finalizes the report, it will be available to the public. 

USACE and State Health Officials have determined that it is safe to maintain normal school operations on the two campuses.

USACE is committed to expanding public understanding about the CERCLA process in partnership with State and County stakeholders, including the Hawaii State Department of Education and the Department of Health. Project updates will be coordinated through the Department of Education and made available on this project webpage.

In addition, USACE will be collecting community feedback to determine if there is a need to establish a Restoration Advisory Board, or RAB for this project. The solicitation for community interest in establishing a RAB will be made available through community stakeholder organizations, local news media and the projects webpage. Anyone interested in participating in a RAB may also email MakalapaCraterFUDS@usace.army.mil with "Makalapa RAB" in the subject line. 

PAST ACTIONS

During work to replace the running track at RHS, a construction contractor for the State of Hawaii Department of Education encountered buried debris and stained soil. In 2014, the Navy contracted for an expedited cleanup action (Time-Critical Removal Action, or TCRA) including sampling, removing and disposing stockpiled soil to ensure the safety of the students and public. The area remediated under the Navy’s TCRA included the football field and surrounding track area. More information about the Navy’s TCRA at the RHS track and football field can be found in the Navy's TCRA Fact Sheet and TCRA Frequently Asked Questions.

In 2015, the former Navy property at the RHS athletic complex and MES playground was approved as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) and remediation was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess any remaining risk and determine future cleanup actions as prescribed by CERCLA. CERCLA is a multi-step process that provides a consistent and thorough approach for determining risk and cleanup goals that ensures public, stakeholder and state regulatory input during the process.

In 2016, USACE completed a preliminary assessment of the site, followed by a remedial investigation in 2017 which included sampling soils for contaminants of potential concern.  Initial sampling determined that there is no unacceptable risk to students or school operations; however, given the historical waste disposal activities at the site, soil vapor and soil gas samples are also being collected.

OUR MISSION

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is committed to remediating FUDS-eligible properties like the Makalapa Crater NSY on behalf of the Department of Defense and in accordance with mandated processes and requirements. USACE Honolulu District executes the FUDS program here in Hawaii on behalf of the Army and DOD, and in close coordination with the lead regulatory agency, the Hawaii Department of Health.

The FUDS program cleans up properties formerly owned by, leased to or otherwise possessed by the U.S. and under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense prior to October 1986. These properties are known as FUDS. The U.S. Army and DOD are dedicated to protecting human health and the environment by investigating and, if required, cleaning up potential contamination that may remain on these properties from past DOD activities.

ESTIMATED PROJECT MILESTONES

• The draft Remedial Investigation Report / Human Health Risk Assessment is scheduled to be available to the public in August 2025. (The remedial investigation determines nature and extent of contamination.)
• The Final Remedial Investigation Report will be available in the fall of 2025. The findings from the June/July 2025 subsurface soil sampling will be added to the Remedial Investigation Report as an addendum prior to finalization.

NEXT STEPS

• The Feasibility Study is scheduled to be available by the end of 2025. (The feasibility study analyzes alternative remedial actions, i.e. cleanup options.)
• A Proposed Plan is scheduled for mid-2026. (The proposed plan presents evaluation of alternatives for site cleanup and recommends cleanup remedy selection.)
• A Record of Decision will be approved by the end of December 2026. (Documents the final remedy for the site.)
• Following the Decision Document, a remedial design will be complete in 2027 with remedial action-construction completing by the end of 2028.

All documents will be made available to the public in the information repositories and on this website.