Excerpt:

The 4.18-acre cleanup Site 34 in the Naval Air Station's runway area next to the Oakland Estuary looks barren from a distance. But up close, concrete slabs and pavement remind us of its bygone days as a bustling workshop area.

This area was once part of the division known as the Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF). Everything from sandblasting and painting, to metal working, woodworking and scaffold maintenance went on out there. More than 40 years of activity left soil around buildings contaminated with lead, arsenic, pesticides, PCBs, and aircraft and diesel fuel. Above-ground fuel storage tanks and electrical transformers contributed to the contamination.

The Navy will clean up the soil in this area next year. The draft work plan, which the Navy released July 31, was discussed during a presentation at this month's Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting.