Navy awards $6 million contract to clean up burned Tustin hangar site

Navy officials announced on Thursday a $6 million contract has been awarded for cleaning up the site where one of two World War II-era airship hangars burned to the ground, though there is no start date yet for the removal.

The $6 million contract went to ECC Environmental, LLC. The company will be responsible for removing the debris from the 80-plus acre north hangar property where the 17 story-tall structure stood on the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin.

The north hangar, one of two constructed at the base in 1942, caught fire Nov. 7 and smoldered for nearly a month. The other south hangar, leased by the city of Tustin, was not damaged.

Since the fire, the city of Tustin has lead the removal of debris that rained down on nearby residential neighborhoods, school sites and public facilities, but cleanup of debris on the hangar property was left to the Navy.

Tustin officials recently said the city has already racked up $48 million in costs and expect that amount to grow, so they worry about the impact on city reserves.

The Navy has delivered the city $1 million toward the cleanup work and, earlier this week, committed another $10 million for remediation efforts. Navy officials have consistently said the service branch will “fully pay for remediation efforts.”

Most of the hangar’s walls burned down and crews dismantled the large metal doors in recent days. ECC Environmental will demolish any parts that are still intact and, while doing the cleanup work, is responsible for monitoring the air and stormwater, said Chris Dunne, a Navy spokesman. The contractor will devise a plan with officials to minimize debris getting into the air and the water around the site, Navy officials said.

Dunne said the planning for the proposed cleanup is underway, but physical work on the property won’t happen right away.

“We cannot determine the actual start date at this time,” Gregory Preston, director of the Department of the Navy Base Realignment and Closure Program Management Office, said in a statement announcing the contract had been awarded. “Before we can take action, debris removal plans must be reviewed and approved by state and federal regulatory agencies to ensure the safety of both the community and the environment.”