2025-09-04 Final Record of Decision - No Further Action for Pt. Vicente Soil Contamination, J09CA055804_05.09_0001_a
FINAL
RECORD OF DECISION
POINT VICENTE MIL RES FC SITES
PROJECT 04 - PT. VICENTE SOIL CONTAMINATION
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
FUDS Project Number J09CA055804
Prepared for
915 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90017
6HSWHPEHU 2025
Contract No. W912PL17D0024
Delivery Order W912PL22F0033
1200C PERM
J09CA055804_05.09_0001_a
Record of Decision
Point Vicente MIL RES FC Sites/Pt. Vicente Soil Contamination
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
FUDS Project Number J09CA055804
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS........................................................................................ ii
PART 1: DECLARATION .............................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Project Name and Location ..................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of Basis and Purpose ...........................................................................................1
1.3 Description of Decision ........................................................................................................ 1
1.4 Statutory Determinations ......................................................................................................2
1.5 Authorizing Signatures ......................................................................................................... 2
PART 2: DECISION SUMMARY ..................................................................................................5
2.1 Project Name, Location, and Brief Description ...................................................................5
2.2 Project History...................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Community Participation .....................................................................................................6
2.4 Scope and Role of Response Action ....................................................................................6
2.5 Project Characteristics .......................................................................................................... 8
2.5.1 Conceptual Site Model Summary ..................................................................................8
2.5.2 Site Features .................................................................................................................11
2.5.3 2024 Remedial Investigation ........................................................................................11
2.6 Current and Potential Future Land Use ..............................................................................14
2.7 Summary of Site Risks .......................................................................................................14
2.7.1 Human Health Risks ....................................................................................................14
2.7.2 Ecological Risks ...........................................................................................................16
2.8 Documentation of Significant Changes from the Proposed Plan .......................................18
PART 3: RESPONSIVENESS SUMMARY .................................................................................19
3.1 Stakeholder Issues and Lead Agency Responses ...............................................................19
3.2 Technical and Legal Issues ................................................................................................19
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 20
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Conceptual Site Model Summary ......................................................................................9
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Site Location Map............................................................................................................. 3
Figure 2. Site Map ............................................................................................................................ 4
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Rancho Palos Verdes, California
FUDS Project Number J09CA055804
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
amsl Above Mean Sea Level
AOC Area of Concern
BERA Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment
bcy Bank Cubic Yards
bgs below ground surface
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
CSM Conceptual Site Model
DoD Department of Defense
DTSC Department of Toxic Substances Control
EPC Exposure Point Concentration
ESA Environmental Site Assessment
ESV Ecological Screening Value
FUDS Formerly Used Defense Site
FUDSMIS Formerly Used Defense Site Management Information System
GIS Geographic Information System
HHRA Human Health Risk Assessment
HQ Hazard Quotient
IPaC Information, Planning, and Conservation
KD Known Distance
LeadSpread 9 Lead Risk Assessment Spreadsheet, version 9
μg/dl Micrograms per deciliter
mg/kg Milligrams per kilogram
NCP National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
NOAEL No-Effect-Adverse-Effect Level
OEHHA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
PP Proposed Plan
RI Remedial Investigation
ROD Record of Decision
SARA Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
UCL95 95 Percent Upper Confidence Limit
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S.C. U.S. Code
USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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PART 1: DECLARATION
1.1 Project Name and Location1
Property Name: Point Vicente MIL RES FC Sites
Project Name: Pt. Vicente Soil Contamination
Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) Project Number: J09CA055804
The FUDS Property known as the Point Vicente MIL RES FC Sites includes Project 04 Pt. Vicente
Soil Contamination (Site), The Site is a 26.4-acre parcel located within the former Point Vicente
Military Reservation and on the property of the current Point Vicente Interpretive Center. The Site is
in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California (Figure 1).
The Site is on property owned by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. It is bordered on the south by the
Point Vicente Lighthouse and Coast Guard Reservation, on the west by sea cliffs and the Pacific
Ocean, on the north by a storm drain adjacent to a privately owned residential area, and on the east
by Palos Verdes Drive West (Figure 2). A Coast Guard communications site, Rancho Palos Verdes
City Hall, and a shopping complex are located east of Palos Verdes Drive West.
1.2 Statement of Basis and Purpose
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) states in this Record of Decision (ROD) that a No
Further Action decision is appropriate for the Site. USACE’s decision was developed in accordance
with provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA), 42 U.S. Code (U.S.C.) § 9601 et seq., as amended by the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act (SARA), and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency
Plan (NCP), 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 300.
The No Further Action decision is based on an evaluation of Site-related material and documents
contained in the Administrative Record, which are available for public review at the City of Rancho
Palos Verdes City Clerk’s Office, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes, California; and
USACE Los Angeles District, 915 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. The No Further
Action decision is supported by the results of previous investigations, regulatory correspondence, and
the results of the 2024 remedial investigation (RI) conducted for the Site, which are documented in
the Final Remedial Investigation Report (USACE, 2024a). The Final RI Report was submitted to the
California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) on 22 March 2024. DTSC concurred
with the conclusions presented in the Final RI Report in a letter dated 03 April 2024.
1.3 Description of Decision
USACE has determined that a No Further Action decision is appropriate for the Site under CERCLA.
No remedial action is necessary to ensure protection of human health and the environment.
Conditions at the Site are protective of human health and the environment.
1 The FUDS property name and project name are presented as is, consistent with the official name in the Formerly Used
Defense Site Management Information System (FUDSMIS).
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1.4 Statutory Determinations
USACE has determined that no remedial action is necessary at the Site. A Removal Action conducted
in 2002 eliminated the need to conduct additional remedial action. Five-Year Reviews are not
required.
1.5 Authorizing Signatures
This ROD presents the decision for the Site. The Department of Defense (DoD) is the lead agency
under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program at the Site and USACE has developed this
ROD for DoD consistent with CERCLA, as amended, and the NCP. This ROD will be incorporated
into the larger Administrative Record file for the Site, which is available for public review at the
following Information Repository locations:
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
City Clerk’s Office
30940 Hawthorne Blvd.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
310-544-5217
www.rpvca.gov
USACE Los Angeles District
915 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90017
(213) 452-3333
https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Formerly-Used-Defense-Sites/Point-Vicente-Interpretive-
Center/
This document, presenting a decision with a total CTC estimate recorded in the Formerly Used
Defense Site Management Information System (FUDSMIS) of less than $5 million is approved by
the undersigned, and pursuant to the delegated authority in the Assistant Secretary of the Army
(Installations, Energy, and Environment) memorandum dated [22 May 2025] subject: Assignment of
Mission Execution Functions Associated with DoD Lead Agent Responsibilities for the Formerly
Used Defense Sites Program, and subsequent re-delegations.
APPROVED:
ELLER.TAMBOUR.L Digitally signed by
ELLER.TAMBOUR.LAYNE.1230340133 9/4/25AYNE.1230340133 Date: 2025.09.04 15:38:43 -07'00'
Tambour L. Eller, SES, PMP Date Signed
Programs 'LUHFWRU
South Pacific Division
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Figure 1. Site Location Map
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Figure 2. Site Map
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PART 2: DECISION SUMMARY
The Decision Summary identifies the No Further Action decision, explains why a remedy is not
necessary to ensure protection of human health and the environment, and provides a substantive
summary of the Administrative Record file that supports the decision.
2.1 Project Name, Location, and Brief Description
The FUDS property name is Point Vicente MIL RES FC Sites, and the FUDS project name is Pt.
Vicente Soil Contamination. The FUDS Project Number is J09CA055804. USACE is the lead
agency, and the DTSC is the support agency. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes is a stakeholder.
The Site is in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California (Figure 1). It is a 26.4-acre
parcel located within the former Point Vicente Military Reservation and on the property of the
current Point Vicente Interpretive Center. The Point Vicente Interpretive Center consists of a
developed area that includes a museum/exhibit building, landscaping, trails, parking lots, utilities,
public roads, and undeveloped park land. Docents give tours of the facility and Site workers
maintain the facility and grounds. Adult and child recreational visitors use the facility for whale
and bird watching, hiking, walking, biking, and school trips, and as a museum and community
center. Ecological receptors (plants and animals) use habitat in the park area, with more limited
use within the developed area.
2.2 Project History
According to historical evidence, the U.S. Army established a Known Distance (KD) Rifle Range
on the lower portion of the military reservation during the 1950s. The Army used the range for
small arms training. Shooters fired toward the ocean at paper targets mounted on wooden frames
raised above the bullet stop and at pistol targets in front of an earthen backstop berm (the bullet
stop).
After deactivation of the range in 1974, the U.S. Army leased the Site to the County of Los Angeles
and quitclaimed the property in 1978 before expiration of the 5-year lease. The County of Los
Angeles made no improvements to the Site, and in 1979 leased the property to Rancho Palos
Verdes for a term of 50 years. Rancho Palos Verdes developed the Site as a park and constructed
the Point Vicente Interpretive Center in 1983. In 2003, the County executed a quitclaim deed
conveying the property to Rancho Palos Verdes.
During construction of the park and the Point Vicente Interpretive Center in 1983, the earthen
backstop berm for the KD Rifle Range was demolished and soil from the backstop berm was used
for grading. The main exhibit building was built at the location of the backstop berm, adjacent to
the sea cliffs. In September 1999, lead-contaminated soil was discovered by the County of Los
Angeles during the construction to expand the Point Vicente Interpretive Center exhibit building.
The County temporarily closed the Point Vicente Interpretive Center in August 1999 to
accommodate additional field investigation activities and a subsequent soil Removal Action,
which was conducted in 2002 by USACE. The County conducted a Phase I Environmental Site
Assessment (ESA) in 1999 and Phase II ESAs in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, an RI and a feasibility
study were completed that incorporated findings from the prior ESAs. The 2002 RI concluded that
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Rancho Palos Verdes, California
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soil was impacted by lead, the only contaminant of concern. Lead-contaminated soil was limited
to a clay-rich zone encountered at shallow depths in an area immediately adjacent to the Point
Vicente Interpretive Center Exhibit Building, which was the location of the former KD Rifle Range
earthen backstop. Lead contamination was not distributed evenly throughout this area and several
areas were reported to contain lead in soil at concentrations exceeding 250 milligrams/kilogram
(mg/kg). In 2002, USACE conducted a Removal Action. Following the Removal Action, the Point
Vicente Interpretive Center was then expanded and reopened to the public in 2006.
2.3 Community Participation
In accordance with CERCLA, the NCP, and DoD and U.S. Army regulations, USACE Los
Angeles District has kept the local community involved throughout the 2024 RI, Proposed Plan
(PP), and ROD processes by hosting a public meeting during the PP process and establishing and
maintaining a publicly accessible Administrative Record file for the Site. A public notice
advertising the PP public meeting and the 30-day public comment period was published in the
Palos Verdes Peninsula News on 05 September 2024.
USACE Los Angeles District held a public meeting on 10 October 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at
the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (31501 Palos Verdes Drive West, Rancho Palos Verdes,
California), to present the PP and the No Further Action decision for the Site and to answer
questions from the community related to this decision. The RI Report (USACE, 2024a) and the PP
(USACE, 2024b) were made available to the public prior to the comment period through the
Administrative Record file located at the following locations:
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
City Clerk’s Office
30940 Hawthorne Blvd.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
310-544-5217
www.rpvca.gov
USACE Los Angeles District
915 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 100
Los Angeles, California 90017
(213) 452-3333
https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Formerly-Used-Defense-Sites/Point-Vicente-
Interpretive-Center/
The public comment period was held 31 August 2024 through 02 October 2024. No comments
were received during the public meeting or during the public comment period. The DTSC
approved the PP on 21 January 2025.
2.4 Scope and Role of Response Action
This project is the only active project on the Point Vicente MIL RES FC Sites FUDS property.
Three other FUDS projects on the FUDS property (J09CA055801, J09CA055802, and
J09CA055803) were completed and closed out between 1996 and 2001. This ROD documents the
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final decision for this FUDS Property and supports no further action at the Site under the CERCLA
process.
In September 2002, USACE conducted a Removal Action at the Site to remediate lead
contamination in surface and subsurface soil associated with activities at the former KD Rifle
Range. The Removal Action included preliminary sampling, excavation and confirmation
sampling, and post-excavation confirmation sampling. Preliminary samples were collected using
a drill rig to define the lateral and vertical extent of soil containing lead concentrations exceeding
250 mg/kg in various Areas of Concern (AOCs). The principal areas of soil excavation and
confirmation sampling conducted in 2002 included two AOCs (Area A and Area B), Storm Drain
A, and Storm Drain B (see Figure 2). AOCs Area A and Area B are the main areas of impacted
soil associated with former range operations and cover 1.47 acres. Storm Drain A and Storm Drain
B cover 0.53 acres. A Fringe Area, not directly impacted by former range operations, covers
approximately 20 acres and is the area surrounding AOCs Area A and Area B. As noted
in 6HFWLRQof this ROD, these were the three exposure units and acreages for each evaluated
in the risk assessment.
The excavation activities removed lead-impacted soil, including bullets, bullet fragments, and
other metal debris. The excavations were backfilled with soil from two sources. Approximately
1,200 bank cubic yards (bcy) of soil with lead concentrations below the action level of 250 mg/kg
were reused from Area B. The remaining soil needed to establish the finish grade was imported
from off-Site and tested to ensure that there were no significant levels of contaminants.
Approximately 4,200 bcy of soil was imported to the Site. Following removal activities, Area A
and Area B and excavated areas within the Storm Drain Area were capped with a 1-foot layer of
imported soil covering 1.7 acres.
Based on the conclusions of the 2024 RI, the surface and subsurface soil at the Site does not
represent a potential threat to public health, welfare, and/or the environment under the current
and reasonably anticipated future land use, and a response action is not warranted. A Covenant to
Restrict Use of Property has been established between the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and DTSC
that restricts the use of the property to recreational and other related governmental and public
uses.
The Covenant to Restrict Use of Property was executed in 2006 between the City of Rancho Palos
Verdes and DTSC. The covenant addresses the Point Vicente Interpretive Center and part of the
Point Vicente Park, including improvements (building, parking areas, access roads, and landscaped
areas). The covenant states that pursuant to California Civil Code Section 1471(a)(3), DTSC has
determined that the covenant is reasonably necessary to protect current and future human health
and safety of the environment because of hazardous materials (lead) on the land as defined in
California Health and Safety Code Section 25260. The covenant restricts certain uses and activities
for a portion of the property to a public park, educational use, research, and community center,
and other related governmental and public uses. The covenant prohibits the following activities:
1. Future construction or demolition of existing improvements that may disturb the cap or soil
underneath the cap.
2. Activities that may disturb soil beneath the cap (e.g., excavation, grading, removal,
trenching, filling, earth moving, etc.) without review and approval by DTSC.
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3. Activities that alter the concrete and asphalt that serve as caps (other than routine,
noninvasive maintenance) without written approval by DTSC.
4. Activities disturbing the cap that may harm persons or property from exposure to potential
contaminated soils.
The covenant binds all owners of the property, and their heirs and successors. Therefore, all
successive owners are expressly bound for the benefit of future public health and environmental
safety.
2.5 Project Characteristics
This section provides an overview of the Site characteristics, including a summary of the
Conceptual Site Model (CSM) for human and ecological receptors, site features, and the results of
the 2024 RI.
2.5.1 Conceptual Site Model Summary
A CSM was developed to identify complete exposure pathways for human receptors (recreational
visitors, Site workers, and construction workers) and ecological receptors (plants, invertebrates,
mammals, and birds) potentially exposed to lead in the soil. A CSM is used to communicate and
describe the current state of knowledge and assumptions about risks at a project site. It describes
the site and its environment and depicts the nature of potential contamination, its location, and the
possible interactions between any contamination and human and environmental receptors. The
CSM presents the exposure pathway analysis by integrating information regarding the Site and
source, receptors, and receptor interaction. It is necessary to evaluate Site-specific conditions and
land use to evaluate risks posed to potential receptors under current and future land use scenarios.
The CSM for the Site was created based on the results of the 2024 RI. A CSM was prepared for
human and ecological receptors.
The human health and ecological CSM depicts and evaluates residual lead migration, exposure
pathways, and possible human and/or ecological receptors, based on Site-specific conditions. The
CSM summarizes which potential receptor exposure pathways for lead are or may be complete
and which are and are likely to remain incomplete. An exposure pathway is considered incomplete
unless all five of the following elements are present (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
[USEPA], 1989):
1. A source of contamination
2. An exposure medium
3. A point of exposure at which the contaminant can interact with a receptor
4. A likely route of exposure at the exposure point; and
5. A receptor/population that may be exposed to a source of contamination.
If any single factor is not present, the pathway is considered incomplete. Table 1 summarizes the
CSM for the Site.
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Table 1. Conceptual Site Model Summary
Site Details
Historical
Contamination
Sources / 2002
Remediated Areas
Risk Assessment
Exposure Area for
Lead: Post-2002
Remediation
Receptor/Exposed
Population
Exposure
Media/Exposure
Points
Exposure Pathways / Exposure
Routes
Acreage: 26.4 acres Lead in Soil Lead in Soil Human Receptors Exposure Media Human Health: Complete human
Owned by the City of Area A contained Human Exposure Current/future Human Receptors exposure pathways for lead in
Rancho Palos Verdes. lead ≥250 mg/kg Areas human receptors: Recreational/Site visitors: surface and subsurface soil are
Deed restrictions / (excavated to AOC Area A/Area Site workers, Surface soil 0- to 1-foot the following:
covenants prevent depth of impact) B (1.47-acre adult/child below ground surface Incidental ingestion, dermal
current and future Area B contained exposure unit, recreational (bgs) contact, and inhalation of
residential lead <250 mg/kg) workers/visitors) users/Site visitors, Site workers: suspended soil particles
development and
uses
(removed upper
1-foot of soil)
Storm Drain Area
(0.53-acre
and construction
workers
Surface/subsurface soil
0- to 2-feet bgs
Ecological: Complete ecological
exposure pathways for lead in
Suspected Past Storm Drains A exposure unit, Ecological Construction Workers: surface and subsurface soil are
Activities (release and B (Soil with construction Receptors Surface/subsurface soil the following:
mechanism): lead ≥250 mg/kg workers) Current/future 0- to 10-feet bgs Incidental ingestion, dermal
Site includes the excavated from Fringe Area ecological Ecological Receptors contact, and inhalation of
former Known footprints) (exposure unit, receptors: terrestrial Surface soil (0-to 0.5-suspended soil particles, and
Distance Rifle Range
active from 1950s to
1974. The former
rifle range was
demolished to build
Point Vicente
Interpretive Center
and lead-impacted
soil from earthen
backstop was used to
grade the Site.
Area A/Area B
capped with 1-
foot imported soil
workers/visitors,
20.3 acres)
vegetation, soil
invertebrates, birds,
and mammals
Surrogate species:
x Botta’s Pocket
Gopher
x Ornate Shrew
x Red Fox
x California
Quail
foot bgs) for Coastal
California Gnatcatcher
Surface soil (0- to 1-foot
bgs) for Ornate Shrew,
California Quail,
American Robin, Barn
Owl, Western Scrub Jay
Surface/subsurface soil
(0- to 2-feet bgs) for
Pocket Mouse, Red Fox
uptake
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CURRENT LAND
USE:
Pacific gray whale
watching
Nature trails/walks
Public Park,
Interpretive
Center/Museum,
landscaping and
plant nursery
Related research,
education, and
recreation
Ecological
Exposure Areas
Area A/Area B
(1.7-acre removal
area)
Fringe Area
(exposure unit
20.3 acres)
Storm Drain
A/Storm Drain B
redistributed to
Area A, Area B,
and the Fringe
Area
Ecological Habitat
Types
x Coastal Scrub
Sage
x Grassland
x Disturbed
Area
x Southern
Coastal Bluff
(adjacent to
Site)
x American
Robin
x Barn Owl
x Western Scrub
Jay
Listed Species:
x Coastal
California
Gnatcatcher
x Pacific Pocket
Mouse
x El Segundo
Blue Butterfly
Surface/subsurface soil
(0- to 6-feet bgs) for
Botta’s Pocket Gopher
Listed Species:
x Coastal California
Gnatcatcher (0-to
0.5-foot bgs)
x Pacific Pocket Mouse
(0- to 2-feet bgs)
x El Segundo Blue
Butterfly (0-to 1-foot
bgs)
Exposure Points
Park area
Landscaped area near
Point Vicente
Interpretive Center
Exhibit Building
Gardens and nature trails
Whale observation
locations within the
Point Vicente
Interpretive Center
Risk Assessment:
Human Risk
x Acceptable risk for all
receptors – incremental
increase in blood lead ≤1.0
microgram per deciliter
(μg/dl) child and <1.1 μg/dl
adult.
Ecological Risk
x AOCs Area A and Area B:
No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-
Level (NOAEL)-based Hazard
Quotients (HQs) are <1 for
Botta’s Pocket Gopher, Ornate
Shrew, Red Fox, California
Quail, Barn Owl, Western
Scrub Jay.
x Fringe Area: NOAEL-based
HQs are ≤1 for Botta’s Pocket
Gopher, Ornate Shrew, Red
Fox, California Quail,
American Robin, Barn Owl,
Western Scrub Jay.
x AOCs Area A and Area B:
NOAEL-based HQ is >1 for
American Robin and
California Gnatcatcher.
x Fringe Area: NOAEL-based
HQ is >1 for California
Gnatcatcher.
x No unacceptable risk
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FUDS Project Number J09CA055804
2.5.2 Site Features
The Site spans 26.4 acres and is owned by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. The Site is subject to
deed restrictions and covenants that prohibit current and future residential development and uses.
The Site sits on marine terraces east of the Pacific Ocean coastline. Site elevations range from 125
feet above mean sea level (amsl) at the sea cliffs to 402 feet amsl on the upper marine terrace. The
Site area gently slopes 1 to 2 degrees south-southwest from an approximate elevation of 75 feet
amsl at the western boundary (sea cliffs) to about 215 feet amsl adjacent to Palos Verdes Drive
West. A drainage channel follows the northern property line, eventually discharging to the Pacific
Ocean.
Historically, the Site included the former KD Rifle Range, which was active from the 1950s to
1974. Following the range’s demolition, lead-impacted soil from its earthen backstop was used to
grade the area for redevelopment. Today, the Site is the home of the Point Vicente Interpretive
Center, which consists of a developed area that includes a museum/exhibit building, landscaping,
trails, parking lots, utilities, public roads, and undeveloped park land. Docents give tours of the
facility and workers maintain the facility and grounds. Adult and child recreational visitors use the
facility for whale and bird watching, hiking, walking, biking, and school trips, and as a museum
and community center. Ecological receptors (plants and animals) use habitat in the park area, with
more limited use within the developed area.
2.5.3 2024 Remedial Investigation
The 2024 RI was completed on behalf of USACE Los Angeles District to characterize Site
conditions, determine the current nature and extent of lead contamination following the 2002
Removal Action, and perform a human health risk assessment (HHRA) and baseline ecological
risk assessment (BERA) based on current and future land use scenarios. The 2024 RI relied only
on physical data collected in 2000, 2001, and 2002, and no new data were collected. The RI
assessed the current Site conditions and provided the basis for decisions regarding the need for
further action at the Site.
During the 2024 RI, USACE only used data sources for Site characterization and risk assessment
if they were representative of lead distributions currently in place. A Geographic Information
System (GIS) database was compiled that contains all lead sample results associated with the Phase
II ESAs and Removal Action. Laboratory data extracted from the GIS database supported specific
evaluation of lead distributions at selected depth intervals and exposure areas for characterization
and risk assessment. Sample locations under the expanded facility and asphalt surfaces were
excluded because these exposure pathways are considered incomplete.
Three locations in AOC Area A were identified as containing lead concentrations in soil exceeding
the 250 mg/kg action level based on the Phase II ESAs. Lead concentrations exceeding 50 mg/kg
were identified in AOC Area B, where impacted soil from the rifle range backstop berm was used
for grading outside of AOC Area A. Phase II ESA results indicated soils in the Fringe Area were
not impacted by operations at the former KD Rifle Range.
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During the Removal Action, USACE drilled soil borings within AOC Areas A and B to further
delineate the areal and vertical extent of lead concentrations exceeding the action level. Samples
were also collected from the perimeter of the Point Vicente Interpretive Center Exhibit Building,
parking lots, and storm-drain footprints. Following delineation, soil was excavated in Area A to
depth and the top 12 inches of soil was removed from Area B. Soil removed from Area B was
segregated, tested to contain a mean lead concentration of 106 mg/kg, and used to backfill the
excavations in Area A, if lead concentrations were below 250 mg/kg. Areas A and B were then
covered with a 1-foot-thick cap of imported soil, tested to contain lead at a mean concentration of
1.30 mg/kg. The third area potentially impacted by lead from the KD Rifle Range bullet backstop
was the Storm Drain Area (footprints of Storm Drain A and Storm Drain B). Soil containing lead
concentrations exceeding 250 mg/kg was removed prior to utility installation to protect workers
and the area backfilled.
Post-remedial lead distributions were documented through confirmation samples collected from
the excavation floor and sidewalls of Area A, from the in-place soil in Area B after removal of the
upper 1-foot of soil, and from the Storm Drain Area.
Analytical results compiled from the Phase II ESAs and Removal Action supported development
of the CSM (Table 1) and the nature and extent characterization of lead under current conditions.
Potential human receptors identified for the RI are adult/child recreational visitors, Site workers,
and construction workers. Complete exposure pathways include surface soil (0- to 1-foot below
ground surface [bgs]) for Site visitors, surface/subsurface soil (0- to 2-feet bgs) for Site workers,
and soil from 0- to 10-feet bgs for construction workers. Complete exposure pathways for
ecological receptors at the Site addressed surface soil (0- to 0.5-feet bgs) for the California
gnatcatcher and 0- to 1-foot bgs for ornate shrew, California quail, American robin, and western
scrub jay); shallow surface/subsurface soil (0- to 2-feet bgs) for Pacific pocket mouse and red fox;
and surface/subsurface soil from 0- to 6-feet bgs for Botta’s pocket gopher.
Three exposure units, AOC Area A and Area B, the Fringe Area, and the Storm Drain Area, were
defined for the HHRA. For the BERA, sample locations from the Storm Drain Area were added
into AOC Area A and Area B and the Fringe Area based on their overlapping spatial position. Two
exposure units were defined for the BERA: AOC Area A and Area B and the Fringe Area.
Data Used for Human Risk Characterization
Lead concentrations within AOC Area A and Area B range from 1.30 to 204 mg/kg based on
analytical results of 119 surface soil samples (0- to 1-foot bgs) and 144 surface/subsurface samples
(0- to 2-feet bgs). These sample groupings resulted in estimated population means (95 Percent
Upper Confidence Limit [UCL95] concentrations) of 40.7 mg/kg and 45.8 mg/kg, respectively,
used as Exposure Point Concentrations (EPCs) in the risk assessment. Concentrations from 0- to
10-feet bgs in the Storm Drain Area range from 0.5 to 126 mg/kg based on 34 samples,
corresponding to an estimated population mean (UCL95) of 34.1 mg/kg as the EPC. Analytical
results for 67 surface soil samples (0- to 1-foot bgs) and 68 surface/subsurface samples (0- to 2-
feet bgs) at the Fringe Area indicate lead concentrations range from 2.4 to 43 mg/kg and 2.4 to 156
mg/kg, respectively, resulting in EPCs (estimated population means or UCL95 concentrations) of
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12.6 mg/kg and 16.9 mg/kg. At the Storm Drain Area, the estimated population mean (UCL95
concentration) of 34.1 mg/kg was calculated for the soil interval from 0- to 10-feet bgs.
Data Used for Ecological Risk Characterization
Risk was estimated for species exposed to lead concentrations (EPCs) at AOC Area A and Area B
and Fringe Area calculated for depth intervals from 0- to 6-feet bgs. The sample mean (arithmetic
average) lead concentration of the soil samples collected from 0-to 0.5-foot within the soil cap
over AOC Area A and Area B was 1.30 mg/kg. The soil cap was profiled at 39 locations to develop
EPCs that account for the spatial extent of the soil cover and reuse fill. Lead concentrations from
0- to 1-foot bgs (125 samples) and 0- to 2-feet bgs (151 samples) at AOC Area A and Area B range
from 1.30 to 204 mg/kg. The population means (UCL95 concentrations) used as EPCs to evaluate
non-listed species were 39.6 mg/kg and 44.6 mg/kg, respectively. Lead concentrations (210
samples) collected from 0- to 6-feet bgs range from 0.5 to 204 mg/kg and corresponded to a UCL95
of 39.6 mg/kg. Lead concentrations reported at the Fringe Area in 68 samples (0- to 0.5-feet bgs)
range from 1.30 to 43 mg/kg. From 0- to 1-foot bgs, lead concentrations analyzed in 75 samples
range from 1.30 to 126 mg/kg, while lead concentrations in 76 samples (0- to 2-feet bgs) range
from 1.30 to 156 mg/kg. These sample groupings resulted in UCL95 concentrations of 12.3 mg/kg,
21.6 mg/kg, and 24.3 mg/kg, respectively. In the interval from 0- to 6-feet bgs, lead concentrations
analyzed in 210 samples range from 0.5 to 156 mg/kg; the EPC (estimated population mean or
UCL95) was 24.0 mg/kg. Threatened and endangered species coastal California gnatcatcher,
Pacific pocket mouse, and El Segundo blue butterfly were evaluated using more-stringent
(protective) maximum concentrations as EPCs. These ranged from 1.3 to 204 mg/kg at AOC A/B
and 43 to 156 mg/kg at the Fringe Area.
Fill Characterization
The sample mean (arithmetic average) lead concentrations in the reuse backfill (1,200 bcy) was
106 mg/kg and the lead sample mean of imported fill installed for the 1.7-acre soil cap (2,200 bcy)
over AOC A and AOC B was 1.30 mg/kg. The lead arithmetic mean was used to estimate the true
concentration of the mean due to the minimal number of laboratory samples available for the
calculations. The concentration of lead in reuse soil used to back fill excavated areas and in
imported soil used for the final 1-foot cap were incorporated into the nature and extent
characterization to address the lateral and vertical extents of the two layers.
Risk Characterization
Two risk assessments were performed as part of the RI: an HHRA and a BERA. No unacceptable
risk to human receptors from estimated exposure to lead was identified in the HHRA. No
unacceptable risk to ecological receptors (terrestrial plants, soil invertebrates, mammals, or birds,
including listed species) was identified from exposure to lead in soil in the BERA. Detailed
descriptions of the results of the risk assessments are included in Sections 2.7.1 and 2.7.2 of this
ROD. Based on the conclusions of the RI, surface and subsurface soil at the Site do not represent
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a potential threat to public health, welfare, and/or the environment under the current and reasonably
anticipated future land use, which is restricted under the 2006 Land Use Covenant.
2.6 Current and Potential Future Land Use
The current use of the Point Vicente Interpretive Center and surrounding park focuses on
recreational and educational activities. The Site serves as a public park and features an interpretive
center and museum, nature trails, and areas for landscaping and plant nurseries. It is also a popular
location for Pacific gray whale watching and supports related research, education, and community
recreation.
The future land use of the Site and park will remain recreational, as established by the 2006
Covenant to Restrict Use of Property between the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and DTSC. The
Covenant restricts the property to public park, educational, research, and community center
purposes to ensure long-term protection of human health and the environment due to residual lead
contamination. In accordance with the 2002 Remedial Action Plan (USACE, 2002) prepared for
the Removal Action, USACE remediated the site by removing lead-contaminated soil and capping
portions of the property with clean soil. In addition to the land use restriction, the Covenant
requires DTSC notification and approval prior to any future construction or demolition of existing
improvements that may involve disturbance of the cap (including concrete and asphalt over the
cap) or the soil underneath the cap. Additionally, if any hazardous substances are encountered
during construction or demolition activities, then the City must take appropriate action as directed
by DTSC. These restrictions are in place to prevent disturbance of the cap or underlying soil
without DTSC approval, and are binding on all future property owners to ensure that the site
remains dedicated to its recreational purpose.
2.7 Summary of Site Risks
Two risk assessments were performed as part of the 2024 RI: an HHRA and a BERA. The risk
assessments were conducted for assumed exposures to lead in soil at the Site. The risk assessments
include an exposure assessment to identify receptors at risk and estimate the type and magnitude
of lead remaining at the Site following the 2002 Removal Action. Risks were estimated using the
DTSC Lead Risk Assessment Spreadsheet, version 9 (LeadSpread 9) and the DTSC-modified
screening levels for lead, as presented by the DTSC Human and Ecological Risk Office in 2020
and revised in 2022 (DTSC, 2022). These screening levels are more stringent than the USEPA
regional screening levels for lead in soil. Current and future exposure scenarios were identified.
The Point Vicente Interpretive Center will remain a public park under the Land Use Covenant
established in 2006 (see Section 2.4). The human health and ecological CSM indicates surface and
subsurface soil exposure pathways are complete and lead is the only chemical of potential
concern/chemical of potential ecological concern. The results of the risk assessments are described
below.
2.7.1 Human Health Risks
Residual concentrations of lead associated with former operations at the U.S. Army’s former KD
Rifle Range are present in the surface and subsurface soils at the Site. An HHRA was performed
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to estimate potential risks to human receptors exposed to the lead-impacted soils at the Site
assuming current and future land use scenarios, following federal and state guidelines. Risk was
evaluated under the assumption that the soil that is currently inaccessible will continue to be
inaccessible in the future. Exposure areas include AOCs Area A and Area B in the vicinity of the
Point Vicente Interpretive Center’s Exhibit Building, where backstop berm soil from the former
rifle range, the historical source of lead contamination, was used during facility construction; the
Fringe Area, where soils were not impacted by former operations; and the Storm Drain corridor,
where lead-impacted soil was removed prior to utility installation.
For current and future land use, potential health risks to visitors (adults and children) and Point
Vicente Interpretive Center workers were evaluated for surface soil (0- to 1-foot bgs) and
surface/subsurface soil (0- to 2-feet bgs). In addition, health risks were estimated for construction
workers involved in hypothetical future Point Vicente Interpretive Center construction activities
from 0- to 10-feet bgs. The USEPA ProUCL version 5.2 (USEPA, 2022) was used to calculate
lead EPCs as UCL95 concentrations. Exposure routes for current and future human receptors
include dermal contact, incidental ingestion of soil, and the inhalation of dust and windborne
particulates.
LeadSpread 9, developed by DTSC in 2022, was used to estimate blood lead concentrations
resulting from exposure to contaminated soil in AOCs Area A and Area B, Fringe Area, or the
Storm Drain A and Storm Drain B footprint based on receptor exposure parameters for recreational
and worker land use scenarios. Using Site-specific EPCs and exposure frequencies developed for
each scenario, LeadSpread 9 estimates the incremental change in blood lead level for comparison
to the benchmark of 1 microgram per deciliter (μg/dl) (child) or 1.1 μg/dl (adult). The toxicity
criterion underpinning LeadSpread 9 is the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office
of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s (OEHHA’s) 1 μg/dl benchmark for source-specific
incremental change in blood lead levels for protection of school children and fetuses (OEHHA,
2007). A benchmark change of 1 μg/dl is the estimated incremental increase in children’s blood
lead that would reduce a child’s Intelligence Quotient by up to 1 point. The adult scenarios for
workers and non-workers are based on protecting the fetus carried by an exposed adult female
such that the incremental increase in blood lead of the fetus does not exceed 1 μg/dl (accounting
for a fetal to adult blood lead ratio of 0.9, the fetus of the exposed adult female with an incremental
change in blood lead of 1.1 μg/dl would have a blood lead value of 1.0 μg/dl). The benchmark
incremental change in blood level does not represent a safe exposure level, since no safe level has
been definitively established. However, changes in blood lead equal to or less than the benchmark
incremental change are expected to cause no measurable adverse effect.
Exposure of recreational visitors, Site workers, and construction workers to lead-contaminated soil
in AOCs Area A and Area B or the Fringe Area is not expected to result in adverse health effects
based on results of LeadSpread 9 modeling. The model supports that incremental blood lead
concentrations do not exceed 1.0 μg/dl for the 90th percentile child visitor, including the pica child,
or 1.1 μg/dl for 90th percentile adult recreational visitors or Site workers. Adverse health effects
are also not expected for construction workers exposed to lead within the Storm Drain corridor.
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2.7.2 Ecological Risks
The BERA evaluated potential risks to ecological receptors at the Site from exposure to lead
concentrations in surface and subsurface soil associated with the former KD Rifle Range.
USACE conducted a search of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Information, Planning,
and Conservation (IPaC) database (USFWS, 2022) for the Site. The search indicates five state or
federally listed threatened, endangered, or sensitive species potentially occur within the Site. These
include one mammal, one bird, and three insects. The Site also overlaps critical habitat of the
threatened coastal California gnatcatcher.
The surrogate species selected for the BERA are based on the habitat characteristics of the coastal
sage scrub community and the potential presence of the coastal California gnatcatcher and
endangered Pacific pocket mouse. The endangered El Segundo blue butterfly has been observed in
the planted native gardens at the Site and in the southern coastal bluff scrub associated with host
plant seacliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium) growing on the cliffs adjacent to the Site. The
ecological receptors evaluated in the BERA include terrestrial plants and soil invertebrates
(refined evaluation) and mammals and birds. The ecological CSM (summarized in Table 1)
documents complete exposure pathways for surface and subsurface soil. Exposure routes include
uptake or dermal contact with soil (terrestrial plants and soil invertebrates) and ingestion of lead-
impacted prey and soil (birds and mammals). Using a conservative approach, all receptor groups
were assumed to be exposed to surface (0- to 0.5-feet bgs; 0- to 1-foot bgs) and surface/subsurface
(0- to 2-feet bgs; 0- to 6-feet bgs) soil.
The BERA characterized risks for wildlife receptors from exposure to residual lead contamination
in surface and subsurface soil. The Site was historically vegetated by a native coastal sage scrub
plant community, remnants of which may still be found at the Site. These areas are likely less than
an acre of the approximately 26-acre site. The Site currently consists of disturbed areas and native
and non-native grassland habitat. During the 2002 Removal Action, a 1.7-acre area was covered
with a 1-foot-thick soil cap in the vicinity of the Point Vicente Interpretive Center’s Exhibit
Building, where gardens and landscaped areas now exist. The Site overlaps critical habitat
designated for the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher, and the coastal sage scrub plant
community provides potential habitat for the endangered Pacific pocket mouse. The endangered
El Segundo blue butterfly is present at the Site.
Two exposure units were evaluated in the BERA, the 1.7-acre AOCs Area A and Area B, where
berm soil from the former U.S. Army KD Rifle Range was used for grading during construction
of the Point Vicente Interpretive Center, and the surrounding 20.3-acre Fringe Area. The screening
level ecological risk evaluation indicated a need for further ecological risk evaluation at the Site.
Comparison of maximum lead concentrations detected at the Site to receptor-specific ecological
screening values (ESVs) resulted in no-effect hazard quotients (HQs) greater than 1 for mammals
and birds; no-effect HQs exceeding 1 were also calculated for birds exposed to UCL95
concentrations. USACE further evaluated mammal and bird receptors in the BERA. Lead HQs for
the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly were determined to be less than 1 based on comparison
of maximum EPCs to the ESV for soil invertebrates as a surrogate. Invertebrates were addressed
qualitatively given the presence of the butterfly at the Site and lack of specific direct contact soil
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toxicity values for lead. Plants were not addressed in the BERA; no listed plants are present at the
Site, and the HQ for non-listed plants was less than 1 based on UCL95 concentrations from 0- to
6-feet bgs.
The objective of the BERA was to provide a more realistic and focused assessment of potential
exposures and risks resulting from the screening level evaluation process. Because the 2002
Removal Action resulted in the removal of lead-impacted soil, including bullets, bullet fragments,
and other metal debris, the lead pellet ingestion route for birds is not complete. Based on the Site
characterization, CSM, and available data, the following exposure pathways are complete or
potentially complete and were evaluated in the BERA:
x Plants: Direct contact with lead in surface and subsurface soil
x Soil invertebrates: Direct contact of invertebrates with lead in surface and near-surface soil
and uptake of metals from soil
x Terrestrial herbivorous wildlife: Ingestion of terrestrial plants and incidental soil ingestion
x Terrestrial insectivorous/invertivorous wildlife: Ingestion of terrestrial invertebrates and
incidental soil ingestion
x Terrestrial omnivorous wildlife: Ingestion of terrestrial plants, terrestrial invertebrates, and
incidental ingestion of soil
x Terrestrial carnivorous wildlife receptors: Exposure to terrestrial food/prey (plants, soil
invertebrates, small mammal tissues)
Risk to wildlife receptors was evaluated in the BERA for assumed exposure to lead concentrations
in impacted soil measured at AOCs Area A and Area B and the Fringe Area. Exposure intervals
were developed for each surrogate species and include surface soil (0- to 0.5-feet bgs and 0- to 1-
foot bgs), shallow soil (0- to 2-feet bgs), and soil from 0- to 6-feet bgs. Food-chain models for
mammals (herbivore, insectivore, and carnivore species) and birds (herbivore,
insectivore/invertivore, and carnivore species) were used to estimate uptake of lead via soil, plant,
and prey ingestion. Lead average daily doses were calculated for non-listed surrogate species based
on dietary composition (pocket gopher, ornate shrew, American robin, red fox, California quail,
barn owl, and western scrub jay) and compared to No-Effect-Adverse-Effect Level (NOAEL) and
the Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect level toxicity reference values available for birds and
mammals. Surrogates for two listed species (coastal California gnatcatcher and Pacific pocket
mouse) were quantitatively evaluated, and the El Segundo blue butterfly was evaluated as having
HQs less than 1 in the screening evaluation using soil invertebrate ESVs as a surrogate. All wildlife
HQs are modified to account for the size of the exposure unit relative to the size of the receptor’s
home range. The NOAEL-based HQs exceeded 1 for the American robin at AOCs Area A and
Area B for exposure to lead in soil from 0- to 1-foot bgs. The locations of residual lead
concentrations above 100 mg/kg associated with this depth interval are excavation confirmation
samples evaluated during the 2002 Removal Action. The entire AOC is covered by a 1-foot-thick
cap of soil. This protective soil cap prevents contact between the robin and potential
contamination. The NOAEL-based HQs exceeded 1 for the California gnatcatcher for exposure to
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soil in the Fringe Area and AOCs Area A and Area B, and for exposure to soil in the Fringe Area
from 0- to 0.5-foot bgs. The California gnatcatcher is only exposed to the upper few inches of
surface soil (0- to 0.5-foot bgs) during foraging, so the 1-foot-thick cap of soil at AOCs Area A
and Area B protects the gnatcatcher from contacting any potential contamination in soil beneath
the cap. In the soil concentrations exceeding the 12 mg/kg threshold associated with a NOAEL
HQ of 1 are delineated to a 2-acre sub-area. Food-chain modeling for this 2-acre sub-area indicates
the NOAEL-based HQ is less than 1, assuming a home range of 6 acres. Therefore, acceptable
risks are anticipated for both the American robin and the California gnatcatcher. The results of the
BERA indicate acceptable risks to ecological receptors at the Site, including the endangered
mammalian herbivore Pacific pocket mouse and threatened avian insectivore coastal California
gnatcatcher. The NOAEL-based HQs for the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly were
determined to be less than 1 in the screening evaluation using the soil invertebrate ESV as a
surrogate. The BERA provides a comprehensive assessment of wildlife receptor risks associated
with exposure to anthropogenic sources of lead contamination within the Site, including the
threatened coastal California gnatcatcher and endangered Pacific pocket mouse.
Based on the results of the HHRA and BERA, the surface and subsurface soil at the Site does not
represent a potential threat to public health, welfare, and/or the environment under the current and
reasonably anticipated future land use. Therefore, a Response Action is not warranted.
2.8 Documentation of Significant Changes from the Proposed Plan
The PP for the Site was released for public comment on 31 August 2024. The PP discussed the
basis for USACE’s recommended alternative of “No Further Action” under CERCLA for the Site.
No comments were received during the public meeting or the public comment period beginning
31 August 2024 and ending 02 October 2024. Therefore, no significant change to the No Further
Action decision, identified in the PP, is necessary for the Site. On 21 January 2025, the DTSC
provided a formal letter indicating concurrence with the Final PP for the Site.
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PART 3: RESPONSIVENESS SUMMARY
USACE provided information to the public regarding the proposed No Further Action decision for
the Site through the Administrative Record file and through announcements published in the Palos
Verdes Peninsula News. USACE encourages the public to gain a comprehensive understanding of
the Site and the past investigations that have been conducted at the Site.
USACE has prepared this Responsiveness Summary for the Site as part of the process for finalizing
the remedial action decisions for the Site. The purpose of the Responsiveness Summary is to
document (for the Administrative Record) public comments and issues raised during the public
comment period on the recommendation for No Further Action presented in the PP for the Site,
and to provide USACE’s responses to those comments. No comments were received by mail,
electronic media, or voiced at the public meeting.
The final decision for the Site is consistent with the PP without revision, and as detailed in this
ROD. USACE has complied with the public participation requirements in accordance with Section
117 of CERCLA, codified at 42 U.S.C. §9617, and with the NCP 40 Code of Federal Regulations
§300.430(f)(3).
3.1 Stakeholder Issues and Lead Agency Responses
No comments or questions were submitted to USACE regarding the Site with respect to the PP or
this ROD. Therefore, there were no resultant changes to the PP.
3.2 Technical and Legal Issues
No technical or legal issues have been identified for the Site with respect to this ROD.
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REFERENCES
California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Human and Ecological Risk Office
(HERO), 2022. Lead Risk Assessment Spreadsheet, version 9 (LeadSpread 9).
California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA), 2007. Final Report: Child-specific Benchmark Change in Blood Lead
Concentration for School Site Risk Assessment.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), 2024a. Remedial Investigation Report. Final. Point
Vicente MIL RES FC Sites/Pt. Vicente Soil Contamination, FUDS Project No.: J09CA055804
Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
USACE, 2024b. Proposed Plan for No Further Action at Point Vicente MIL RES FC Sites/Pt.
Vicente Soil Contamination, FUDS Number J09CA055804, Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
USACE, 2003. Final Closure Report, Lead Contaminated Soil Removal, Point Vicente
Interpretive Center, Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
USACE, 2002. Final Remedial Action Plan, Point Vicente Interpretive Center, Palos Verdes Drive
West, Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022. ProUCL version 5.2 Technical Guide, Statistical
Software for Environmental Applications for Data Sets with and without Nondetect
Observations.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2020. Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) Database,
Threatened and Endangered Species List, Point Vicente Interpretive Center, California.
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