SAN PEDRO, California –
Tank 17, the last tank to be filled with foam crete and solidify, marks the milestone closure of 27 underground tanks at the U.S. Navy owned Defense Fuel Support Point in San Pedro, California, July 20.
The closure finished one week ahead of schedule with all fuel tanks complete and civil work procedures ongoing. The next phase will focus on environmental restoration to remove all contaminants from the property before returning it back to the Navy.
“The project was very demanding and required out-of-the-box thinking to get it moving,” said DLA Energy Installation Support for Energy Facility Manager Todd Williams.
The DLA funded Naval Facilities Engineering Command project consisted of filling 12 miles of pipelines ranging from six to 18 inches in diameter and 26 2.1-million gallon tanks and one 500,000-gallon tank with foam crete.
“When the project first kicked off we had several delays due to the lack of water supply for the foam crete batch plants,” he said. “I had to come up with a plan to install 1,400 feet of temporary water pipeline to provide enough water for the batch plants to produce the required foam crete.”
It’s a timely process; each tank has to set for a day between pours for the foam crete to completely harden, Williams explained.
Due to the nature of this project, there were problems and challenges; however, getting the support from DLA Energy Contracting was the most important resource that allowed funding and contract vehicles so it could stay on schedule, he said.
“Having the support from DLA Energy Installation Support for Energy Director DJ Junio, DLA Energy Engineering Division Chief John Cummings and DLA Energy Logistics Management Specialist Stephen Hill from the Facilities Management Branch allowed me to get this task done,” Williams added.
Even more, the engagement with the local community and environmental agencies ensured all stakeholders agreed to the closure strategy, he said.
“This effort demonstrates how DLA Energy and its joint partners adapt to mission needs while being good stewards of the environment,” Junio said.
Williams said the contractor did a magnificent job and their teamwork was highly apparent.
“They all showed a ‘can-do’ attitude when working along with the DFSP San Pedro personnel,” he said.
Williams will support the DLA Audit of Real Property at other bases in California as well as completing other smaller projects to ready the turnover of DFSP San Pedro to the Navy in September 2019.