Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific

Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific (NCTAMS PAC) is a Navy communications facility located at Wahiawa on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, roughly 20 miles north of Pearl Harbor. Naval radio operations in the area date back to 1906, and construction of the Wahiawa facility began in 1940. After the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, equipment was relocated to Wahiawa, which became one of the island's most important and best protected radio stations. The installation received its current name on October 20, 1997, and today it provides operational direction and management for the Pacific Naval Telecommunication System and supports Department of Defense communications across the Pacific region. The command is associated with related Navy properties on Oahu, including the radio transmitter facility at Lualualei.

Decades of communications, transformer, and disposal operations across the installation's sites have raised concerns about potential exposure to several contaminants documented in soil. The discussion below summarizes the substances that environmental investigations have identified at the site.

1. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): PCBs are a group of man made chemicals that were once widely used as insulating and cooling fluids in electrical transformers and capacitors. At this installation, PCB transformer sites and associated land disposal areas were identified as sources of PCB contamination in soil. PCBs have been associated in some studies with a range of health concerns, and environmental agencies have expressed concerns about potential exposure where the chemicals persist in soil.
2. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): VOCs are carbon based chemicals, including many solvents, that can evaporate readily and migrate through soil and groundwater. At the site, VOCs were among the soil contaminants documented during environmental investigations. Exposure to certain VOCs has been associated with various health concerns, which is part of why these compounds are tracked during cleanup.
3. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs): SVOCs are a broader class of organic chemicals that evaporate more slowly than VOCs and can remain in soil for extended periods. Investigations at the installation documented SVOCs in soil alongside the other contaminants of concern. Because some SVOCs have been associated with health effects, agencies continue to evaluate them as part of the site review process.
4. Heavy metals: Metals such as those found at industrial and disposal areas can accumulate in soil and do not break down over time. Soil sampling at the site identified metals among the documented contaminants. Long term exposure to certain heavy metals has been associated with health concerns, and they remain part of the ongoing investigation.

The facility, identified in EPA records as Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Eastern Pacific, was placed on the EPA National Priorities List (Superfund) on May 31, 1994 as a federal facility site. Under an agreement announced in 2009 with the EPA and the Hawaii Department of Health, the Navy committed to addressing remaining investigation and cleanup issues at the Wahiawa and Lualualei sites. The EPA conducts periodic five year reviews to evaluate whether the selected remedies remain protective.

Veterans and family members who lived or worked at this installation may wish to stay informed as investigation and cleanup continue. Those with questions about possible exposures and health are encouraged to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and their own health care providers, who can offer guidance based on individual circumstances.