Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach
Encyclopedia
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is a United States Navy
weapons and munitions loading, storage and maintenance facility located in Seal Beach, California
with detachments in Concord
, Fallbrook
, and San Diego
, all also in California
. On recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission the Inland Area of the Concord detachment is slated for closure and the Tidal Area of the detachment was transferred to the United States Army
in 2008.
NWS Seal Beach occupies 5,256 acres (21 km²), has 230 buildings and 128 ammunition magazines
providing 589,299 feet² (54,747 m²) of ammunition storage space. Ammunition is moved from storage to the docks on 56 miles (90 km) of railroad line
and 80 miles (128 km) of road. The base owns 130 pieces of railroad rolling stock
and 230 trucks and trailers to move the ammunition which is loaded onto ships using six mobile cranes that can lift up to 90 tons (81 tonnes).
The station is bounded on the north by the combined Interstate 405
and State Route 22
; on the west by Seal Beach Boulevard; on the south west by the Pacific Ocean
; on the south east by the Bolsa Chica Channel and Edinger Avenue; and on the east by the Bolsa Chica Channel and Bolsa Chica Road. From Edinger Avenue to Interstate 405, a distance of about three miles, all roads to the east of the station terminate at Bolsa Chica Road, with the exception of Westminster Boulevard, which runs through the center of the facility, separated by a chain-link fence on both sides. Edinger Avenue enters the facility, but public access terminates at an emergency gate. On the west side of the station south of Interstate 405, Westminster Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway
are the only public roads running through any part of the station.
The Weapons Station is also home to the World War II National Submarine Memorial - West. The Memorial is dedicated to the over 3000 submariners who lost their lives in United States submarines in the 52 submarines lost during WWII. There are also plaques dedicated to those who lost their lives in submarine accidents during the Cold War
. The Memorial is located outside the main entrance to the Weapons Station on Seal Beach Boulevard and is accessible to the public.
The Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge
is a 920 acre (4 km²) salt marsh located within the boundaries of the Weapons Station.
An Installation Restoration (IR) project is underway at the base to clean up environmental hazards and restore damaged areas. Working with a Restoration Advisory Board made up of representatives from the surrounding community, a total of 73 sites needing attention were identified. Studies of the recommended sites were done and 46 were found to have no contamination and required no intervention. Five facilities were permitted and are still in use and were removed from the IR program. Responsibility for two underground tanks was transferred to other agencies with expertise in such tanks. Seven sites have had the cleanup process completed with 13 other sites in the process of analysis or cleanup as of September 2005. The remaining 13 sites range from the station landfill to a paint locker to an explosives burning ground.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
weapons and munitions loading, storage and maintenance facility located in Seal Beach, California
Seal Beach, California
-Neighborhoods:Seal Beach encompasses the Leisure World retirement gated community with roughly 9,000 residents. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the U.S...
with detachments in Concord
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
, Fallbrook
Fallbrook, California
Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census....
, and San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, all also in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. On recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission the Inland Area of the Concord detachment is slated for closure and the Tidal Area of the detachment was transferred to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 2008.
Ammunition dump
An ammunition dump, ammunition compound, ammunition depot, bomb dump, ammunition supply point or ammo dump, is a military storage facility for live ammunition and explosives....
providing 589,299 feet² (54,747 m²) of ammunition storage space. Ammunition is moved from storage to the docks on 56 miles (90 km) of railroad line
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
and 80 miles (128 km) of road. The base owns 130 pieces of railroad rolling stock
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
and 230 trucks and trailers to move the ammunition which is loaded onto ships using six mobile cranes that can lift up to 90 tons (81 tonnes).
The station is bounded on the north by the combined Interstate 405
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
and State Route 22
California State Route 22
State Route 22 in the U.S. state of California is an east–west highway in southern Los Angeles County and northern Orange County. It runs between Long Beach and Orange by way of Garden Grove. The westernmost part of it is a surface street, Long Beach's 7th Street. From Long Beach to its...
; on the west by Seal Beach Boulevard; on the south west by the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
; on the south east by the Bolsa Chica Channel and Edinger Avenue; and on the east by the Bolsa Chica Channel and Bolsa Chica Road. From Edinger Avenue to Interstate 405, a distance of about three miles, all roads to the east of the station terminate at Bolsa Chica Road, with the exception of Westminster Boulevard, which runs through the center of the facility, separated by a chain-link fence on both sides. Edinger Avenue enters the facility, but public access terminates at an emergency gate. On the west side of the station south of Interstate 405, Westminster Boulevard and the Pacific Coast Highway
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
are the only public roads running through any part of the station.
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. The Memorial is located outside the main entrance to the Weapons Station on Seal Beach Boulevard and is accessible to the public.
The Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge
Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge
The Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge encompassing located in the California coastal community of Seal Beach. Although it is located in Orange County it is included as part of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex...
is a 920 acre (4 km²) salt marsh located within the boundaries of the Weapons Station.