Camp Anza History

7/31/2019 Camp Anza History

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ORDNANCE AND EXPLOSIVE WASTECHEMICAL WARFARE MATERIALSARCHIVES SEARCHREPORTFORCAMP ANZARIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA

DERP-FUDS SITE NO. J09CA026700

1.0 Introduction1.1 AuthorityIn 1980, Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation andLiability Act (CERCLA) 42 USC 9601 et seq. Ordnance and explosive wastesare includedin the CERCLA definition of pollutants and contaminants that requirearemedial response.In 1983, the Environmental Restoration Defense Account (ERDA) was established by PublicLaw 98-212. ThisCongressionally directed fund was tobeused for environmental restorationat Department of Defense (DOD) active installations and formerly used properties. The DODdesignated the Army as the sole manager for environmental restoration at closed installationsand formerly used properties. The Secretary of the Army assignedthis mssion to the Corpsof Engineers (USACE) in 1984.The 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) amended certain aspectsof CERCLA, some of which directly related to OEW contamination. Chapter160of theSARA established the Defense Environmental RestorationProgram(DERP). One of the goalsspecified for the DERP is "correction of environmental damage (suchas detection anddisposal of unexploded ordnance) which creates an imminent and substantial endangerment tothe public health or welfare or to the environment."The DEW requires that a CERCLA response actionbeundertaken whenever such "imminentand substantial endangerment" is found at:

A. A facility or site that is owned by, leased to, or otherwise possessed by theUnited States and under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense.B. A facility or site that was under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defenseand owned by, leased to, or otherwise possessed by the United States at thetime of actions leading to contamination.C. A vessel owned or operated by the Department of Defense.

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The National Contingency Plan (NCP) was established by the Clean Water Act of 1972. TheNCP has been revised and broadened several times since then. Its purpose is to provide theorganizational structure and procedures for remedial actions tobetaken in response to thepresenceof hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants at a site. Section 105of the1980CERCLA states that the NCP shall apply toall response actions takenas a result ofCERCLA requirements.The March 1990National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan given in40CFR part 300 is the latest version of the NCP. Paragraph300.120 states that "DOD willbe the removal response authority with respect to incidents involving DOD military weaponsand munitions under the jurisdiction, custody, and control of DOD."On April 5, 1990, U.S. Army Engineer Division, Huntsville (USAEDH) was designated as theUSACE Mandatory Center of Expertise (MCX) and Design Center for Ordnance andExplosive Waste (OEW). As theMCX and Design Center forOEWUSAEDH is responsiblefor the design and successful implementation of al l Department of the Army OEWremediations required by CERCLA. USAEDH will also design and implement OEWremediation programs for other branches of the Department of Defense when requested. Incooperation with the Huntsville Division theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis Districthas been assigned the task of preparing Archives Search Reports for those Formerly UsedDefense Sites(FUDS) suspected of chemical warfare materials (CWM) contamination.1.2 SubjectCampAnza, SiteNo. J WCA026700, is located in Riverside County, Riverside, California.Arlington Avenue runs east-west through the middleof the camp. The former camp wasbounded by Van Buren Boulevard on the east, Crest Avenue on the west, and the Santa AnaRiver on the north. Camp Anza wasasub-installation for the Los Angeles Port ofEmbarkation (LAPOE). The Camp was activated on2December 1942and transferred to theWar Assets Administration on30September 1946. Twogas chambers were located on thecomer of Arlington and Crest. Also located within the camp was an armament shop whichhandled small arms and artillery.1.3 PurposeThis Archives Search Report (ASR) compiles information obtained through historical researchat various archives and records holding facilities, interviews with individuals associated withthe site or its operations, and personal visits to the site. All efforts were directed towardsdetermining possible use or disposal of chemical warfare materials on the site anddocumenting the existence of Ordnanceand Explosive Waste (OEW). Particular emphasiswas placed on establishing the chemical (agent), the type of munitions or container, quantitiesand area of disposal. Information obtained duringthisprocess was used in developingrecommendations for further actions at the site.

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1.4 ScopeCampAnza was a sub-installation for theLAPOE. Thousands of soldiers were processedthrough. During the processing,al l equipment and clothing were tested. Located within thecamp boundaries were two gas chambers, a training fieldsarea, and an armament shop.Stationed at Camp Anza were both chemical and ordnance officers who were in charge ofassociated equipment testing.During the site inspection, the area where the gas chambers and the training fields area werelocated were investigated thoroughly. The entire former camp was inspected for ordnanceexplosive waste and chemical warfare material.

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2.0 Previous Site InvestigationsTheLos Angeles District Corps of Engineers (CESPL) completed a Findings of Fact and anINPR, a Project Summary Sheet for a CON/HTRW project, and a Project Summary Sheet fora PRP/HTRW project 1991. CESPL also completedan INPR and a Contamination Summaryin 1987. In September 1993, Riedel Environmental Services, Inc. prepared a ContaminationEvaluation for theLosAngeles District.2.0.1 Inventory Project ReportAn INPR dated 22 May 1991 states a site visit was conducted on 18 February 1991 by JohnBurge andWlliamGoss. Two projects were identified. TheseareCONMTRW andPRP/HTRW. These two projects concern underground storagetank removal and groundwatercontamination.Another INPR dated approximately 1987 was completed by CESPL for Camp Anza. On30October 1986 another site visit was conducted. The only contamination mentioned isreferred to underground storagetanks and contaminated groundwater.2.0.2 Findings of FactThe Findings of Fact dated 2 December 1991 states that the War Department acquired in feefrom private owners in 1942 and 1943, the land comprising CampAnza. The land wasacquired for useas a staging areafor troops embarking from theLosAngeles Port ofEmbarkation (LAPOE) and later was used as a deposition Center for embarking. Camp Anzawas placed in the category of surpluson 12 February 1946. On 30 September 1946, CampAnza was transferred to theWr Asset Administration.2.0.2 Contamination EvaluationRiedel Environmental Services, Inc., prepared a contamination evaluation report for theLosAngeles District. The report summarizes the findings of background research, investigativefield work, and reported analytical results to identify and locate the presence of undergroundan above ground fuel storagetanks (USTdASTs).

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3.0 Site and Site Area Description3.1 LocationCampAnza, Site Number JO9CAO26700, is located in Riverside, California. The formercamp is bounded by Van Buren Boulevard on the east, Crest Avenue, on the southern portion,on the west, and the Santa Ana River on the north. Arlington Avenueruns through themiddle of the camp in an east-west direction. See Figure 2 for the boundaries of Camp Anza.3.2 Past UsesThe property purchased by the Federal government for CampAnza was originally used foragricultural andgr azi ng purposes. It had been part of the W.J. Hole Ranch and, originally, ofRancho La Sierra (Sepulveda). Beginning in 1942 until itsdeactivation in 1946, Camp Anzawas used as a military staging area for theLosAngeles Port of Embarkation (POE). Afterthe war, business speculators envisioned the property of the former CampAnza for use as alarge poultry ranch, a housing area for returning veterans, and a national cemetery. After theclosure of CampAnza, the area became known as Anza Village, and later, Arlanza.3.3 Current UsesThe property on which CampAnza was erected isnow largely a residential area with parksand schools. The gas chambers, once used by troops at the former Camp Anza, no longerexist. The area in which thegas chambers were located is now a small business communitynear the intersection of Arlington and Crest Avenues. The training aids area is now a park.Small outlyingareas near the perimeter of the former CampAnza remain undeveloped.3.4 Intemretation of Aerial PhotographyPhoto analysis and land use interpretation were performed for thesite with the useof aerialphotography from 1948, 1966, 1985, and 1992. The Riverside West, California,USGSquadrangle map and a March 1944 Camp Layout was used as a reference for thephotography. The approximate negative scale of the photography isas follows:

Identifier(s)Photography Date Scale Source Frame(s)10Jul 1948 1"=1,667' EROS 2-138& 15516 Apr 1966 1"=2,000' EROS 1-64& 1-3513 Feb 1985 1"=3,000' I.K. Curtis 867630 Jan 1992 1"=3,000' LK. Curtis 584The aerial photography for 1948 was reviewed using the 1944 Camp Layout Mapas areference. The gas chamber buildingsarestill intact on the 1948 photography southeast of

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SAN FR

NOT TO SCALE

I OAHO

V I C INl T Y MAPPROJ.DATE: APRIL 1994 IDATE OFWI 994I SI TERl7/MAP/CA0267.DCN1-APR- 1994 10:26

NEVADA

UTAH

ARIZONA

n I DERP-FUDS * J 09CA026700


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the road junction of Arlington and Crest Avenue. No outside storage is noted at thesebuildings. The camp buildings, sewage and lagoon system, and roads match the CampLayout very closely. One area of approximately fifty buildings on the southwest sideof theCamp have been razed with the exception of about eight buildings. An area of dirt roads andshallow trenches southof the main building areain an open field is noted as training aids onthe Camp Layout. No outside storage canbeseen in the warehouse area along ArlingtonAvenue.The 1966 aerial photography shows that major portions of the former CampAnza have beenconverted to residential areas. At the north end of the site the sewage lagoon, treatmentplant, and discharge ponds appear to be in use. The majority of the Camp buildings that werein the northeast portion of the Camp just north of Arlington Avenue have nowbeen razed.Other Camp buildings remain, including two cross shaped buildings which were centerbuildings in two main building complexes southof Arlington Avenue. Several campbuildings remain in these complexes but many havebeen razed and many new structures havebeenbuilt. The former warehouse area has new large buildings and outside storage facilities.

The 1985 and 1992 aerial photography shows the former Camph a obe 85-90% developedwithprimarily residential dwellings. The sewage treatmentareaand lagoons on the north endof the site remain as the only undeveloped area on the site. The warehouse area remains asan industrial use area. This includes the area where the gas chambers existed. The eastemcross shaped building has been razed. Actual Chemical Warfare Material (CWM) orordnance storage or disposal areas cannot be specifically determined from the available aerialPhOtOgraPhY3.5 Map AnalysisThe site was analyzed by referencing theUSGS 7.5 minute quadrangle sheet Riverside West,California, 1967, photorevised 1980. The center of the siteis located at 33" 57' NorthLatitude by 117" 28' West Longitude in Riverside County, California. Other maps used inthe analysis include the following:

(1) Camp Anza, Arlington, California, General Layout Plan, 1"=400', March 1944,U.S. Engineer Office,Los Angeles, CA, FileNo. 1030/66.(2) Camp Anza- Staging Area, L.A. Port of Embarkation, 5April 1944, WarDepartment, Officeof the Division Engineer, South Pacific Division, Drawing

NO. 90-M2.The Camp Layout Plan specifically shows two gas chamber buildings that are located next toeach other at the comer of Arlington Avenue and Crest Avenue. Thisplan identifiesalbuildings, storagetanks, road, sewage disposal system, and training areas. The StagingAreamap identifies the land tracts purchased by the government. The quadranglemap outlines the

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current roads as the site has been developed for residential use. Remnants of the sewagelagoon are noted on the north end of the site. The only buildings noted on the quadranglearethe schools and the industrial buildings. Camp Anza is not annotated nor is there anyCWMor ordnance storage or disposal areas annotated on the referenced quadrangle map.3.6 Demographics of theArea3.6.1 Center of ActivityThe former Camp Anzawas located in the City of Riverside, Riverside County, California.Riverside has numerous centersof activity such as the Riverside Central Library, HistoricMission I nn Hotel, Riverside Municipal Auditorium, RiversideAt Museum, JurupaMountains Cultural Center, California Museum of Photography, Riverside Ballet Theatre,Riverside Municipal Museum, Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside General HospitalUniversity Medical Center, Riverside Plaza, Galleria, University of California at Riverside,LaSierra University, California Baptist College, California Paramedical and TechnicalCollege, Riverside Community College, Phillips College, Arlington Park, Don Lorenzi SportsComplex, Lincoln Park, and other numerous recreational facilities throughout the community.3.6.2 Population Density

CITY: RIVERSIDEAREA: 74sq.mPOPULATION: 226,505POPULATION DENSITY: 3,061 persondsq. mi.

COUNTY: RIVERSIDEAREA: 7,214sq. mi.POPULATION: 1,170,413POPULATION DENSITY: 162persondsq. mi.

Population and area are based on theU.S.Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census,1990statistics, and telephone interviews.3.6.3 Type of BusinessesA review of both telephone interviews and County Business Patterns(1990)assistedindeveloping a business profile of the area. The City of Riverside is diversified. The largestemployers are Borden Cabinet Company, woodworking; Fleetwood Enterprises, modularhomes manufacturer; Parkview Community Hospital, medical services; Riverside CommunityHospital, medical services; and Tor0 Company, sprinkler and nozzle manufacturer.

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3.6.4 Type of IndustryRiverside is an economic diverse community. The community supports governmental, lightmanufacturing, retail and service, and wholesale sectors.3.6.5 Typeof HousingHousing in Riverside is composed of both single and multi-family homes.3.6.6 New Development in the AreaDevelopment in the area includes small businesses, office parks, and residential growth.3.6.7 Cross-Section of PopulationThe ancestry in Riverside is diverse. The percent of those under theage of 18is29%, over65years is 8.9%. The median age is 29. Approximately60.6%of the population iswhite,7.4%Black, 26%Hispanic, .8% American Indian or Eskimo, and 5.2% Asian or PacificIslander. There are approximately 80,240housing units with a median value of $134,800.The work force, based on the number of establishments, of Riverside County is broken downinto the following: manufacturing, 19.6%; non-manufacturing, 72.7%;agriculture,2.7%;andother non-agriculture, 5%.

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(Arenaria paludicola), Riversidefairy shrimp (Steptocephalus woottoni), vernal pool fairyshrimp (Branchinecta lvnchi), and Delhi Sands flower-loving fly (Rhaphiomidas terminatusabdominalis)as listed or proposed speciesknown to occur in Western Riverside County. Itshouldbenoted that least Bells vireo critical habitat occurs along the Santa Ana River inRiverside County. Sixty-three Federally listed candidate species may alsobe found in thevicinity of the project area (see Appendix C-5.1).State recognized species and communities include: San Diego homed lizard (Phrvnosomacoronatum blainvillei), black shouldered kite (Elanus caeruleus), Western yellow billedcuckoo (Coccvzus americanus occidentalis), tricolored blackbird (Agelaius tricolor), Coopershawk (Acciuiter coouerii), long eared owl (Asio otus), California gnatcatcher, orange throatedwhiptail (Cnemidophorus hvperythrus], Stephens kangaroo rat, Arroyo chub (Gila orcutti),Santa h a ucker (Catostomus santaanae), Munzs onion (Allium munzii), Southerncottonwood willow riparian forest, and Southern sycamore alder riparian woodland.No additional information on the occurrence of rareor endangered species or naturalcommunities is known atthis time. Thisdoes not mean that other state or federally-listedspecies may not be present within the areas of interest. An on site inspection by appropriatestate and federal personnel may benecessary to verify the presence, absence or location oflisted species, or natural communitiesif remedial action is recommended as part of thefrnalASR.

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4.0 Wvsical Characteristicsof the Site4.1 GeoloPv/PhysiographyThe site is situated in the Los Angeles section of the Pacific Border physiographic province.Thi s region is characterized by narrow ridges and broad fault blocks with alluviatedlowlands. The site is situated in thenorthwestern portion of the Arlington Basin. Thisalluvial-filled basin is separated from the Riverside Basin to the northeast by a ground-waterdivide and from the Upper SantaAna Valley to the northwest by J urupa Mountain. BothRiverside and Arlington Basins are part of a buried bedrock canyon system that trendssouthwest-northeast and extends from 1mlesouthwest of Van Buren Street, Arlington, totheseries of isolated hills east of the Jurupa Mountains, south Colton. The Santa Ana Riverand its tributaries have filled thisancestral canyon system with alluvial deposits of gravels,sands, siltsand clays. The surface of the alluvial deposits form a relatively flat, gentlysloping valley f l oor. Underlying thisalluvium, at depths of over 100 feet in the center of thebasin, isametamorphic and igneous basement complex. These basement rocks aresimilar inlithology those forming the surrounding hills. (Riedel, 1993)4.2 SoilsThe sediments that underlie the former CampAnza are typically dark reddish-brown silt,very fine to medium grained sand and dark reddish-brown medium to stiff low plasticitysandy clay. These sediments extend fromthe surface to a depth of about 8 feet.The surficial soilsare underlain by a decomposed, fractured, and weathered granodiorite.This unit consists of granular to finepebble si zed rock fragments of decomposed granite.Locally, ahighly weathered clayey granitic subunit occurs at depth of 22 to 27 feet belowground surface. Thi s unit could represent a fault gouge material. (Riedel, 1993)4.3 HydrologyThe Santa Ana River flows through the northern portion of Camp A m and drains abouttwo-thirds of the area. The other southern one-third of the area drains southwest into theRiverside Canal. The Riverside Canal in turn empties into the Santa Ana River. The terrainof Camp Anza is relatively steep. A high elevation of over 900 feet NGVD in thehillyregions compare to a low elevation of about 660feet NGVD along the Santa Ana Riverfloodplain.A maximumpeak flow of 19,500 cfs was recorded on February 18,1980 on the Santa AnaRiver at Mission Blvd. at Riverside. The drainageareaof the Santa h a iver at thislocation is810 square miles. The Santa Ana River flows west and eventually empties into thePacificOcean.

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4.4 Ground WaterGround-water units in theArlington Basin consist of the thick alluvial deposits present in thecenter of the basin and the weathered granite residuum which overlies bedrock along therimof the basin. The alluvial sands and gravels comprisetheprincipal aquifers in thearea.Ground water in the former CampAnza area generally flows from the east to the northeast,towards Hole Lake and the flood-control channel on the eastern edge of the site. The depthto the water table in this unconfined aquifer is from8to 13feet at the site, and the thicknessvaries from less than5 feet to over 70 feet. (Riedel, 1993)Theprimary sourceof water supply in the Arlington Basin is imported water from adjoiningbasins. Ground water in the Arlington Basin itself isonly extracted for irrigation or otheruses in isolated areas.4.5 WeatherSan Bernardino is located within theL os Angeles coastal basin. The Pacific coast is theprimary moderating influence. Thecoastal mountain ranges lying alongthenorth and eastsides of theLosAngeles coastal basin actas a buffer against extremes of summer heat andwinter cold occurring in thedesert and plateau regions in the interior.The daily temperature range is usually less than 15degrees in thespring and summer andabout 20 degrees in the fall and winter. Nighttime temperaturesaregenerally cool butmnimum temperatures below 40 degrees are rare. The highest recorded temperature of 112degrees occurred June of 1990 while the lowest recorded temperatureof 28 degrees occurredduring January of 1949.Precipitation occurs mainly in the winter. Snow, ice and hail, areextremely rare with themaximum recorded amount consisting of 0.3 inches during January of 1949. Most of therainfall occurs in January with an average of about 3.7 inches while July is practicallyrainless. Measurablerainmay fall on about oneday in four from late October intoearlyApril. Themaximum 24 hour precipitation of 6.11 inches occurredin January of 1956.The average monthly wind velocity is 6.2 mlesper hour and theprevailing wind direction iswest. The maximum wind velocity usually occurs during March with an average of 7.0 mphand theminimumusually occurs during August and September withanaverageof 5.3 mph.During the fall, winter, and spring, gusty dry northeasterly Santa Ana winds blow oversouthern California mountains and through passes to the coast. These winds produceextremely dry air and dust clouds. At timesthe lack of ai r movement combined withtemperature inversion is associated with concentrations of air pollution.Climatological data for the area are summarized inTABLE 4-1. Data were collected at theNational Weather Service meteorological station atLos Angeles Civic Center, California.

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CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA FORLOSANGELES, CALIFORNIACIVIC CENTERTABLE 4-1

MonthJanFebMarAPrMay

AugSePOctNovDeCAnnual

JunJul

Min47.749.250.253.056.660.464.365.363.759.252.748.455.9

Temp.0AverageDailyMax66.668.568.770.973.277.983.884.183.078.572.768.174.7

Average PRECIP.Monthly AverageMean (inches)57.258.959.562.064.969.274.174.773.468.962.758.3

3.692.962.351.170.230.030.000.120.270.211.851.97

65.3 14.85

WindVelocity@Ph)6.86.97.06.66.35.75.45.35.35.76.46.66.2

WindDirectionNEWWWWWWWWWWNEW

Source: NOAA 1992.Local ClimatologicalData of LosAngeles, California at the CivicCenter. ISSN 0198-0920.4.6 EcolonyThe information provided for this site has been compiled from theU. S. Fish and WildlifeService and the California Department of Fish and Game-Natural Diversity Data Base:Rarefind.TheU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists the Stephens kangaroo rat (Dipodomvs stephensi),bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), American peregrine falcon (Falco pereminus anatum),Artic peregrine falcon (Falco ueregrinus tundrius), least Bells vireo (Vireobellii pusillus),California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica), Southwestern willow flycatcher(Empidonax trailii extimus), Southwestern arroyo toad @ufo microscaphus californicus),unarmored threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni), slender-homedspineflower podecahema leptoceras), Santa Ana River woolly-star (Eriastrum densifoliumssp. sanctorum), California Orcuttg r a s s (Orcuttia californica), San Diego button celery

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(Arenaria ualudicola), Riverside fairy shrimp (Steptocephalus woottoni), vernal pool fairyshrimp (Branchinecta lvnchi), and Delhi Sands flower-loving fly (Rhauhiomidas terminatusabdominalis) as listed or proposed speciesknown to occur inWestern Riverside County. Itshouldbenoted that least Bells vireo critical habitat occurs along the Santa Ana River inRiverside County. Sixty-three Federally listed candidate species may also be found in thevicinity of the project area (see Appendix C-5.1).State recognized species and communities include: San Diego homed lizard (Phosomacoronatum blainvillei), black shouldered kite (Elanus caeruleus), Western yellow billedcuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis), tricolored blackbird (Agelaius tricolor), Coopershawk (Accipiter cooperii), long eared owl (Asio otus), California gnatcatcher, orange throatedwhiptail (Cnemidouhorus hyuewthrus), Stephens kangaroo rat, Arroyo chub (Gila orcutti),Santa h a ucker (Catostomus santaanae), Munzs onion (Album munzii), Southerncottonwood willow riparian forest, and Southern sycamore alder riparian woodland.No additional information on the occurrence of rareor endangered species or naturalcommunities is known atthis time. Thi s does not mean that other state or federally-listedspecies may not be present within the areasof interest. An on site inspectionby appropriatestate and federal personnel may benecessary to verify the presence, absence or location oflisted species, or natural communitiesif remedial action is recommended as part of thefinalASR.

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5.0 Real Estate5.1 DOD OwnershipThe land comprising Camp Anza, 1240.56acres, was purchased from private land owners in1942. Arlington Staging Area was activated on2December 1942and redesignatedas CampAnza on 12December 1942. On2August 1944, Camp Anza was removed from Class IVInstallation and operatedas a subordinate installation under the jurisdiction of theLosAngelesPort of Embarkation. Camp Anza was placed inthe categoryof surplus on23February 1946and transferred to War Asset Administration on30 September 1946. Thearea then became known as Anza Village and later Arlanza.5.2 Present OwnershipThe area north of Arlington Avenue is mostly residential. The area south of ArlingtonAvenue is a combination of residential and industrial. The area where the gas chamber waslocated is now occupied by B&D Mini Storage. The TrainingAds Area is now a park. Afew original buildings still exist. Thesearethe Chapel and the laundry facilities. Severalcompanies operate out of the laundry facilities building. Approximately 80acres is owned byRohr Industries.5.3 Sinnificant Past Ownership other than DODIn 1949,the War Asset Administration original Protection and Maintenance Report DisposalStatus stated that one Chapel was sold to Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, ten hospitalbuildings and walkways were sold to Riverside City School District, and forty buildings andhospital walkways were sold to FPHA. All buildings sold to the Riverside School Districtwere removed except for the frame and exterior wall of the Boiler House. No othersignificant past ownership was discovered during the research for this site.

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6.0 OEW/CWM SiteAnalysis6.1 Historical Summary of OEW/CWM Activities6.1.1 General HistoryCamp Anza was a military post during World War I1 located in Riverside County, CA,approximately 10 miles southeast of the then city limits of Riverside, CA, and approximately55miles east of LosAngeles, CA, (U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers 1991). In 1942,theU.S.government purchased 1,239acres of land in Arlington County for military purposes (ArmyService Forces 1942).While the land was purchased for $197,868,construction of the facilities at the Camp cost thegovernment well over 2million dollars. Warehouse and camp construction was completed on15February 1943. 512 buildings and miscellaneous facilities were erected of which435 wereconsidered major structures. Structures included 13 warehouses and7 storehouses. Inaddition, 2.4miles of railroad tracks and spurs were laid connecting with the Union PacificRailroad for transportationof troops, equipment, and supplies(WarAssets Administration1947).Camp Anza was previously knownas the Arlington StagingArea, a Class I V installation(special training center), which was activated on2December 1942. Other names used forCamp Anza included the Arlington Reception Center and the Arlington Special TrainingCenter. Soon thereafter, on 12 December 1942, the Arlington Staging Area was redesignatedas Camp Anza (Adjutant General Corps n.d.)Camp Anza was a staging area used to train, prepare and supply troops for embarkation to theFar East Theatre of Operations. Portions of Camp Anza were divided into areas which wereoperational areas for company to regimental sizeun ts. These areas included cantonment fortroops, as well as each units respective supply and training facilities. On occasion there weremore than 20,000 troops housed at CampAnza (Jane Gunther 1984).On 5 January 1944, Camp Anza was assigned as a subordinate installation under thejurisdiction of the Commanding General of theLosAngeles Port of Embarkation (POE).During World War I I more than600,000troops were processed through Camp Anza foroperations in the Pacific. Italso functionedas an out-processing and reassignment station fortroops returning from overseas.Early in 1946Camp Anza was declared surplus and was inactivated on 31 March 1946.Disposal documents of the War Assets Administration categorized the property as industrialacreage with structuresand f a r mland. Based on corresponding documents, it isassumed themilitary property was transferred to the County of Riverside.Remaining military structures at Camp Anza were still being inspected by the Public

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Buildings Service in 1950. Before themilitary structures were eliminated, recommendationswere made by the Public Buildings Service to erect a cyclonet n>e fence around certainportions of the former CampAnza due to hazards remaining from water tanks and fallingdebris.6.1.2. CWM ActivitiesCamp Anza wasa military stagingarea. Stagingareas were used not only to prepareandsupply troops for embarkation, but also to conduct final testing of weapons and checks onequipment, including gas masks (Army Service Forces 1944).The roster of personnel permanently assigned to CampAnza included a Camp ChemcalOfficer and supporting staff. The Chemcal Branch was under the Director of the SupplyDivision at CampAnza. The Chemcal Branch was responsible for supply, storage, andissue of CWS items. The Chemcal Branchalsomade physical checksof gas masks throughtheuse of tear and chlorine gas (Adjutant, Camp Anza1944). At least two gas chambers atCampAnza were used for thispurpose (Hemeben 1947). A gas mask repair facility waslocated adjacent to the gas chambers. In addition to gas chamber exercises, the ChemcalBranch trained troops in chemical warfare and conducted chemcal warfare demonstrationsand lectures for troops and civilian personnel (Hemeben1947). The location(s) of thesechemcal warfare demonstrations is unknown.Regarding storage of CWS materials, CampAnza had a magazine (igloo type), which wasspecially constructed to store chemcal training ammunition (Hemeben1947). Based on theshipment of chemcal warfare materials to CampAnza, it is assumed warehouse(s) werestocked with gas masks, eyeshields, shoe impregnite, and protective ointment. Warehousesfor storage of chemcal warfare material are not specifically denoted on the installation map.6.1.3 OEW ActivitiesAs noted in paragraph 6.1.2, Camp Anza functionedas a staging area for troops to conductfinal testing of weapons systems. Training of troops included a refresher course in theoperation and use of thepistol, rifle, carbine, and machine gun (Adjutant, CampAnza 1944).No documents indicate actual firing of the weapons occurred.Camp Anza had a CampOrdnance Officer under the Director of the Supply Division, whoseresponsibilities included procurement, storage, inspection, and issue of ordnance materials totroops.Based on f i nal checks of weapon systems, warehouse space was probably used to storematerials related to theuse of weapons systems. An Armament and Instrument Shop, underthe Organization of Combined Maintenance, handled small arms and artillery (CampHistorical Officer, Camp Anza 1943).

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6.2 Records Review6.2.1 Archive SearchesThe locations listed below were searched for records relating to OEWKWM activities atCamp Anza. Notes on records reviewed followeach entry.Speaking generally, however, at the National Archives and Federal Records Centers thefinding aids for the following record groups (RG) were reviewed. As at other repositories,finding aids, archivists, and records managers were utilized to locate portionsof the recordsrelevant to the research.RG 48 - Records of the Office of the Secretary of the InteriorRG 49 - Records of theBureau of Land ManagementRG 77 - Records of the Office of the Chief of EngineersRG 92 - Records of the Office of the Quartermaster GeneralRG 107- Records of the Office of the Secretary of WarRG 115- Records of the Bureau of ReclamationRG 121- Records of the Public Building ServiceRG 156- Records of the Chief of OrdnanceRG 160- Records of the Headquarters, Army Service ForcesRG 175- Records of the Chemical Warfare ServiceRG 269 - Records of theGeneral Services AdministrationRG 270 - Records of the War Assets AdministrationRG 291 - Records of the Property Management and Disposal ServiceRG 336 - Recordsof the Office of the Chief of TransportationRG 338 - Records of theUnted States Army CommandsRG 407 - Records of the Adjutant General's OfficeNational Remsitones:1. National Archives, Washington, D.C. RG 270- Real estate disposal documents werefound.2. National Archives and Federal Records, Washington National Records Center, Suitland,MD. RG 270 - a General Plan of the Arlington Staging Area with a numerical listingofbuildings and their purpose was found.3. Historical Office, U.S.Army Chemical&Biological Defense Agency (CBDA), AberdeenProving Ground, MD. Files - information on chemical warfare activities at Camp Anza in adocument entitled "the History of CWS Activities at Ports of Embarkation", dated 27 June1947, and information regarding the chemical warfare service supply program, whichincluded theLos Angeles POE and its respective chemical warfare supply depots was found.

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4. Special Collections Division, U.S. Military Academy L ibrary, West Point,NY. Files -information on the activation and deactivation, its use, and itscommand channels was found.5. National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, MO. RG 342 and RG 77 - examined andno pertinent information was found.Repional Re-positones1. FederalRecords Center, Laguna Niguel, CA. RG 77 - examined and no pertinentinformation was found.2. National A rchives, Pacific Southwest Region, Laguna Niguel, CA . RG 270 - aerialphoto of CampAnza (1945) and real estatedisposal documents. RG 336 - various maps ofCamp Anza (including a General Layout Plan witha numerical listing of buildings and theirpurpose), a history of CampAnza, general correspondence on activities, and anorganizational document forCamp Anza were found.3. National Archives, Pacific Sierra Region, SanBruno, CA. RG 269 - real estate propertydisposal documents and a map of the industrial areaof Anza Village were found.4. History Office,U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ft. Belvoir, VA. Files - the cover sheetfor the realty control file was found.Local Repositories1. L ibrary, University of California, Riverside, CA. HistoricalData was found.2. Riverside Press Enterprise, Riverside, CA. Newspaper articles pertaining to historicalevents were found.6.3 Summarvof InterviewsInterviews and phone records areincluded inAppendix E. There have been no reports orincidents of ordnance or chemical warfare findings.6.4 Site InspectionThe morning of 16 February 1994, the inspection team conducted a site visit atthe formerCamp Anza. The inspection team travelled through the northern portion and around thenorthern perimeter. Thi s area is mostly residential and has a small park on the eastern side.The team then inspected where thelocation of the former gas chamber had been. Thisareais now occupied by a storage facility and surrounded by small commercial enterprises. Astheteam travelled toward the location where a training aids field had been, several originalbuildings were noticed. These included the Laundry andDy Cleaning Services, Meter

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House, and Chapel. TheTranng Aids area has been converted into a park. No ordnanceexplosive waste or chemical warfare material was discovered while on the site visit.

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7.0 Evaluationof ContaminationCamp Anza, SiteNo. JWCAO26700, was placed on the database because prior researchi ndi cated that aChemical Unitwas stationed on siteand the presenceof chemicals wassuspected. Stationed at CampAnza was a Chemical Officer and supporting staff. Alsolocated within the camp boundaries were twogas chambers. Camp Anza was a subordinateto theLAPOE and therefore was utilized to test equipment prior to debarlation.A RAC scoreof 5was derived for t h i s site. Although the camp did havetwo gas chambersand chemical warfare related material were probably stored on site andA so probably storedon site were small arms weapons and artillery, no evidence suggested any hazards were leftin thearea. The area is highly populated with residences and industries.

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8.0 Conclusionsand recommendations8.1 ConclusionsBased upon historical documents, ai r photo interpretation, interviews with current propertyowners, and a personal inspection there does not appear tobeany chemical warfare materialsormilitary debris remaining at theformer CampAnza.8.2 RecommendationsTheRisk Assessment Procedures for Ordnance and Explosive Waste (OEW) SitesFormdated 18 April 1994, has been prepared for CampAnzaand isincluded inAppendix I.Based on the best available data a score of RAC 5 has been determined for this site. RAC 5indicates that no further action is recommended. Weconcuf with thisassessment.

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Camp Anza History

Documents

Transcript of Camp Anza History