From the 1950s through the early 1990s, the Market Creek Plaza property was home to Langley Aerospace, Inc., a company that built and tested aircraft for space travel. During operations, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE), were used. Some of these chemicals were spilled or released into soil and groundwater. The facility closed in the early 1990s.

After the closure, environmental investigations and cleanup were conducted to prepare the site for redevelopment:

• The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health oversaw the removal and cleanup of a 2,000-gallon machine oil tank.

• The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) oversaw site cleanup from 1990-1996.

As part of DTSC’s oversight, soil and groundwater were studied. At that time, results showed TCE and PCE were below health-based screening levels, and no further cleanup was required. With oversight complete, the site was redeveloped into the Market Creek Plaza Shopping Center in 2000.