Site History
In 1955, DuPont purchased about 552 acres of land along Bridgehead Road breaking ground immediately for construction of manufacturing facilities. The site is bordered to the north by the San Joaquin River, to the south by railroad tracks, to the east by Big Break Road, and to the west by Highway 160. After sale of 168 acres to Cline Cellars, the DuPont site today encompasses about 378 acres of which 174 acres are wetlands next to the San Joaquin River.
DuPont operated a manufacturing plant on the site from 1956 to 1997. At the height of its operations, DuPont employed nearly 600 people. Originally built to make gasoline "anti-knock" agent tetraethyl lead, DuPont soon added the manufacture of refrigeration cooling compounds called Freon®. In 1963, DuPont expanded again to include the production of titanium dioxide, a white pigment used in a variety of household products and foods.
DuPont stopped all production activities at the Oakley Site in 1998 and demolished many of the buildings in 1999. A small portion of the site remains in use for a joint venture doing quality control testing for automotive paints. Under the auspices of the Department of Toxic Substances Control, DuPont is working toward the phased release of the property for redevelopment with the intent of returning the site to productive use that will benefit the Oakley community. Of the property remaining under DuPont ownership, two parcels have already been released for unrestricted development, and a third parcel is in the process with a possible release in 2010.
Please click on any of these figures to view a larger image and descriptive text.