thedrifter
01-31-09, 07:26 AM
Friday, January 30, 2009
Navy to review El Toro cleanup
Officials are removing toxic leftovers to pave the way for a pristine Great Park.
By SEAN EMERY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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IRVINE – Navy officials responsible for removing toxic leftovers from the former El Toro air base have announced plans for a comprehensive review of their multimillion-dollar efforts to pave the way for a pristine Great Park.
The Navy has spent years cleaning up an air base that was once considered one of the nation's most contaminated military instillations. The base-wide cleanup has been praised by city leaders, who say it has moved forward without a hitch, but questioned by a small but vocal group of skeptics, including some former Marines and El Toro airport proponents.
Among the toxic issues the Navy is focusing on are the removal of TCE, a chemical used for more than 30 years for aircraft maintenance which was later learned to be a carcinogen, leaks from aging sewer systems and the capping of former landfills.
The cleanup encompasses both city-owned Great Park land and the adjacent areas owned by Lennar Corp. which plans to build residential, commercial, and industrial developments around the park. The Navy is responsible for the cleanup, although the city and Lennar have a $100 million insurance policy protecting them from any environmental surprises.
The Navy has spent $236 million on the cleanup since 1985, officials said, and expects to spend at least $75 million more. The base restoration and cleanup could take decades to fully complete. El Toro was named a superfund site by the EPA in 1990, but cleanup efforts ramped up after the base closure in 1999.
The five-year review of the cleanup efforts was announced at an El Toro Restoration Advisory Board meeting this week. A draft of the review is scheduled for completion in April, with the final report expected to be released by the end of September, said Debra Theroux, the board's Navy co-chair.
Contact the writer: 949-553-2911 or semery@ocregister.com
Ellie
Navy to review El Toro cleanup
Officials are removing toxic leftovers to pave the way for a pristine Great Park.
By SEAN EMERY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Comments | Recommend
IRVINE – Navy officials responsible for removing toxic leftovers from the former El Toro air base have announced plans for a comprehensive review of their multimillion-dollar efforts to pave the way for a pristine Great Park.
The Navy has spent years cleaning up an air base that was once considered one of the nation's most contaminated military instillations. The base-wide cleanup has been praised by city leaders, who say it has moved forward without a hitch, but questioned by a small but vocal group of skeptics, including some former Marines and El Toro airport proponents.
Among the toxic issues the Navy is focusing on are the removal of TCE, a chemical used for more than 30 years for aircraft maintenance which was later learned to be a carcinogen, leaks from aging sewer systems and the capping of former landfills.
The cleanup encompasses both city-owned Great Park land and the adjacent areas owned by Lennar Corp. which plans to build residential, commercial, and industrial developments around the park. The Navy is responsible for the cleanup, although the city and Lennar have a $100 million insurance policy protecting them from any environmental surprises.
The Navy has spent $236 million on the cleanup since 1985, officials said, and expects to spend at least $75 million more. The base restoration and cleanup could take decades to fully complete. El Toro was named a superfund site by the EPA in 1990, but cleanup efforts ramped up after the base closure in 1999.
The five-year review of the cleanup efforts was announced at an El Toro Restoration Advisory Board meeting this week. A draft of the review is scheduled for completion in April, with the final report expected to be released by the end of September, said Debra Theroux, the board's Navy co-chair.
Contact the writer: 949-553-2911 or semery@ocregister.com
Ellie