Perchlorate, Diesel Also A Serious Contamination Problem In Irvine
If you thought TCE was the only contamination danger on El Toro and in the surrounding Irvine communities, guess again. NewsOC.org is busy mapping out what amounts to a massive underground plume of Perchlorate on the north part of El Toro separate from the TCE plume. Data obtained by NewsOC.org shows the level of Perchlorate in the Irvine/El Toro groundwater is at least 70 times the EPA limit of 6 ppb; the level of Perchlorate in the soil is well over 100 times the EPA safe level. Perchlorate is a by-product of explosives which were used at the El Toro ordinance range when the base was in operation. Reports obtained by NewsOC.org also indicates a large mass of diesel fuel just 20 feet beneath El Toro's surface. As soon as we are able, we will post a map of where the Perchlorate plume is. The worst part: Perchlorate is even more difficult to clean up than TCE. NewsOC.org believes this may be why we have noticed a lot of additional IRWD monitoring wells just outside the El Toro fence along Irvine Boulevard.
TCE Vapor Intrusion A Serious Health Threat To Irvine Residents
Taking a shower with water from the Irvine Ranch Water District is (and has been) putting the health of people in Irvine in jeopardy. How? Water tainted even with low levels of TCE produces harmful vapors especially in enclosed places like shower stalls (visit our Documents page, and read Latham's document that includes a discussion about vapor intrusion as a result of showering with tainted water). This is one of the reasons the city of Irvine, the Irvine Ranch Water District, Lennar, Irvine realtors, apartment leasing companies, and others continue to try to claim there is no danger, which isn't the case; the presence of TCE under a large portion of Irvine has been well documented even by the Irvine Ranch Water District. Moreover, the dangers of TCE exposure are well documented by the EPA, the scientific community, and others. Many don't realize TCE has been in the water supply and under people's homes and apartments in Irvine for years. Chances are many thousands of people have been exposed to these toxic vapors over a long period of time without knowing it. So why isn't ongoing vapor testing being conducted by the Irvine Ranch Water District, the city of Irvine, Lennar, the Navy, landlords? Because they don't want residents to know the truth about the dangers of TCE and its vapors. Search the web on the subject of TCE vapors; it's a subject residents—especially those with children—should learn all about. Why? NEW INFORMATION about the dangers of TCE vapor intrusion has come forth recently from the EPA and other credible organizations and agencies that is very alarming. To verify these findings, read more about TCE vapor intrusion here.
Major Law Firm Issues TCE 'Client Alert' To Its Clients
Latham&Watkins, one of the most respected law firms, issued a warning to its clients about TCE on its web site. "The stakes – from new clean-up costs to property damage and personal injury suits – are large. Potentially responsible parties should re-evaluate their current approaches to TCE-containing sites, in light of potential toxic tort liability, and potentially increased data collection and clean-up requirements," said a quote posted on Latham's site. The report is alarming because it also addresses the issue of TCE vapors. NewsOC.org understands Latham is a defense firm that represents developers including some in Orange County. Click here to see the full details of the alert.
Editor's note: This should serve as a warning to developers (and their shareholders) intent on building homes at El Toro. It should also serve as a warning to those who have already developed homes just outside of El Toro. The document should also serve as a warning to prospective El Toro (and near El Toro) home buyers. To make sure we are doing our job, NewsOC.org will soon be posting a 'Home Buyer Warning' flier of its own to protect prospective buyers who may want to consider buying on or nearby El Toro as to the dangers Latham&Watkins did a great job validating.
Photo Elevates Contamination Concern
The photo above was taken within the last week at a home in Irvine's Woodbridge community who receives its water from the Irvine Ranch Water District. As you can see, the shower curtain and tub floor are severely discolored at exactly the location where the shower water sprays. When we showed this photo to a TCE expert, we were told these stains are consistent with stains TCE can produce. The woman and her husband who live in this residence told us they have also noticed strange odors in the water when showering and bathing. "My husband and I have been concerned about the water for a long time, but we didn't know what to do," said the woman who lives in the home. Meanwhile, the Irvine Ranch Water District, the city of Irvine, and others continue to claim the water in Irvine is "safe" despite overwhelming evidence that proves they are lying including what we saw at this home in Woodbridge.
See our report we just posted (click here) about the recent IRWD and city of Irvine public relations effort to deceive Irvine residents into thinking the Irvine water is "safe". Also be sure to check our new must-see documents page.
Expert Says Irvine, IRWD Not Telling The Truth
NewsOC.org has been busy interviewing residents and experts about the TCE contamination, and the results validate a cover-up that's been reported by this news organization as well as others. "The city of Irvine and the IRWD are lying about this matter, and they have been for a really long time," said a TCE expert we interviewed who is familiar with the issue. We also had the opportunity to take a series of photos in a woman's home who lives in
Irvine's Woodbridge who has complained about the water for some time. The photos were taken in her shower stall; we also took photos of her shower curtain. Why? To expose what's in the IRWD water, and how these toxins have been building up in people's homes.
We will post these photos this weekend. Warning: These photos are disturbing especially because of how we learned the matter we scraped off this woman's shower stall floor and shower curtain are consistent with what TCE produces. Stay tuned for the revealing photos.
Contamination Legal Firms Watching, Waiting
NewsOC.org couldn't help but notice there are several law firms on the web (and their numbers are growing) marketing their legal services to people who want to file a claim (or suit) because of the contamination at El Toro. NewsOC.org called one of these law firms and learned they are watching the El Toro contamination situation closely, and they are gathering information about the matter for use in possible litigation. They said they are also assembling a list of culpable parties. When we asked for a list of the parties they are assembling, our request was denied. Instead, the woman at the law firm we called said, "The list of culpable parties we are investigating includes several developers, their investors, real estate companies, local municipalities, and others."
OC Water Report Even More Cause For Alarm
Recently, the IRWD mailed a water report to its customers. In its report, the IRWD said they detected low levels of TCE in the Dyer Wells west of the 55 freeway in Santa Ana where Irvine gets the majority of its drinking water. However, NewsOC.org has obtained a copy of a 'Municipal Water District Of Orange County' report that says 'concentrations' of TCE, PCE, and Perchlorate have been detected in the Dyer well field. What's even more alarming is how this report was authored in 2005, but the IRWD's 2005 water report doesn't seem to mention anything about it. NewsOC.org presented this info to a contamination expert who said because of this finding, the plume illustration on the maps below is likely much larger in size, as we suspected.
Click here to see the Orange County Municipal Water Report excerpt (PDF document)
Click here to see the entire report on the MWDOC's web site (click on the top '...entire report...' link.
New Contamination Map A Cause For Alarm
Below is a plume map NewsOC.org produced to show the existing Irvine plume in relation to the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) well field in Santa Ana where Irvine gets the majority of its drinking water per the IRWD. Why is this important? According to the IRWD, this well field has also been contaminated with TCE, and this well field is clear across the 55 freeway in Santa Ana. Research conducted by NewsOC.org revealed several reports and memos from water officials (IRWD, OCWD, and others) who have feared for some time this may happen, and now it has.
Click here to see the map (PDF document)
Contamination Maps Tell The Story
Below are the latest plume maps that come from 'Weston', the contractor hired by the Navy to perform plume testing and monitoring. What's disturbing is how TCE has been detected in wells that are located well outside the plume's perimeter edges. The data from Weston also shows the cleanup effort on base is actually causing higher concentrations of TCE (found on base) to be forced off base in the same direction of the migrating plume. Even more disturbing is how the 'side view' map of the plume proves Irvine is lying when they claim the plume is 1,000 feet deep--try 250 feet. 'THE PLUME IS EVEN CLOSER TO THE SURFACE AT EL TORO/GREAT PARK (LESS THAN 100').
Click here to see a top view of the plume
Click here to see a side view of the plume
Map note: NewsOC.org took the maps produced by Weston Solutions (public domain) and applied additional information for presentation purposes only--the additional information was not applied by Weston. The original maps can be found at the Heritage Park Library in Irvine to verify that NewsOC.org did not change the size or depth of the plume, or any of Weston's original map information.
