[CPEO-MEF] Half of tainted soil taken from base

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

[California]
Half of tainted soil taken from base
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
By Daniel Velton

ATWATER ? The Air Force has removed about half of the contaminants from
the ground beneath Castle Airport and Aviation Development Center as
part of its $250 million cleanup effort, according to Steve LaFreniere,
an Air Force environmental coordinator.

More than 170 tons of fuels, paints, solvents and other toxic substances
are left over from fuel tanks and hangars at the former military base,
according to some estimates.

About 22 sites contain soil that is being treated for fuel contamination
with a system called Soil Vapor Extraction.

It removes about 400 pounds of jet fuel per day from the ground.

One of the materials in the soil and the groundwater is trichloroethene,
or TCE, a solvent used by the Air Force to clean airplanes and engine
parts, according to LaFreniere.

Initially, he said, about 600 acres were contaminated by the solvent,
but after years of filtration and excavation, only about 150 acres
remain to be cleaned.

About 2.5 tons of TCE have been extracted so far.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.mercedsun-star.com/news/280828451061004.shtml

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