[CPEO-MEF] El Toro Sales May Hasten Base Cleanup

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California
THE LA TIMES
El Toro Sales May Hasten Base Cleanup
Proceeds from Web land auction may also suffice to speed toxin removal
at other sites, Navy officials say.
By Jean O. Pasco, Times Staff Writer
April 29, 2003

The Navy hopes to collect enough money from this fall's auction of the
former El Toro Marine base to pay for accelerated environmental cleanup
there and at other closed bases, officials said Monday.

At a first-of-its-kind real estate forum at the base Monday, Navy
officials rolled out details of what will be the largest Internet
auction of federal property conducted by the General Services
Administration.

Some 3,700 acres will be offered for sale, with 60% earmarked for open
space and public uses. Industry officials estimate the base will bring
between $800 million and $1.2 billion.

Sale proceeds will go into a fund earmarked for cleanup of Navy, Army
and Air Force facilities. Navy officials said Friday that they expect El
Toro land to be cleaned up within three years at a cost of $70 million.

Attention has focused on El Toro's cleanup because many areas to be set
aside for public uses are on land with known or suspected contamination.

"With the base cleanup fund getting larger, we'll be able to accelerate
the cleanup schedule not only at El Toro but at all of the other bases,
many of them in California," said Wayne Arny, principal deputy assistant
secretary of the Navy for installations and the environment.

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