Meeting to discuss cleanup plan at NAFEC site
EL CENTRO — The U.S. Navy will host a public meeting on May 23 in El Centro to solicit public input regarding proposed cleanup plans for a contaminated soil site at Naval Air Facility El Centro.
The two-hour meeting will begin with a presentation by the Navy, include information displays for review by the public and allow them to speak one on one with Navy and regulatory agencies’ representatives.
The proposed plan will focus on Installation Restoration Site 18, also known as the Tiffany Road Debris Area site, which is located in NAFEC’s northwestern corner.
The Navy’s proposed plan summarizes its prior investigations as well as the Navy’s preferred remedial alternative of excavating and disposing of contaminated soils and backfilling with clean soil, the Navy announced.
The proposed plan also explains the basis of the proposed remedies, or alternatives, recommended to protect the public.
The Navy may modify its proposed plan or select another cleanup plan based on new information or public comments, it announced.
The proposed plan is one of the final stages of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act process in which the Navy solicits public input before the selection of a final remedy or decision.
The proposed plan’s public comment period is currently open until June 7, and those interested in providing a written statement can do so by submitting them to Amy Tong, Remedial Project Manager, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, 937 N. Harbor Drive, Building 1 FL 3, San Diego, CA 92132, or submit them by email to amy.tong1@navy.mil
Additionally, copies of the Navy’s proposed plan are available for review by the public at El Centro and Brawley public libraries.
The Navy used IR Site 18 for burning, compaction and disposal of waste materials generated at the installation from approximately the mid1940s through the mid1970s, according to the proposed plan.
The IR Site 18 served as the primary disposal area on base until the Magazine Road Landfill was opened in 1965. The area was used sporadically thereafter until the mid-1970s
Although not all of the waste materials disposed of at the site are known, the Navy believes that the site may contain batteries, waste oil, 60-millimeter film canisters, aircraft parts, brake parts, parachutes, tires, wood, pallets, railroad ties, asphalt and concrete, asbestos shingles and blankets, trash, scrap metal, and expended ammunition cartridges.
“Risks from chemical exposures using the EPA method and the more conservative Cal/EPA method were within or above the risk management range, contributing to the conclusion that remedial action is necessary,” the proposed plan stated.
The upcoming public meeting will take start at 6 p.m. May 23 at the Imperial Irrigation District auditorium, 1285 Broadway, El Centro.