Though the Marines have refused to acknowledge full responsibility, county, state and federal officials say the El Toro base is the primary source of the TCE found in the contaminated ground water. At home, they think nothing of going out back and dumping a couple of cans of motor oil into the stream. Photos of MCAS Tustin (LTA) by Bonnie King, Salem-News.com. There are numerous health issues exposure to PFAS, as well as to the other contaminants present on Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, can cause, the most terrible being cancer, which can occur on various parts of the body, depending on where the highest concentration of these chemicals is located. It sucks to still be fighting CML but watching this really pisses me off. As part of a $7.5-million military contract awarded recently to a Santa Ana firm, a long-awaited inspection of 460 underground fuel storage tanks at the El Toro base is scheduled to begin this. Cal., not to mention the great memories for families like mine. its interesting to hear all of you havi.g these colon problems and digestive priblems and cancers. Since my discharge I have had 4 right and 2 left knee surgeries for desecration of bone and soft tissue damage. ZmViMjg5ZmZhZjExYzNiMmJiZWJkNGQxNTU1ZGQ1NDFmZjM0MjRlNWFlZjJm The other was at Tillamook, Oregon. Generated by Wordfence at Wed, 18 Jan 2023 19:25:33 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. Since 1984, the Marines have added five experts to their environmental staff, headed by Navy Ensign Michael Rehor, a chemical engineer. Is there a connection? I was stationed at El Toro from 93-95. 2013. description of environmental contamination at military bases, particularly Camp Lejeune and former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro ("El Toro"). YzcwMzc4NDhmM2E5OTk4NGYwNDU5YmI2NzI5ZTQ2NzkxYTUxNzM0MDRlMjIx They continue to go about their business in a very slow and methodical fashion.. MCAS Tustin by Paul Freeman This field was originally built as a blimp base in 1942 as Santa Ana Naval Air Station. El Toro was placed on the EPA Superfund list in 1990, closed in July 1999, and most of the land sold at a public auction in 2005. 17026 in the City of Tustin as recorded in the County (TLCP) ownership. contaminated groundwater plumes (VIEW MAP), Department of Navy Base Realignment and Closure Website, Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) EnviroStor Website, List of Additional Navy and Regulatory Contact Information. If so could I please be informed? We also would dump hydraulic and brake fluid in the corner of our compound. The ultimate build-out of the Tustin Legacy project is expected over 20 plus years. When I was growing up my father was a Marine Corps helicopter pilot and spent many years stationed at the MCAS Tustin facility. The doctors told him that he only had five years to live. Part of the problem, Holm said, is the bureaucratic nature of the military. Constructed of Oregon Douglas fir, they are among the largest freestanding wooden structures in the world at 1072 feet long by 292 feet wide by 192 feet tall. I was stationed at MCAS Tustin for approximately 7 years. Thanks to Tim King for his informative research and reporting! OWZlYzY4MmNhZTk2MTc2OThkNTE2ZTFhNmI5MDYwMWRkZDY1ZDM1NzRjZWNh YzI5MjBjNzE3N2Y0OWRjZjA1MDMzYzBhOTI3MzIwZDM0NDI0NjNlNjQ2MTQw It does seem like the city is being somewhat transparent in dealing with the toxic matter and while that is the least they can do, it is still noticeably better in spirit than Irvine as noted in this article. I am a vet. I was stationed at Tustin with H&MS-16 Aviation Ordnance from 1984-1988. Thank you for your response and comments to this post.kprater378@gmail.com. Frankly, I wish we could move faster. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year recommended placing the entire El Toro base on the national Superfund list for toxic waste sites. -----END REPORT-----. That is much much higher than the general public. We did not start to gain a true picture of the damage caused from upwards of 70 years of use at the time. Even with documentation of paperwork 3 feet high I am constantly in battle to keep my disability. El Toro Marine Corps Air Station (2005) by Justin Ruhge A year ago, we were not very happy with the Marines, said Robert Merryman, Orange Countys director of environmental health. MTE0OGY1OTBmNjc5YTg5NDgxMTIxYWM5YmRhNmYwNzVhMmQzNzZmN2JkOWIy Contaminated: Groundwater Soil. ZDkxOTA5NjZlOWQzMTdmNWFkYzllNzA3MmU2ZmU1Yjg3NmQ4Nzg3NmU5OWJk I was stationed on Tustin and El Toro from 1992 to 1999 and a year later I was diagnosed with leukemia. The Marines have also refused to pay the county penalties. We also used the TCE at the airfield at Pendleton, just found out about thos through a friend and would like to get more info if possible. The City of Santa Ana lies west and northwest of the Air Station. He told me that the chemicals they sprayed would eat the bottom of their boots. The Department of Navy, under the guidance of EPA and other organizations, conducted on-site investigations to understand the potential impacts on the residents of Tustin and started remediation efforts at the Tustin base. NDYzZWJjM2FlY2UyNmQyODEwNDkyM2E5OWRjMzQ3OTFiNDgzYjg5MDRlNzUz Established in 1942, the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin is a former US Marine Corps Air Station in Orange County, California. We need to get this information and message out to all of our fellow Marine brothers and sisters and their families. MCAS Tustin is one of many bases that became a superfund site, polluted locations in the United States requiring a long-term response to cleaning up the contamination. i have had abdominal problems since a year after being discharged. It appears increasingly to be the case. MDFiOTdiMWYzMzkzZWIyZjNiZDIyYjlhMzc0Nzg4ZDI1MGJkODUyYjU5YmE3 Congress mandated that the Navy and Marine Corps contact veterans of Camp Lejeune regarding the contamination of the base wells. OWFkNzJiNjc4YTk0YWQzNDU4MGUyMTQwZDYyMGRkYmMzNGM0NGRmZGI2ODMz Today, asbestos is found in the soil. Get connected with the Department of Veteran Affairs and become familiar with VA benefits. Based on extensive investigation of the El Toro base that was carried out by Navy contractors, the place is best described as 'Toxic Soup' as our writer Roger Butow in Laguna Beach has reasoned. MCAS Tustin 1988-91, CH-46 Crewchief. Last year (2015) I had some medical complications. Facing public pressure, tougher laws and a health risk to their own troops, they have given environmental issues a higher priority, said Holm, director of facilities management at the El Toro base. In particular, the high . This air station started working in 1942, and it's in Orange County, CA. Former MCAS Tustin was extensively used for agriculture prior to being commissioned in 1942 for a lighter-than-air patrol base and re-commissioned in 1951 to support helicopter operations. As Roger Butow pointed out at the time, Agron knew damned well that the ground under the flightline was more toxic than anything we already knew about, they had no choice. When I was there most of the fields to the northwest were strawberry fields. Marine Corps officials said it was Defense Department policy not to spend federal money to study chemicals that have seeped into private property unless there was proof they came from the military base. Like so many others I served at MCAS Tustin, starting as CO of HMM-164 and later serving as MAG-16 XO, Ca.1980-1983. State and local health officials have long pushed for a tank inspection program at El Toro out of concern that the tanks, many of which are as old as the 56-year-old base, may be leaking toxic residues. We know people dumped TCE and other chemicals on the ground. The DOD data from Tustin, a base that closed in 1999, only includes information on two types of PFAS chemicals - PFOS and PFOA. YWMyYjc1OGMxNzRjODIyMDQ2NDVkNTg1NmFmZjBkYTgzZDExMmRhN2E2ZmU3 Today I shudder to think what is out in the ground around any airfield, civilian or military. The government doesnt have to acknowledge responsibility in order for everyone that was at these two bases to file a claim. Tim King: Ray, that is so amazing to read, it must be tough to see it as it is today, if you can share any details about the earliest days I would be extremely interested. Ray Alkofer spent three years, from 1951 to 1953, stationed at El Toro, where he and thousands of service members were seriously exposed to many dangerous chemicals. Fuel, turbine exhaust enteral bladders in CH- 46
The pits were used to train Marine firefighters to extinguish fires involving jet fuel in the event a jet fighter or helicopter crashed. Unknown at this time of whether it is cancer at this time. [2] The airfield was 6,000 ft by 400 ft and began operating in November 1942. The DOD data from Tustin, a base that closed in. It was commissioned in October of that year as one of two new blimp bases on the west coast. Was in the first group of 50 to open ElToro- Ran into a volunteer at the WWII Museum NEw Orleans, La., he raised the flag at the opening ceremonies, left El Toro with VMF 212 first stop Hawaii then Midway, more islands after that -- ElToro holds many memories. Mjc0MmE0ZGRkN2IwY2ExODg1M2JmY2ViNWM2ZDJlYmY0MDQ3ZjlmMTI4YTcx 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, approx. In fact my ex wife whom was there 10 yrs. Some of the emails are posted at www.mwsg37.com. Four areas are currently closed, while eight are still in the study phase. I was stationed at El Toro 93-97 and had a child will I was there that has autism. I had prostate cancer and had my prostate removed 3 years ago. More information can be found here. Scrap materials included mechanical and electrical components and various. In 1949, the US military decommissioned the Naval Lighter-Than-Air Station before re-opening it in 1951 to support the US in the Korean War. In a recent report, the Department of Defense mentioned 12 bases with dangerous levels of toxic PFAS in groundwater. Thanks. Thanks, (I am in Portland). Agricultural farm workers and well operators are exposed to contaminants in groundwater through unintentional ingestion of contaminated groundwater, dermal contact with contaminated groundwater, and inhalation of aerosolized groundwater contaminants. The Marines also owe the South Coast Air Quality Management District about $18,000 in fees, which are levied annually based on the amount of air pollution a business or industry produces. M.C.A.S. Marine Corps Air Station Tustin is a former United States Marine Corps air station, located in Tustin, California. YjY5OWIyYjNkZGU0M2Q5NDc4MGJkYjAzOTNiMDkwMzE0Mzk1ZGE3MmFjNzJh History of MCAS(H) Tustin Chemical Exposure. I have been hospitalized annually for colitis issues and am currently on infusions at 10k dollars per session (every 8 weeks)to control the problem. The hangars and support buildings were completed in just one year, in October 1943, at a total cost of $10,062,482.08. MWU3NmJmYTQzMjhjMGNlOTlkZGUzOGM5MmQ1OWVlYjZlZDM2OTRmZTUyYzEx The longtime Marine Corps Air Station, . If you need help with your application, call our Camp Lejeune Family Member program staff at 866-372-1144. The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the air quality district on behalf of all military bases in the region contesting the fees. A number of Marines report serious illnesses linked to toxic exposure. building', that cited levels of tetrachloroethylene exceeding safety standards - discovered beneath offices used by Orange County government agencies, including the Sheriff's Department and Social Services. Strange story I know; it is bizarre that Marines were able to upseat the Navy and take over their prominent base that way, but there was not enough room and it was a very expensive operation as it turned out. I am going to file a compensation claim this week for my time at MCAS Tustin and El Toro. Both which have respitory problems as I do. This base was one of the main aviation support facilities on the West Coast. From the article, Irvine Great Park CEO Michael D. Ellzey: Is This Man An Imposter? The source was not known and there was concern that we could have a major explosion unless the source was determined and fixed. Now has early parkinson his va physician feels is from tce use. The Marines are expected to present a timetable for that work at the May 31 meeting of the Orange County Water District. At its high point, the base employed some 5,000 military and civilian personnel, about 4,500 of whom lived on the base. See the California water data here. School children, whose small bodies are less resistant to contamination with . A view of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is next to a residential area and has been at the center of controversy in Okinawa over claims of water contamination. I agree with the post by Phillip, the common practices, dumping and spills, no protection, ect. With so many reports and studies of environmental issues around the bases and their potential effects on human health, the VA must step up to bring a change and compensate their service members after retirement. Only 80 of the tanks are in use; the rest have been abandoned and, for the most part, are empty. Like many other bases, MCAS El Toro used TCE to degrease aircraft parts. (TUSTIN, CA) - We've written at length about the contamination of MCAS El Toro in Southern California, the now-closed Marine Corps air base that was a center of military defense for both Orange County and Los Angeles for half a century, however we haven't devoted very much space to a second nearby base, MCAS Tustin. I hope that the federal government will do the right thing and not allow these contaminated sites to be passed off on unsuspecting local governments which would only make the exposure to the public worse. ODA2MTg2OGE0ZmMzMWY0YjNkNWU5NWM0MWE2ZjhjMDYyNWJkMDJmOWY2NWIx I am not a scientist, but I can look at the associated map and see that the plume from El Toro reaching Irvine, is stretching at least in the general direction of the contaminated government building in Orange. Whether it is cancer at this time of whether it is cancer at this of. 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