Local News in Brief : El Toro : Study of Groundwater Contamination to Begin
The Orange County Water District is starting a four-month study of groundwater contamination around El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.
The district, which authorized the study at its meeting last week, wants to determine the extent and severity of contamination by trichloroethylene (TCE), a toxic degreasing solvent used extensively until the mid-1970s, district spokesman Gordon Elser said.
TCE was first detected in the groundwater in 1985, when the district began routine sampling for toxic substances of wells in the north-central part of the county, Elser said.
The state maximum for TCE is 5 parts per billion in drinking water. Levels ranging from 0.4 ppb to 48.7 ppb of TCE have been detected in district tests of three agricultural wells operated by the Irvine Co. All are within 1 1/2 miles of the Marine base, he said.
The wells can be used for agricultural purposes, but water district officials are concerned that the contaminants may eventually move west, toward municipal drinking water wells about five miles away, Elser said.
The Marine Corps has announced plans only to check groundwater under the base.
The district’s study will cost $260,000 to $590,000. The money is coming from a $4 million toxic cleanup fund established last year by water district.
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