Bases Rank as County’s No. 10 Waste Problem

From the high-performance fuel that powers the jet fighters to the solvents and hydraulic fluids used to clean and maintain aircraft engines, chemicals are a vital part of the operation of the Tustin and El Toro Marine air bases.

As a result, together the bases are ranked as the 10th-largest producer of hazardous waste in Orange County, according to a 1986 county survey of nearly 5,000 businesses.

Last year, the bases produced 230 tons of solid waste: paint, solvents, oil filters, batteries, oily rags and a widely used sandlike absorbent that soaks up oil, solvents and other fluids.

Another 342,000 gallons of liquid hazardous wastes were produced. About 65% of that was unused jet fuel that is pumped from jet fighters, bombers and helicopters after training missions and then sold to private civilian contractors, who recycle it.

The recycled jet fuel, about 220,000 gallons, is a fraction of the 44 million gallons used at the two bases last year.

Although county health officials say the Marine Corps is complying with all state and federal regulations for handling hazardous wastes, the Marines say the public’s perception of their efforts is often negative.

“We know we are not dumping radioactive materials or warheads, but sometimes that is the impression the public has of us,” said Navy Capt. S. R. Holm, director of facilities management at El Toro.

“The kind of stuff we produce is the same kind of stuff you could find in almost any garage. We just do things on a little larger scale.”