Neighbors Oppose Waste Permit for Base

Residents in the area next to the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach urged state and federal authorities Wednesday to deny a permit to the base that would allow it to store hazardous wastes for up to one year.

“This place is an accident waiting to happen,” Dave Hall, a Long Beach resident, said at a public hearing. “Just look at the violations each and every year as cited by the Environmental Protection Agency.”

Past violations are also a concern of the Seal Beach City Council, which voted 3 to 1 earlier this week to oppose the permit and request an environmental impact study.

State Department of Health Services spokesman Allan Hirsch said the violations, which have included storing incompatible substances next to each other, generally have been minor.

The current permit, issued in 1983, allows the Navy to store hazardous materials, including paint thinner and motor oil, in two 9,100-gallon tanks and in storage bays which primarily hold 55-gallon drums for up to 120 days. The proposed permit will extend the allowable storage time to one year.

Navy spokesman Tom Thomas said the materials stored are commonly found elsewhere in the city and that no accidents or spills have occurred at the site.

“I think a mountain’s being made out of a molehill,” he said.

The Department of Health Services and Environmental Protection Agency will consider comments made at the hearing along with any written comments received. The agencies expect to make a decision by early next year, Hirsch said.

Written comments can be sent to: Department of Health Services, Toxic Substance Control Program, Facility Permitting Branch, 245 W. Broadway, Long Beach, Calif. 90802. The deadline is Dec. 23.