Marines Agree to Improve Toxic Handling at Camp

Marine Corps officials agreed Thursday to institute a management policy to better handle hazardous wastes at Camp Pendleton, where the storage of toxic wastes over the years has led to suspected contamination of the camp’s wells.

Marine officials signed a compliance agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that calls for the corps to improve the base’s procedures to deal with hazardous wastes, said EPA spokesman Al Zemsky.

Marine officials also agreed to clean up an area where toxic wastes were stored, he said. According to Zemsky, the area contained 18 drums of soil contaminated by a 1990 spill of hydraulic oil. Other drums contained solvents, paints and rags, he added.

EPA officials said that Thursday’s agreement “will significantly help to protect the environment and the health of citizens” in the vicinity of Camp Pendleton. The agreement also calls for Marine officials to improve procedures for storing, handling and transporting hazardous wastes.

Marine officials are also obligated to establish new operating procedures to reduce the volume and toxicity of hazardous wastes generated at the 125,000-acre base.

In October, the EPA and Camp Pendleton officials agreed on a $29.5-million cleanup of hazardous wastes at the base. Military and EPA officials were joined by state Department of Health Services representatives in a joint effort to study the amount of environmental damage at the base resulting from toxic pollutants. A report on the study will be issued.