Norwalk : More Soil Contamination Found Outside Tank Farm

More soil and ground-water contamination has been detected outside the southern boundary of the Department of Defense jet fuel tank farm in Norwalk, Lt. Col. David Herrick said Wednesday.

Recent testing by a private firm, Geomatrix Inc., detected fuel in soil and ground water in four spots on residential properties on Cheshire Street, just south of the fuel depot. The contamination was detected at a depth of more than 27 feet and as far as 150 feet from the facility, Herrick said.

Contamination was detected six feet outside the boundaries of the tank farm last January, leading to the more recent round of testing. More testing is planned to determine the full extent of the contamination and how to clean it up, Herrick said.

Because the contamination is relatively shallow, it presents no risk to the city’s underground drinking water supply, Herrick said. Air sampling indicated there was no risk from fumes.

The fuel depot is on the southeast corner of Norwalk Boulevard and Excelsior Drive, next to Holifield Park and residential neighborhoods. It contains 12 tanks that hold a total of 38 million gallons of jet fuel. The depot supplies military bases in California and Nevada through a network of pipelines and via truck shipments.