Address Pollution at El Toro Base

The Times has had front-page articles on the El Toro base land swap proposal by the Irvine Co. At the same time, there is a conspicuous omission in those articles about the question of ground and air pollution on the base as detailed in a number of official reports. It appears to be a consensus that such pollution as exists at El Toro cannot be cleaned up until the year 2010.

It is also the contention of Dr. Lee B. Reichman, as president of the American Lung Assn., (in 1992) that 60,000 Americans die prematurely each year from exposure to particles alone.

Moreover, a team of scientists writing in Science (February, 1992), the prestigious scientific journal of the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science, claim that “attaining air pollution standards may save 1,600 lives a year in the region” (of the South Coast Air Basin of California).

Official reports indicate that there are at least 24 different areas of the El Toro base that require cleanup of pollution hazardous to health--surely before the base is put into active operation.

I believe it is premature to plan for utilization of the base, with multiple costly studies, until this severe problem of pollution is addressed properly and scientifically.

H. ROGIE ROGOSIN

Laguna Hills