Study Finds Soil Contaminated at Air Force Base

A voluminous report released to the public Thursday says jet fuel and solvents have contaminated soil and ground water along the main runway at Edwards Air Force Base, but that the pollution poses no immediate danger to employees or nearby residents.

The 17-volume report, the most comprehensive measure to date of soil and ground-water contamination along one of the principal runways at the base, lays the groundwork for what procedures the Air Force can use to clean up the waste.

It echoes earlier studies that noted that some contamination exists, but recommends that 19 sites where aircraft are parked and serviced--such as fueling stations--be cleaned up or investigated further. The report also states that 18 sites have “no significant amounts of pollution.”

The study was conducted as part of a federal environmental directive and involved the efforts of the Air Force, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state EPA and the Regional Water Quality and Control Board in Victorville.

The study, called the “Remedial Investigation Report Main Base Flight Line Operable Unit 1,” says jet fuel and solvents have accumulated for decades near the base’s main runway.

Edwards personnel already are advised to follow safety procedures when working around the polluted areas. Bob Wood, chief of the Environmental Restoration Division at Edwards, said the report was the most thorough examination of pollution at the base and found the procedures designed to deal with the contamination were sound.