Chico Army Airfield
Former Chico Army Airfield comprises 1,450.32 acres in Butte County, California, and is located two miles north of the City of Chico,
The Former Chico Army Airfield is now operating as a general aviation airport, Chico Municipal Airport, and a light industrial park. The Site is owned by the City of Chico and other individual property owners in the County of Butte.
The DoD-built improvements included cantonment, warehouse, aircraft and vehicle maintenance facilities, hangars, landing strips, groundwater wells, a sewage treatment plant, and underground fuel tanks. Most of the structures constructed by the U.S. Army have been removed or are currently used for Chico Municipal Airport operations. The government-owned land consisted of 10.97 acres, containing 15 buildings used for civilian war housing. The balance of the land, 1,045.32 acres that were under lease, contained approximately 300 buildings and structures, a 6,700-foot runway, taxiway, airfield facilities, a street system, a water system (subsequently sold to California Water Service Group), an electrical distribution system (subsequently sold to Pacific Gas and Electric Company), a sanitary sewerage system, and a railroad line.
The Former Chico Army Airfield is now operating as a general aviation airport, Chico Municipal Airport, and a light industrial park. The Site is owned by the City of Chico and other individual property owners in the County of Butte.
The DoD-built improvements included cantonment, warehouse, aircraft and vehicle maintenance facilities, hangars, landing strips, groundwater wells, a sewage treatment plant, and underground fuel tanks. Most of the structures constructed by the U.S. Army have been removed or are currently used for Chico Municipal Airport operations. The government-owned land consisted of 10.97 acres, containing 15 buildings used for civilian war housing. The balance of the land, 1,045.32 acres that were under lease, contained approximately 300 buildings and structures, a 6,700-foot runway, taxiway, airfield facilities, a street system, a water system (subsequently sold to California Water Service Group), an electrical distribution system (subsequently sold to Pacific Gas and Electric Company), a sanitary sewerage system, and a railroad line.
Chico Army Airfield Source - DOD
Groundwater
HAZARDOUS, TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Groundwater Contamination of groundwater and well #43 water. Human and animal
Contaminants:
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) 100.0 ug/L
Trichloroethylene (TCE) 540.0 ug/L
Groundwater
HAZARDOUS, TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Groundwater Contamination of groundwater and well #43 water. Human and animal
Contaminants:
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) 100.0 ug/L
Trichloroethylene (TCE) 540.0 ug/L
Cal-water Service Company - Chico
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA0410002
Serves: 100,435 Data available: 2012—2017
Source: Groundwater Contaminants Detected 7 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
33 Total Contaminants
Cal-water Service Company - Chico
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California State Water Resources Control Board, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA0410002
Serves: 100,435 Data available: 2012—2017
Source: Groundwater Contaminants Detected 7 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
33 Total Contaminants
Cal-water Service Company - Chico
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California State Water Resources Control Board, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Legal does not necessarily equal safe. Getting a passing grade from the federal government does not mean the water meets the latest health guidelines.
Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years.
The best way to ensure clean tap water is to keep pollution out of source water in the first place.
See the First round of PFAS sampling for CA Public Water Systems - April 1st to June 30th 2019
Source https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/pfas/
Well 14 was found to have 22.7 ppt of PFOS/PFOA. The well also contained 19.1 ppt of "other PFAS" chemicals.
Chico Well 14-01
Results in parts per trillion, ppt.
PERFLUOROBUTANESULFONIC ACID (PFBS) 2
PERFLUOROHEPTANOIC ACID (PFHpA) 2
PERFLUOROHEXANE SULFONIC ACID (PFHxS) 16
PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONIC ACID (PFOS) 17
PERFLUOROOCTANOIC ACID (PFOA) 5.7
PERFLUOROHEXANOIC ACID (PFHxA) 3.1
In May 2016, the EPA issued a lifetime health advisory for PFOS and PFOA for drinking water, advising municipalities that they should notify their customers of the presence of levels over 70 parts per trillion in community water supplies. The EPA recommended that customer notifications include information on the increased risk to health, especially for susceptible populations. Meanwhile, leading scientists say 1 ppt of these substances in drinking water is potentially dangerous.
On July 13, 2018, the California DDW established an interim notification level of 14 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 13 ppt for PFOS and a single response level of 70 ppt for the combined concentrations of PFOA and PFOS. When water reaches the level of 70 ppt it is taken off line.
In August 2019, realizing the dangerous situation, DDW lowered the notification levels to 6.5 parts per trillion for PFOS and 5.1 parts per trillion for PFOA. Chico's well 14-01 exceeds the notification levels for PFOS and PFOA.
See this article in the Chico News Review: https://www.newsreview.com/chico/testing-the-water/content?oid=29339306 Back in 2016, "When Cal Water found that the two wells in Chico had tested positive for PFOS in 2016—one at 76 parts per trillion (ppt), and the other around 58 ppt—it took action immediately to ensure it wasn’t delivering unsafe water, Barber said. As for keeping the public in the dark at the time, he said Cal Water follows the rules and makes notifications when required."
DoD's Installation Restoration Program (IRP) Sites that have not Achieved Response Complete (RC) January 2018
https://www.denix.osd.mil/derp/home/documents/installation-restoration-program-report-to-congress-january-2018/
Key: DERA - Defense Environmental Restoration Account funds
BRAC - Base Realignment and Closure
FUDS California CHICO ARMY AIRFIELD DERA 01CON/HTRW UST REMOVAL (CON/HTRW) 201909 493 3
FUDS California CHICO ARMY AIRFIELD DERA 03HTRW HTRW 201809 7 2
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