Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is a massive military installation whose mission is to support the research, testing and evaluation programs of the U.S. Navy.
The installation is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles north of Los Angeles. Occupying land in three counties – Kern, San Bernardino, and Inyo – the installation's closest neighbor is the city of Ridgecrest.
China Lake is the United States Navy's largest single landholding, representing 38% of the Navy's land holdings worldwide.
At China Lake 11 wells were tested and 7 were found to be above the Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt.
PFOS/PFOA was found above 8,000,000 ppt, making China Lake one of the most severely contaminated places on earth. Only England Air Force Base in Alexandria, Louisiana is more contaminated.
The author is shown here during a February, 2019 press conference that no one attended.
Source: Addressing Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Maureen Sullivan Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Environment, Safety & Occupational Health) March 2018
https://partner-mco-archive.s3.amazonaws.com/client_files/1524589484.pdf
The installation is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles north of Los Angeles. Occupying land in three counties – Kern, San Bernardino, and Inyo – the installation's closest neighbor is the city of Ridgecrest.
China Lake is the United States Navy's largest single landholding, representing 38% of the Navy's land holdings worldwide.
At China Lake 11 wells were tested and 7 were found to be above the Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt.
PFOS/PFOA was found above 8,000,000 ppt, making China Lake one of the most severely contaminated places on earth. Only England Air Force Base in Alexandria, Louisiana is more contaminated.
The author is shown here during a February, 2019 press conference that no one attended.
Source: Addressing Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Maureen Sullivan Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Environment, Safety & Occupational Health) March 2018
https://partner-mco-archive.s3.amazonaws.com/client_files/1524589484.pdf
See below for several hundred thousand pages documenting contamination at China Lake dating back to 1991. Many of the most up to date records on water contamination are not available without filing a lengthy and costly Freedom of Information Act Request, (FOIA).
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
China Lake is included in the report “Bases and Facilities with Significant Historical U.S. Nuclear Weapons or Naval Nuclear Propulsion Missions - 2002” Radioactive
Compiled by Stephen I. Schwartz, 2002
https://www.brookings.edu/bombs-in-the-backyard/
China Lake Naval Air Weapons Center - Source - DOD
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
Soil Contaminants:
Aluminum 2610.0 ppb
Arsenic (cancer) 3.5 ppb
Arsenic (noncancer) 23.0 ppb
Barium and compounds 63.7 ppb
Beryllium and compounds 1.0 ppb
Cadmium and compounds 1.7 ppb
Chromium (III) 9.5 ppb
Copper and compounds 2.9 ppb
Copper and compounds 51.0 ppb
Iron 7530.0 ppb
Lead 34.0 ppb
Manganese 82.9 ppb
Naphthalene 0.03 ppb
Nickel and compounds 10.0 ppb
Selenium 0.3 ppb
Silver and compounds 1.4 ppb
Vanadium 19.8 ppb
Zinc 49.0 ppb
Groundwater Contaminants:
Aluminum 485000000.0 ppb
Antimony and compounds 37000.0 ppb
Arsenic (cancer) 2380000.0 ppb
Barium and compounds 10300000.0 ppb
Benzene 20000.0 ppb
Beryllium and compounds 31300.0 ppb
Cadmium and compounds 28000.0 ppb
Chromium (III) 730000.0 ppb
Copper and compounds 24000.0 ppb
Cyanide (free) 20500.0 ppb
Ethylbenzene 25000.0 ppb
Iron 474000000.0 ppb
Lead 70000.0 ppb
Manganese 18700000.0 ppb
Mercury 850.0 ppb
Methylene chloride 4000.0 ppb
Molybdenum 416000.0 ppb
Nickel and compounds 531000.0 ppb
o-Xylene 50000.0 ppb
Selenium 70000.0 ppb
Vanadium 1390000.0 ppb
Xylene (mixed) 45000.0 ppb
Zinc 1190000.0 ppb
Unexploded Munitions and Ordnance Area
Soil Contaminants:
Aluminum 2610.0 ppb
Arsenic (cancer) 3.5 ppb
Arsenic (noncancer) 23.0 ppb
Barium and compounds 63.7 ppb
Beryllium and compounds 1.0 ppb
Cadmium and compounds 1.7 ppb
Chromium (III) 9.5 ppb
Copper and compounds 2.9 ppb
Copper and compounds 51.0 ppb
Iron 7530.0 ppb
Lead 34.0 ppb
Manganese 82.9 ppb
Naphthalene 0.03 ppb
Nickel and compounds 10.0 ppb
Selenium 0.3 ppb
Silver and compounds 1.4 ppb
Vanadium 19.8 ppb
Zinc 49.0 ppb
Groundwater Contaminants:
Aluminum 485000000.0 ppb
Antimony and compounds 37000.0 ppb
Arsenic (cancer) 2380000.0 ppb
Barium and compounds 10300000.0 ppb
Benzene 20000.0 ppb
Beryllium and compounds 31300.0 ppb
Cadmium and compounds 28000.0 ppb
Chromium (III) 730000.0 ppb
Copper and compounds 24000.0 ppb
Cyanide (free) 20500.0 ppb
Ethylbenzene 25000.0 ppb
Iron 474000000.0 ppb
Lead 70000.0 ppb
Manganese 18700000.0 ppb
Mercury 850.0 ppb
Methylene chloride 4000.0 ppb
Molybdenum 416000.0 ppb
Nickel and compounds 531000.0 ppb
o-Xylene 50000.0 ppb
Selenium 70000.0 ppb
Vanadium 1390000.0 ppb
Xylene (mixed) 45000.0 ppb
Zinc 1190000.0 ppb
Utility Details Kern County, California Serves: 29,000
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA1510017
Data available: 2012—2017 Source: Groundwater Contaminants Detected
7 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES 15 Total Contaminants
Indian Wells Valley WD
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=CA1510017
Data available: 2012—2017 Source: Groundwater Contaminants Detected
7 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES 15 Total Contaminants
Indian Wells Valley WD
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.
California Water Board did not test The water of the Indian Wells Water District for PFOS/PFOA in 2019.
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
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00008 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00022 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00033 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00034 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00043 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00051 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00054 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00058 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00080 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00081 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA UST 000001 CHINA LAKE NAWS
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
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00008 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00022 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00033 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00034 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00043 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00051 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00054 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00058 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00080 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA SITE 00081 CHINA LAKE NAWS
Navy California CHINA LAKE NAWS DERA UST 000001 CHINA LAKE NAWS
In the News
Four commanding officers of California Navy base die in unusual string of cancers
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article236413708.html
McClatchy DC Bureau
Four commanding officers at a premiere Navy weapons testing base in California have died of cancer, one of several alarming clusters in the military’s aviation community found by a McClatchy investigation.
The commanding officers served at California’s Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. They were some of the Navy’s top aviators and test pilots. Each had thousands of flight hours in advanced jets and two attended TOPGUN, the Navy’s elite Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor course. One of them, Capt. Alexander Hnarakis, was part of the inspiration for the Tom Cruise blockbuster movie.
Four commanding officers of California Navy base die in unusual string of cancers
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article236413708.html
McClatchy DC Bureau
Four commanding officers at a premiere Navy weapons testing base in California have died of cancer, one of several alarming clusters in the military’s aviation community found by a McClatchy investigation.
The commanding officers served at California’s Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. They were some of the Navy’s top aviators and test pilots. Each had thousands of flight hours in advanced jets and two attended TOPGUN, the Navy’s elite Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor course. One of them, Capt. Alexander Hnarakis, was part of the inspiration for the Tom Cruise blockbuster movie.
Ridgecrest Skytop 93555 93556