Norton Air Force Base
Norton Air Force Base (1942–1994) was an Air Force facility 2 miles east of downtown San Bernardino, California, in San Bernardino County. For the majority of its operational lifetime, Norton was a logistics depot and heavy-lift transport facility for a variety of military aircraft, equipment and supplies as part of Air Materiel/Air Force Logistics Command (1946–1966), then as part of Military Airlift/Air Mobility Command (1966–1994).
Norton AFB was closed in 1994 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure action 1988.
Eight locations at Norton Air Force Base were used for fire fighting exercises. The sites are within a few thousand feet of the Santa Ana River.
Groundwater was recently found to be contaminated with PFOS at levels of 18.8 parts per trillion. The samples were taken from deep below the surface, from 229.48 to 249.4 feet under the ground. California has recently set notification levels for PFOS at 6.5 ppt, meaning Norton's deep groundwater is almost three times above that level.
See the FINAL SITE INSPECTION REPORT FOR AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM AREAS AT FORMER NORTON AIR FORCE BASE , August 2018
Examine this exchange between state water officials (left side) and the Air Force (right side) in the FINAL SITE INSPECTION REPORT FOR AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM AREAS AT FORMER NORTON AIR FORCE BASE , August 2018.
Understand the fundamental disagreement here.
Read what the Air Force is saying. "Concentrations of PFOS may pose a risk to human health. However, in the absence of legally enforceable federal or state standards, further action is not recommended until these standards are developed and promulgated.”
Because the risks to human health from PFAS in soil are not fully understood and there are no promulgated standards, mitigation recommendations are not currently warranted."
Now, let's follow the Santa Ana River from Norton Air Force Base, where it is just 2,000 feet from the old runway, to the town of Eastvale.
This excellent graphic, produced by the Orange County Water District, shows the levels of PFOA and PFOS in the Santa Ana River Watershed.
(WWTP is Wastewater Treatment Plant)
Norton Air Force Base Superfund Site
The 2,165-acre Norton Air Force Base site in San Bernardino, California, served as a major overhaul center for jet engines and aircraft repair beginning in 1942. Past hazardous material management practices contaminated groundwater and soil with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, heavy metals and acids. Following construction of the site’s remedy, operation and maintenance activities and monitoring are ongoing.
Risks and pathways addressed by the cleanup include health risks from people ingesting or touching contaminants in soil and groundwater.
View a full list of contaminants of concern for this site.
Want to know more? https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0902760
The 2,165-acre Norton Air Force Base site in San Bernardino, California, served as a major overhaul center for jet engines and aircraft repair beginning in 1942. Past hazardous material management practices contaminated groundwater and soil with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, heavy metals and acids. Following construction of the site’s remedy, operation and maintenance activities and monitoring are ongoing.
Risks and pathways addressed by the cleanup include health risks from people ingesting or touching contaminants in soil and groundwater.
View a full list of contaminants of concern for this site.
Want to know more? https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0902760
Norton AFB -Source - DOD
No contaminants listed for this base. Land Controls & Restrictions Many sites have been declared “clean” by the DOD but are still not safe for people. This military installation is safe only with the following conditions in place: environmental covenants dig permits shall not conduct or allow others to conduct any construction, excavation, drilling, grading. removal, trenching. filling, earth movement. mining, and planting that would disturb the soil without regulatory approval. do not conduct activities that would cause surface application or injection of water or other fluids to affect the integrity of the landfill or the groundwater flow direction. grantee shall continuously maintain, repair and replace the impermeable surface paving materials as presently exist on the property such that no surface water intrusion onto the property may occur through such paved surfaces. do not knowingly disrupt any remedial activities do not limit access to site grantor shall maintain paved surfaces will not conduct or allow others to conduct activities that would disrupt environmental investigations or remedial actions or limit access to the site for inspections do not disturb fence, gates or signs do not disturb asphalt cover, or other landfill equipment. do not limit access to landfill or landfill equipment do not conduct activities that would disrupt environmental investigations, remedial actions or limit access to the site for inspection do not conduct activities that would limit access to the site for inspection protect and allow air force to access groundwater monitoring wells the grantee covenants not to knowingly disrupt any remediation activities the grantee shall not conduct any mineral right or resource extraction, severance or removal activity on the premises, including without limitation sand and gravel extraction operations.
No contaminants listed for this base. Land Controls & Restrictions Many sites have been declared “clean” by the DOD but are still not safe for people. This military installation is safe only with the following conditions in place: environmental covenants dig permits shall not conduct or allow others to conduct any construction, excavation, drilling, grading. removal, trenching. filling, earth movement. mining, and planting that would disturb the soil without regulatory approval. do not conduct activities that would cause surface application or injection of water or other fluids to affect the integrity of the landfill or the groundwater flow direction. grantee shall continuously maintain, repair and replace the impermeable surface paving materials as presently exist on the property such that no surface water intrusion onto the property may occur through such paved surfaces. do not knowingly disrupt any remedial activities do not limit access to site grantor shall maintain paved surfaces will not conduct or allow others to conduct activities that would disrupt environmental investigations or remedial actions or limit access to the site for inspections do not disturb fence, gates or signs do not disturb asphalt cover, or other landfill equipment. do not limit access to landfill or landfill equipment do not conduct activities that would disrupt environmental investigations, remedial actions or limit access to the site for inspection do not conduct activities that would limit access to the site for inspection protect and allow air force to access groundwater monitoring wells the grantee covenants not to knowingly disrupt any remediation activities the grantee shall not conduct any mineral right or resource extraction, severance or removal activity on the premises, including without limitation sand and gravel extraction operations.
Western Municipal Water District
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA3310049
Riverside County, California Serves: 50,823 Data available: 2012—2017
Source: Purchased surface water Contaminants Detected 6 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
17 Total Contaminants
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=CA3310049
Riverside County, California Serves: 50,823 Data available: 2012—2017
Source: Purchased surface water Contaminants Detected 6 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
17 Total Contaminants
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.
The California Water Board did not test the water of Western Municipal Water District for PFOS/PFOA in 2019. The water of the city of Riverside showed high levels of contamination., however. Well 31-1R showed high levels of contamination for both PFOS abd PFOA, above the state's new Notification Level: Results in parts per trillion, ppt.
PERFLUOROBUTANESULFONIC ACID (PFBS) 3.1
PERFLUOROHEPTANOIC ACID (PFHpA) 3.1
PERFLUOROHEXANE SULFONIC ACID (PFHxS) 5.35
PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONIC ACID (PFOS) 22.5
PERFLUOROOCTANOIC ACID (PFOA) 13.5
PERFLUOROHEXANOIC ACID (PFHxA) 6.55
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/
PERFLUOROBUTANESULFONIC ACID (PFBS) 3.1
PERFLUOROHEPTANOIC ACID (PFHpA) 3.1
PERFLUOROHEXANE SULFONIC ACID (PFHxS) 5.35
PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONIC ACID (PFOS) 22.5
PERFLUOROOCTANOIC ACID (PFOA) 13.5
PERFLUOROHEXANOIC ACID (PFHxA) 6.55
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/
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
Air Force California NORTON BRAC CG097 TCE PLUME (CBA OU IN FY94) 201909 244 3
In the News
Once an Air Force Base
By Pat Elder, October 21, 2019
Lethal contamination at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California threatens human health 35 years after the base closed.
https://worldbeyondwar.org/once-an-air-force-base/
Once an Air Force Base
By Pat Elder, October 21, 2019
Lethal contamination at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California threatens human health 35 years after the base closed.
https://worldbeyondwar.org/once-an-air-force-base/
92408 92324 92410 92401 92374 92354 Fontana Redlands Riverside