xoneinax said:
It looks like the projected path of the expanding TCE plume now has a general border of Irvine Center Drive/Edinger to the north and Barranca to the south. Does MCAS Tustin require any such cleanup ?
Is there a reason why TCE plume originates at the southern half of MCAS El Toro; was that area a dump site/etc for the Navy ? Will the northern half of the base need much cleanup ?
There are dump sites, burn pits, and land fills all over the old el toro. Its a dump. Supposedly, small amounts of enriched uranium were found in the north part of the base. Radium was also found but that is no surprise since radium paint was used to make the gauges for planes glow. It was poured down the drain and radium has a 1600 year half life, so cleaning it up would cost BILLIONS. The reason is because it is still radioactive, but doesnt glow. Here is some pics:
This seems to be why it originates from south of the base, as you can see the type of dumping done near 50 years ago:
Marsha, if you are truly afraid of cancer or contamination, may I suggest an idea I read in a novel? Get a lymphocyte count and a T-cell assay. These two tests won't tell you if you have something, but you can find abnormalities that may show you have been contaminated.
Also, and this is a conspiracy theory, but the reason I bring it up is that I grew up in Irvine and I believe it to be a profound observation.
Have you ever noticed how big the Tustin hangers are? El Toro is 10 times the size of Tustin, but the hangers at Tustin are bigger than any hangers at El Toro. Does that make any sense? You must see it in context. I have heard that someone has seen planes enter the hangers at El Toro, and disappear a short time later! Well, look at a map and follow the train tracks from el toro to tustin. I have a feeling there is some underground railroad connecting tustin and el toro, because back during the pearl harbor years, they couldnt risk leaving planes in mere hangers. This may be the reason the plume is headed the direction it is, but then again, it could just be underground elevations of groundwater.
James Irvine was only convinced to open el toro after commanders told him the japanese would take over his land. El toro was the MOST FERTILE LAND in So Cal when is was taken in the 50's, and one concern of the family was this exact situation - contamination! What an irony, huh? O, and Myford Irvine was murdered a short time later after this all happened, and it was found to be a "suicide." I wish I could speak to Myford and see how one could shot himself twice in the stomach and once in the head with a different caliber bullet, because that is what I call an epic suicide.