Coastal
Post Online
January,
2004
Toxic Soil Used In Home Construction At Hamilton
By Elena Belsky
Hamilton Army Air Field contains high
levels of contamination from a variety of hazardous chemicals, as well as a
history of failed and incomplete characterization of related toxic contamination
problems. The Army's history of "fast track" sales of Hamilton lands
to the City of Novato, with a quick turn-around to eager developers, has
resulted in hastily built subdivisions on potentially unsafe sites.
In the mid-90s the Army performed a series
of cursory toxic-site clean-ups so that developers could begin building homes.
Some soil was hauled off as hazardous waste, and the rest was placed on the
runway for storage and listed as "non-hazardous." Some piles have
remained uncovered for nearly a decade; poorly characterized spoils piles have
been used as backfill for sites that had already been "cleaned
up."
New Testing By New Property Owners
Analytical data from runway spoils pile
samples collected by the California Coastal Conservancy (CCC) early last year
show Army-controlled soils have been used improperly for construction on the
Hamilton property.
Prior to
transfer of the wetlands parcel (which includes the runway and spoils piles) to
the CCC, the state decided to do further testing on two of the spoils piles.
They found that these piles contained hazardous waste that had been improperly
stored on the runway as non-hazardous for many years. The Army and the CCC were
reluctant to release the test results to the public, the Hamilton Restoration
Advisory Board, and state regulators-so this information was not easily
discovered, but worth reading. Per the report, one of the spoils piles
contained levels of DDT defined as hazardous; the other was also contaminated
deemed unsuitable for use in the wetlands. Further testing is being done on the
remaining spoils piles. This recent testing prompts more concerns as to the
Army's original, incomplete characterization of the of origin of the spoils
piles and their re-use in populated residential areas.
Soil
Contamination A Threat to Homeowners?
Contaminated soils from the runway were used in preparation of new home
sites and construction of the New Hamilton Partnership levee, Landfill 26
cover, as well as backfill of the Hospital Hill and Lot 8 Rapid Response Area
projects (new homes may have been built on top of this area).
It is unclear why the Army and State
regulators gave approval to developers to use the contaminated soil for
residential construction.
The
exact location of the other reported usage of spoils piles in the subdivision
is not known- comprehensive testing of subdivision soils and homeowner's back
yards should commence immediately to protect public health.
What To
Do?
Most importantly, the Army
must determine, as comprehensively as possible, the location of each incident
of use of toxic soil.
Additionally, the responsible party (whether Army or developer) should
undertake comprehensive sampling of ALL potential locations that might have
used contaminated runway soils, and test for a WIDE panel of chemicals of
concern. The potential for toxics in residential areas must be taken seriously;
corrective action must be initiated.
The Army is preparing to transfer the New Hamilton Partnership Levee
property to the City of Novato. The Army's transfer document states that all
clean up has been done. But that document completely fails to mention the
contaminated runway spoils pile soil that was used to construct the levee. The
Army should not transfer the property until it has adequately characterized the
site.
A public meeting will be
held on Tuesday, January 6, 2004 at 7 p.m. in the Novato Police Station meeting
room to discuss the property transfer.