Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base (1941–1995) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced and about 115 miles south of Sacramento, California.
At Castle AFB 7 groundwater wells were tested and 3 were found to be above the Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt
PFOS/PFOA was found at 2,502 ppt.
The Air Force reported, “Completed basewide Preliminary Assessment and completed the site inspection at the Fire Training Area. Received regulatory concurrence on the findings. Initiated Site Inspections of other AFFF areas identified in Preliminary Assessment. Complete Site Inspection including determination whether drinking water supplies are impacted. Follow the CERCLA process for future investigative and cleanup activities.”
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
At Castle AFB 7 groundwater wells were tested and 3 were found to be above the Lifetime Health Advisory of 70 ppt
PFOS/PFOA was found at 2,502 ppt.
The Air Force reported, “Completed basewide Preliminary Assessment and completed the site inspection at the Fire Training Area. Received regulatory concurrence on the findings. Initiated Site Inspections of other AFFF areas identified in Preliminary Assessment. Complete Site Inspection including determination whether drinking water supplies are impacted. Follow the CERCLA process for future investigative and cleanup activities.”
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
Castle Air Force Base Superfund Site
The 2,777-acre former Castle Air Force Base (CAFB) was originally the location of an aircrew training facility. Wastes generated were disposed of on site from 1941 until 1977, and the base was officially closed in 1995. Facility operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Construction of the site’s long-term remedy finished in 2006, and the property was transferred to other governmental agencies, including Merced County. Currently, a commercial airport and a federal prison are located on the site.
Risks and pathways addressed by the cleanup include health risks from people ingesting or touching contaminants in soil and groundwater. There are currently institutional controls to prevent the use of the groundwater until the groundwater is treated to drinking water standards. The site also has two landfills with institutional controls to prevent exposure to the landfill contents.
View a full list of contaminants of concern for this site.
Want to know more? https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0902751
The 2,777-acre former Castle Air Force Base (CAFB) was originally the location of an aircrew training facility. Wastes generated were disposed of on site from 1941 until 1977, and the base was officially closed in 1995. Facility operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. Construction of the site’s long-term remedy finished in 2006, and the property was transferred to other governmental agencies, including Merced County. Currently, a commercial airport and a federal prison are located on the site.
Risks and pathways addressed by the cleanup include health risks from people ingesting or touching contaminants in soil and groundwater. There are currently institutional controls to prevent the use of the groundwater until the groundwater is treated to drinking water standards. The site also has two landfills with institutional controls to prevent exposure to the landfill contents.
View a full list of contaminants of concern for this site.
Want to know more? https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0902751
Castle AFB was included in this study: Bases and Facilities with Significant Current or Historical U.S. Nuclear Weapons or Naval Nuclear Propulsion Missions Compiled by Stephen I. Schwartz, 2002 https://www.brookings.edu/bombs-in-the-backyard/
Source: DOD
Groundwater Contaminants:
Iron 3200.0 ug/L
1,1,1-Trichloroethane 4.6 ug/L
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 0.21 ug/L
1,1,2-Trichloroethane 0.34 ug/L
1,1-Dichloroethane 26.0 ug/L
1,1-Dichloroethylene 0.59 ug/L
1,2,3-Trichloropropane 0.35 ug/L
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 0.36 ug/L
1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane 1.6 ug/L
1,2-Dichlorobenzene 0.096 ug/L
1,2-Dichloroethane (EDC) 0.13 ug/L
1,2-trans-dichloroethylene 0.26 ug/L
1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene 0.76 ug/L
1,3-Dichlorobenzene 0.16 ug/L
1-Phenylpropane 9.4 ug/L
Aluminum 770.0 ug/L
Antimony and compounds 7.0 ug/L
Arsenic 4.9 ug/L
Barium 180.0 ug/L
Benzene 0.099 ug/L
Benzene, 1,2,4-trichloro- 0.11 ug/L
Benzene, chloro- 220.0 ug/L
Benzene, methyl- 0.18 ug/L
Benzene, p-dichloro- 0.16 ug/L
Beryllium and compounds 0.27 ug/L
Boron 90.9 ug/L Acetone 107.0 ug/L
Bromodichloromethane 0.66 ug/L
Bromoform 1.1 ug/L
Cadmium and compounds 1.7 ug/L
Carbon Dichloride 1.3 ug/L
Carbon Tetrachloride 0.155 ug/L
Chlorodibromomethane 0.96 ug/L
Chloroethane 1.2 ug/L
Chloroform 0.25 ug/L
Chloromethane (methyl chloride) 0.73 ug/L
Chromium 260.0 ug/L
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene 0.36 ug/L
Copper and compounds 4.8 ug/L
Cumene 0.31 ug/L
Dichlorodifluoromethane 0.26 ug/L
Dichloropropane 0.19 ug/L
Ethyl benzene 0.31 ug/L
Fluoride 440.0 ug/L
Lead 3.3 ug/L Tin 4.2 ug/L
Manganese and compounds 160.0 ug/L
Methyl Ethyl Ketone 16.0 ug/L
Methylene Chloride 3.2 ug/L
Molybdenum 2.1 ug/L
Naphthalene 0.12 ug/L
Nickel (Soluble Salts) 56.0 ug/L
o-Xylene 0.38 ug/L
sec-Butylbenzene 1.1 ug/L
Selenium 2.8 ug/L Silver and compounds 2.9 ug/L
tert-Butylbenzene 0.22 ug/L
Trichloroethylene (TCE) 0.32 ug/L
Trichlorofluoromethane 0.23 ug/L
Vanadium 49.0 ug/L
Vinyl Chloride 0.14 ug/L
Zinc 7.4 ug/L Cobalt 8.8 ug/L
Soil: Contaminants:
Benzene 0.0008 mg/kg
Benzene, methyl- 0.011 mg/kg
Ethyl benzene 0.044 mg/kg
o-Xylene 0.11 mg/kg
Groundwater Contaminants:
Iron 3200.0 ug/L
1,1,1-Trichloroethane 4.6 ug/L
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 0.21 ug/L
1,1,2-Trichloroethane 0.34 ug/L
1,1-Dichloroethane 26.0 ug/L
1,1-Dichloroethylene 0.59 ug/L
1,2,3-Trichloropropane 0.35 ug/L
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 0.36 ug/L
1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane 1.6 ug/L
1,2-Dichlorobenzene 0.096 ug/L
1,2-Dichloroethane (EDC) 0.13 ug/L
1,2-trans-dichloroethylene 0.26 ug/L
1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene 0.76 ug/L
1,3-Dichlorobenzene 0.16 ug/L
1-Phenylpropane 9.4 ug/L
Aluminum 770.0 ug/L
Antimony and compounds 7.0 ug/L
Arsenic 4.9 ug/L
Barium 180.0 ug/L
Benzene 0.099 ug/L
Benzene, 1,2,4-trichloro- 0.11 ug/L
Benzene, chloro- 220.0 ug/L
Benzene, methyl- 0.18 ug/L
Benzene, p-dichloro- 0.16 ug/L
Beryllium and compounds 0.27 ug/L
Boron 90.9 ug/L Acetone 107.0 ug/L
Bromodichloromethane 0.66 ug/L
Bromoform 1.1 ug/L
Cadmium and compounds 1.7 ug/L
Carbon Dichloride 1.3 ug/L
Carbon Tetrachloride 0.155 ug/L
Chlorodibromomethane 0.96 ug/L
Chloroethane 1.2 ug/L
Chloroform 0.25 ug/L
Chloromethane (methyl chloride) 0.73 ug/L
Chromium 260.0 ug/L
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene 0.36 ug/L
Copper and compounds 4.8 ug/L
Cumene 0.31 ug/L
Dichlorodifluoromethane 0.26 ug/L
Dichloropropane 0.19 ug/L
Ethyl benzene 0.31 ug/L
Fluoride 440.0 ug/L
Lead 3.3 ug/L Tin 4.2 ug/L
Manganese and compounds 160.0 ug/L
Methyl Ethyl Ketone 16.0 ug/L
Methylene Chloride 3.2 ug/L
Molybdenum 2.1 ug/L
Naphthalene 0.12 ug/L
Nickel (Soluble Salts) 56.0 ug/L
o-Xylene 0.38 ug/L
sec-Butylbenzene 1.1 ug/L
Selenium 2.8 ug/L Silver and compounds 2.9 ug/L
tert-Butylbenzene 0.22 ug/L
Trichloroethylene (TCE) 0.32 ug/L
Trichlorofluoromethane 0.23 ug/L
Vanadium 49.0 ug/L
Vinyl Chloride 0.14 ug/L
Zinc 7.4 ug/L Cobalt 8.8 ug/L
Soil: Contaminants:
Benzene 0.0008 mg/kg
Benzene, methyl- 0.011 mg/kg
Ethyl benzene 0.044 mg/kg
o-Xylene 0.11 mg/kg
Atwater, California Serves: 29,050 Data available: 2012—2017
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=CA2410001
Source: Groundwater Contaminants Detected 9 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
24 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=CA2410001
Source: Groundwater Contaminants Detected 9 EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
24 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 Atwater's water 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
OU1 PFC GROUNDWATER
Air Force California CASTLE BRAC CG401 PLUME
OU-1 MBS GROUNDWATER
Air Force California CASTLE BRAC OT029 PLUME
OU-2 & DA-4 GROUNDWATER
Air Force California CASTLE BRAC OT030 PLUME
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
OU1 PFC GROUNDWATER
Air Force California CASTLE BRAC CG401 PLUME
OU-1 MBS GROUNDWATER
Air Force California CASTLE BRAC OT029 PLUME
OU-2 & DA-4 GROUNDWATER
Air Force California CASTLE BRAC OT030 PLUME
95301 95388 95348 Livingston Altwater Hopeton Merced