BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
By Michael Collins
(Los Angeles CityBeat/ValleyBeat – July 22, 2004)
The following new readings were recently taken from test sites on the Rocketdyne property. The devil is in the details.
B-1 jet testing area:
- solvent (PCE) in soils – 2,000 parts per billion (ppb)
- solvent (PCE) in soil gas – 3,400 ppb
IEL: Instrument/equipment lab:
- primarily solvents with highest level in soil gas: 5,000 ppb.
- Soils: TCE – min. 8 ppb, max 11,200 or 211 times the ‘preliminary remediation goal’ (PRG) of is 53 ppb
- TCE found in 77/136 samples
- 12 TCE samples exceeded ‘field action level’ (FAL)
Landfill: construction debris & soil/rock fill disposal:
- arsenic: detected in 69/75 samples, 7 over FAL; max of 7.3 ppm (parts per million) which is over 95 times the PRG of 0.39 ppm
- chromium: found in 75/75 samples, 2 over FAL; max of 448 ppm which is over double the PRG of 211 ppm
- lead: found in 73/75 samples, 5 over FAL; max of 3,300 ppm which is 22 times the PRG of 150 ppm
Laser Engineering Test Facility
- mercury: detected in 16/51 samples, 8 over FAL; max of 31.7 ppm which is 106 times the FAL of 0.3 ppm
Click image to read "Two Mile Island"
Building 359: testing and perchlorate use
- perchlorate: 34/90 samples positive, 34 over FAL; max of 71,290 ppb which is 9.11 times the PRG of 7821 ppb and 11,882 times over 6 ppb which is the State drinking water standard
- OCDD dioxin: 4/4 samples positive, 2 over FAL; max of 4,870 parts per trillion (ppt) which is 4.6 times the FAL.
- arsenic: detected in 93/103 samples, 21 over FAL; max of 32 ppm which is double the FAL and 82 times the PRG
Happy Valley – north:
- arsenic: detected in 79/80 samples with 63 over the FAL; max of 116 ppm which is 297 times the PRG of .39 ppm
- perchlorate: 140 ppb in soil leachate
- CTL-III – engine component testing:
- TCE: detected in 16/56 samples with 2 over FAL; max of 460 ppb which is 8.7x times the PRG
- Benzo(a)pyrene: detected in 14/44 samples with 3 over FAL; max of 12,000 ppb which is 193 times the PRG of 62.1 ppb
- Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene: detected in 10/44 samples with 3 over FAL; max of 5,400 ppb which is 8.7 times the PRG
- OCDD dioxin: detected in 20/21 samples with 3 over FAL; max of 6500 ppt which is 4.3 times the FAL
CTL-V – engine component testing:
- PCBs: up to 6,000 ppb
Canyon – large rocket engine testing:
-OCDD dioxin: _ samples; up to 944 ppt
Bowl Test Stand:
- elevated fuel hydrocarbons (soils): up to 28,000 ppm (diesel) with FAL of 1,000 ppb
- elevated PAHs in soil: benzopyrene up to 630 ppb with detection in 5/53 samples with all 5 over FAL; max of 630 ppb is 9.98 times the PRG of 63.1 ppb
ELV- former CTL II — in a catch pond where solvents were burned:
- TCE in soil up to 66,000 ppb
- Dioxins in soil up to 8,000 ppb
- Mercury in soil up to 17,000 ppm
R-1 Pond – surface water retention:
- Dioxin OCDD: max 1,300 ppt
SWMU – 4.17 Perimeter Pond:
- dioxin OCDD: max 1500 ppt, found in 2/2 samples triggering 1050 ppt FAL
- arsenic: max 19.9 ppm with PRG of .39 so 51 times PRG; found in 19/19 samples
(LOX)- liquid oxygen plant — elevated solvents in soil gas:
- TCE: 500,000 ppb or 500,000/.000017 = 29,411,764,705.88 TIMES THE PRG
- Vinyl Chloride: 1,200,000ppb
- Soils:
- TCE—up to 35,000 ppb
- Vinyl Chloride – up to 280 w/ PRG of 79.1
Alfa test stand – rocket engine testing:
- Soils:
- TCE up to 1,820,000 ppb
- TPH (diesel) up to 23,000 ppb
- Dioxins up to 2,400 ppt
- TCE soil vapor 65,000 ppb
CDFF: fuel farm & pond dredge:
- dioxins up to 22,000ppt
- hydrocarbons up to 10,000ppm
Coca & Delta test stands:
- TCE up to 50,000 ppb
- Vinyl Chloride in vapor up to 2,000 ppb
R-2 Pond:
- dioxins up to 12,400 ppt
Silverdale Reservoir — surface water:
- PCBs up to 660 ppb
- Dioxins up to 12,000 ppt
SRE – Sodium Reactor Experiment:
- Benzo(a)pyrene up to 15,000
- TCE up to 1,000ppb
- Mercury up to 35ppm
DU – coal gasification plant:
- benzo(a)pyrene up to 31,000 ppb
- PCBs up to 180 ppb
