The City of Tustin announced today that environmental contractors conducting the Navy North Hangar exterior soil and interior air/dust study have started scheduling appointments to begin sampling at 50 randomly-selected Tustin residences by the end of the month.
The study to assess the potential impact of the Navy North Hangar Fire on the surrounding community received approval from County, State, and Federal regulators including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), CTEH and the U.S. Navy.
The study will test for the presence of lead and asbestos related to the fire in residential soil, household dust, and interior air. The 50 homes were randomly selected from a pool of homeowners who registered their willingness to participate in the study. Results from the 50 homes will be compared to samples collected from 30 randomly-selected residences outside of the fire impact area in Santa Ana and Irvine to look for differences potentially related to the Navy’s Hangar Fire.
“The City is following through on our commitment by staying on schedule and continuing to make rapid progress on initiating and conducting the exterior soil & interior air/dust study,” said Mayor Austin Lumbard. “This is step four of a six-step process for completing the study, with only the actual sampling and analysis left to do.”
“This study goes above and beyond what may be scientifically required and underscores the City’s commitment to assuring that our residents feel safe in their own homes,” Lumbard said.
The results will be reviewed by the EPA, SCAQMD, and OCHCA. Study results are expected to be available in late April 2024 pending review by the regulatory agencies.
Geosyntec Consultants has over 30 years of experience in addressing post-fire conditions and has been involved in community sampling studies related to the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak, the USS Bonhomme Richard fire in San Diego, the Fort McMurray wildfire in Alberta, Canada, the 2003/2007 Southern California wildfires, the 2015 Butte and Valley wildfires, and the 2021 Dixie wildfire.
The U.S. EPA has deemed the U.S. Navy the responsible party for the releases from the Navy North Hangar Fire.
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