Board Wants Details on Cost of Base Cleanup

Before deciding the fate of a proposed airport at the closed El Toro Marine base, Orange County supervisors said Wednesday, they want a detailed cost of cleaning up what is one of the most contaminated sites in the country.

The U.S. Navy has promised $160 million toward cleanup at El Toro, based on what it estimates it will cost to bring it up to environmental standards for use as an airport, said Rob Richardson, the county’s director of public affairs. Costs for something other than an airport haven’t been determined, but likely would be far higher.

Board Chairman Chuck Smith told county staff at a Wednesday workshop on El Toro options that he wants cleanup estimates by May 16, when a public meeting will be held to decide what to do next about airport planning.

Smith said Navy officials have been clear that cleanup costs are contingent on the ultimate use of the 4,700-acre base, which has been declared a Superfund site, ranking it among the most polluted in the U.S.

Ultimately, the federal government is responsible for cleaning base contamination. However, if costs exceed what has been budgeted, it could drastically slow the process and leave the county in the position of having to front cleanup money so the property could be used sooner, officials said.

That has happened at other bases across the country and is being discussed for the closed Marine helicopter base at Tustin. Tustin officials, planning new homes and businesses on the base, have been told by the Navy that they could take control of the land sooner if they are willing to front some of the cleanup costs.

Considering the future of El Toro prompted more questions than answers Wednesday after the four-hour board meeting. Only one supervisor declared his intention on the issue: Jim Silva reiterated his support for an advisory vote of the public in November to determine whether voters want to continue with airport plans.

Smith suggested that an ongoing environmental review of the airport plan might be tweaked to give greater weight to an alternative runway configuration, which could reduce opposition to the airport. The alternative would eliminate landing by large aircraft and would reduce the amount of noise over affected homes.

But pursuing more serious consideration of that proposal would mean a new environmental study, county Planning Director Tom Mathews said, further delaying the airport project.

There was another, more pressing El Toro issue before supervisors Wednesday: deciding whether a handful of community services at the base can continue after July 2. Navy officials have said they are prepared to close the grounds because the services there aren’t generating a profit.

Supervisors agreed to hold meetings with Navy officials over the next two weeks to determine what, if anything, can be done to keep the services open, as well as discuss the toxic cleanup costs.

The services in jeopardy of closing include the golf course, horse stables and three child-care programs. To keep them open, the county would have to have an agreement approved by May 15 to assume responsibility for them.

The county might be able to keep the limited services on the base, he said. However, the Navy has said it wants the county first to complete an environmental study and to assume law-enforcement control over the property--a procedural action that has been tied up at the state level because of a challenge by anti-airport cities.