George AFB’s Schools – Completed Exposure Pathways

Several people have reported that they, family members, friends, or coworkers from the George AFB schools have cancer. If you worked at or were a student at one of the schools on George AFB and have health problems, please contact us.

Expedited Environmental Assessment and Cleanup

The former George Air Force Base, CA, “EPA Superfund ID: CA2570024453″ was redeveloped under President Clinton’s expedited environmental cleanup “Fast-Track“.

The Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) 

The Army and/or Air Force used organochlorine pesticide to protect the older buildings’ (pre-1988) foundations against ground termites and other pests at George AFB including the Base Schools, Housing, Barracks, and Dorms.

CERCLA §120(h) Deed Restrictions

• The DOD and the Air Force failed to test for these organochlorine pesticide except at the Base Family Housing Units
• The DOD and the Air Force failed to disclose the widespread use of these organochlorine pesticides in the CERCLA §120(h) Deed Restrictions as required by law except for at the Base Family Housing Units
• The DOD and the Air Force failed to disclose that aldrin, chlordane, DDT, endrin, heptachlor, and lindanee were detected at  the Base Family Housing Units in the CERCLA §120(h) Deed Restrictions as required by law except for at the Base Family Housing Units
• The DOD and the Air Force failed to disclose that dangerous levels of aldrin, dieldrin, and chlordane were present at the Base Family Housing Units in the CERCLA §120(h) Deed Restrictions as required by law

Organochlorine pesticides levels at the George AFB Family Housing

Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (LRWQCB) Land Use Controls Violation – December 19, 2014 

Health Effects of Chlordane, Heptachlor, Aldrin, Dieldrin, and Endrin

According to the ATSDR and EPA, contact with contaminated soil, ingestion, or inhalation of aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, and/or  heptachlor can:

• Cause birth defects
• Cause breast cancer
• Cause cancer
• Cause Parkinson’s disease
• Damage the kidneys
• Decrease the effectiveness of our immune system
• Increase infant mortality
• Reduce reproductive success

See: George AFB’s Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP)
         George AFB’s Family Housing – Completed Exposure Pathways

Flawed ATSDR Public Health Assessment for George Air Force Base, CA

In the 1998 Public Health Assessment for George Air Force Base the ATSDR made the following statements:

“ATSDR did not identify any completed exposure pathways from George AFB to children at nearby schools or residential areas.” Page 27

“Soil at George AFB does not represent an apparent past public health hazard and does not represent a present or future public health hazard.” Page 28

ATSDR – Public Health Assessment – page 27

ATSDR – Public Health Assessment – page 28

See: Public Health Assessment for George Air Force Base, CA – ATSDR – December 1, 1998

Persistent Organic Pollutants’ Cumulative and Synergistic Interactions

A Cumulative Risk Assessment for all of the Persistent Organic Pollutants released at George AFB needs to be conducted because of the enhanced toxic effects of multiple POP exposures.  For example: what is considered a “safe level” of exposure to a single Persistent Organic Pollutant cannot be considered a “safe level” if the exposure consists of several Persistent Organic Pollutants.  This occurred at the Base Housing where the tenants were exposed to pesticides chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin, and endrin, and dioxin which was released by the burn pits and incinerators. The synergistic and cumulative effects of these POPs is devastating, and would explain the high infant mortality rate at George AFB.  See: George AFB’s Children

Quitclaim Deeds

George Deed – Parcel E-2.pdf –  651 KB  – Quitclaim Deed – Parcel E-2 – Victor Valley Union High School District

George Deed – Parcel E-1 AF to SCLAA.pdf  – 384 KB – Quitclaim Deed of 8.34 acres from Federal government to Southern California Logistics Authority

George Deed – Parcel E-1 Voluntary Reconveyance.pdf  – 323 KB – Reconveyance of 8.4 acres from Adelanto School District to Federal government

George Deed – Parcel E-1.pdf  – 1070 KB – Quitclaim Deed – Parcel E-1 – Adelanto School District

Source: GeoTracker

Acronyms:

• AF – United States Air Force
• CAA: Clean Air Act
• CERCLA: Superfund or Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980
• CWA: Clean Water Act
• EPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency
• FIFRA: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
• DOD – United States  Department of Defense
• POP – Persistent Organic Pollutants
• TSCA: Toxic Substances Control Act
• WHO – World Health Organization

Definitions:

• Bioaccumulate: to become concentrated inside the bodies of living things
• Organochlorine pesticides: are POPs made out of organochlorine compounds.  These organochlorine compounds and there metabolites can cross the placental barrier and accumulate in lipid rich tissues such as human breast and breast milk
• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs): are organic compounds of natural or anthropogenic origin that resist photolytic, chemical and / or biological degradation (UNEP, 1999)
• Persistent: extremely resistant to natural breakdown processes and therefore are stable and long-lived
• Pollutants: toxic chemicals which adversely affect human health
• Synergistic interaction: the effect of two chemicals taken together is greater than the sum of their separate effect at the same doses