If you played (as a child), lived next to, played golf, or worked at the West Winds Golf Course from 1965 to 1981, you were most likely exposed to unsafe levels of partially treated sewage and industrial waste containing known carcinogens.
Before 1965, George AFB discharged its industrial waste into the Mojave River.
On November 17, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11258—Prevention, Control, and Abatement of Water Pollution by Federal Activities. This EO banned George AFB from discharging its industrial waste directly into the Mojave River. The Mojave River flows north (towards Barstow) and is the source of drinking water for homes, farms, towns, and cities downstream of George AFB.
From 1965 to December 1, 1981 (16 years), George AFB disposed of 5,578,400 gallons of industrial waste containing known carcinogens into the sanitary sewer system. This cocktail of sewage and industrial waste emptied into the sewage treatment plant (STP), and the STP discharged directly into the STP’s percolation ponds. The effluent (outflow) from the STP’s percolation ponds containing this toxic cocktail was then chlorinated and used to irrigate the golf course (a.k.a. S-12, OT-22).
IRP Phase I Record Search, Table D-1
George AFB’s sewage treatment plant (STP) used aerobic digestion to break down organic waste. Given the number and amount of chemicals that were discharged into the STP, it would have been impossible to maintain the proper chemical balance to facilitate aerobic digestion of the organic waste. Additionally, the STP would not break down the industrial waste, this resulted in partially treated sewage and highly toxic industrial waste to water the base golf course.
Completed Exposure Pathway (CEP)
The water (containing partially treated sewage and industrial waste) used to water the golf course, between 1965 and 1981, at George AFB provided a Completed Exposure Pathway (CEP) to civilians, military personnel, and their family members.
ATSDR’s Public Health Assessment (PHA) for George AFB
The DoD and Air Force failed to notify the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of this potential exposure pathway for the Health Assessment of George AFB. Additionally, because the Air Force did not correct the ATSDR during the Peer Review / Public Comments period or after the report was published in 1998, the Air Force lied by omission.
ATSDR - Public Health Assessment (PHA) for George AFB (PDF 3.36 MB)
- Google Earth satellite image of the West Winds Golf Course and pond
- Appendix D Industrial Facilities – AF – 348,650 gallons a year x 16 years = 5,578,400 gallons
- Effluent used to irrigate the golf course from 1965 to 1 December 1981 – AF
- TCE was detected in the groundwater at old sewage treatment plant’s percolation ponds – EPA
- The potential golf course contamination plume was not assessed – AF
- The golf course was not included in these IRP Phase II (Stage 2) investigations – AF
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was detected in two private wells – AF
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was detected at 18401 and 18499 Shay Road – AF
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