PUBLIC NOTICE FIVE-YEAR REVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP REMEDIES AT MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE AND THE FORMER MARCH AIR FORCE BASE RIVESIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

  • Published
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. --  

The United States Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC), in cooperation with the United States. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), Santa Ana Region has initiated the fifth Five-Year Review for the March Air Reserve Base (ARB) and former March Air Force Base (AFB). ARB is property the United States Air Force retained after the AFB realigned under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) in 1996. The purpose of a five-year review is to ensure that the selected remedies are effectively protective of human health and the environment.

The Five-Year Review is being conducted pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (also known as Superfund) Section 121, and the National Contingency Plan (NCP).

This is the fifth Five-Year Review conducted for the ARB and former AFB and is a statutory review. It is required and focused for sites at the ARB and former AFB where the selected remedial action have been implemented and resulted in contaminants remaining above levels that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure. The military used chemicals such as fuels, and solvents, and operated landfills in support of national defense activities. Past disposal practices resulted in soil and groundwater contamination. Environmental cleanup activities have been underway since the 1980’s.

The AFCEC encourages and welcomes public input and participation during the Five-Year Review process. At this point, AFCEC is conducting interviews, reviewing reports, and assessing the site conditions. Any questions, comments, or input should be directed to the contact addresses located below by November 23, 2023. A second public notice will be published in the Riverside Press-Enterprise as well as the March ARB website: htttps://www.march.afrc.af.mil/ when the draft report is ready for review by the public and another comment period will be offered. Depending on interest, a public meeting will be held. The final five-year review report will be submitted by October 2024 and will become a part of the AFCEC Administrative Record for the former March Air Force Base on the web at: https://ar.afcec-cloud.af.mil/.