George Air Force Base, CA

California City, Underwriter Misled Investors, SEC Says

U.S. regulators accused Victorville, California, and underwriters of lying to investors by inflating property values backing $13.3 million of municipal bonds to redevelop a closed air force base [George AFB] . ...  latimes.com

View: SEC Complaint - (PDF - 44 pages - 203 KB)

I am trying to document when the Department of Defense (DoD) knew it had a problem with environmental contamination at its facilities, installations, or bases. 

To do this, I am trying to find the earliest DoD reports or documents that address specific environmental contamination or health hazards at the DoD’s installations. e.g., Radiation, Trichloroethylene, Burn pits, Incinerators, and ...

The Department of Defense (DOD) deliberately misled the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the American people about the hazardous substances at George Air Force Base and the complete exposure pathway that the drinking water provided.

George AFB’s contaminated drinking water supply provided the following “Completed Exposure Pathways”

I have received dozens of personal accounts about miscarriages, stillbirths, birth defects, and childhood cancers at George Air Force Base.  Here are some excerpts from these accounts:

• "When I arrived at the base [George AFB] in Oct 81, they told us during our inbrief that there was a high infant mortality rate and females should consider NOT getting pregnant while assigned there."

George Air Force Base had about 14 Installation Restoration Program (IRP) sites (unpermitted dump-sites and unpermitted burn pits) within 500 feet to a mile upstream of the drinking water supply wells for George AFB, Adelanto, private homes, and the former Victor Valley Country Club.

George Air Force Base had several burn pits and two old style incinerators (without an air scrubber to remove remove toxic chemicals).  The known carcinogens and respiratory sensitizers that were released into the atmosphere by the burn pits and incinerators present both acute and chronic health hazards to civilians, and military personnel and their family members.

Dr. John Richard Sabol (21 December 1932 - 3 August 2000) was the Chief Environmental & Contracting Programming / Community Planner / Construction Engineer for George Air Force Base, CA from June 1976 to February 1981.
Source: Dr. Sabol's Curriculum Vitae (CV)

The first document in the George Air Force Base Administrative Record (AR) is Needed Investigation Of Waste Disposal Sites Having Received Hazardous/Toxic Materials, 10 September 1981.  
Source accessed on:  9 January 2012

The USAF report "Burial of Radioactive Waste in the USAF,", 15 March 1972, predates the first record in the George AFB Administrative record by 10 years.

What city or company would lease or buy property on a Superfund Site (George AFB), potentiality exposing their employees to toxic contamination, and opening the door to years of litigation?

The Department of Defense (DOD) and Air Force inserted an interesting clause in the "Federal Facility Agreement for George AFB" that gives them the right to withhold records [pertaining to environmental contamination] at the property.

George Air Force Base is a Superfund site that was redeveloped under President Clinton's expedited environmental cleanup "Fast-Track" and the EPA's Brownfields program.

The Adelanto School District operated two schools on George AFB the Harold H. George Visual & Performing Arts Elementary magnet school and Harry R. Sheppard Elementary/Middle School.  Unfortunately, both schools were allowed to remain open for approximately 10 years after George AFB was closed.

This Victorville Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) was built on the site of one of the former Weapons Storage Areas (WSA) for George Air Force Base. 

The DOD and Air Force did an inter-agency transfer of the former South Weapons Storage Area (WSA) at George AFB to the Federal Bureau of Prisons where the Victorville FCC was built.  This inter-agency transfer was also done with Castle Air Force Base’s WSA where the United States Penitentiary (USP) in Atwater, CA was built.

Because George Air Force Base is in the Mojave Desert, protection of the water supply is of critical concern. Unfortunately,George AFB’s contamination has seriously damaged the fragile aquifer system of the Mojave River Ground-Water Basin that has been in a state of overdraft since the early 1950′s.

George AFB was named in honor of Brigadier General Harold Huston George (1892-1942), a World War I fighter ace, General George directed air operations in defense of the fortified islands in Manila Bay at the beginning of World War II.

• Established as the Air Corps Advanced Flying School: 23 June 1941
• Construction Began: 12 July 1941
• Occupied: 25 October 1941
• Renamed Victorville Army Flying School: 6 February 1942
• Renamed Victorville Army Air Field: 23 April 1943
• Renamed Victorville Air Force Base: 13 January 1948
• Renamed George Air Force Base: 2 June 1950
• Closed: December 1992

The Secretary of Defense announced the closure of George Air Force Base under the Base Closure and Realignment Act 5 January 1989.

George AFB was deactivated December 15, 1992.

President Bill Clinton fast-tracked George AFB environmental cleanup program so base property could be quickly transferred to the community for reuse. "Five-Part Plan for Revitalizing Base Closure Communities," President William Clinton, July 2, 1993

Three hundred and one documents have been deleted or pulled from the United States Air Force (USAF) Administrative Record (AR) for George Air Force Base. Source accessed on:  10 April 2011