DID YOU KNOW

The California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) has directed the Ascon team to prepare for the excavation and transportation offsite of Pit F materials to a permitted landfill in central California.

A specialized remedial team and equipment necessary to complete the excavation of the materials in Pit F began arriving onsite in March. DTSC plans to host an online public meeting on May 6, and excavation work is expected to begin in June. All work is overseen by DTSC. The Pit F tent and its air treatment system are also under permits from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).

Learn more about Pit F and the planned excavation work, here.

SITEWIDE ACTIVITIES

  • MAINTENANCE: Regular maintenance will be conducted within the Site and around the perimeter fence areas, including onsite activity regarding maintenance of stormwater management measures.

  • SITEWIDE ODOR ASSESSMENT: Field investigations were completed April 16, and technical data are undergoing validation and analysis. Data will be used for mapping of areas of Ascon with the potential to generate odor to help determine best technologies to mitigate odor during the remainder of the final cleanup.

  • PIT F TENT MAINTENANCE AND PREPARATION: Workers are conducting preparations and maintenance on the large white tent on the east side of Ascon near Magnolia Street in advance of future remedial work inside the tent.

    You may see: Workers, materials and large equipment like manlifts, stormwater management materials and water trucks may be arriving or being removed from the Site. This includes turning on equipment like the air treatment system for operational checks. You may hear periodic sounds, like vehicle backup signaling required for worker safety, and sounds from air treatment system testing. There is no remedial excavation work occurring during this time.

  • SECURITY: 24-hour onsite security continues. Security are not always visible at the entrance gates. The Ascon security personnel are primarily within the Site conducting daytime and nighttime patrols of the 38-acre property. In addition to 24/7 onsite security, there are regular visits by air quality technicians, Site inspectors and Site maintenance personnel.

  • INSPECTIONS:

    • DTSC continues its ongoing weekly inspections of Ascon.
    • City of Huntington Beach continues its regular stormwater inspections of Ascon. The last inspection was conducted with the City of Huntington Beach stormwater inspector on April 14.
    • Regular inspection of the “Pit F” tent will be conducted.
    • Regular inspections are conducted by Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District of the onsite detention basins and other areas of the Ascon Site where water may be detained.
  • NEARBY ACTIVITIES: Please note there are automobile storage activities that may generate noise or dust unrelated to Ascon at the former tank farm property, south of Ascon and adjacent to Magnolia Street.

AIR MONITORING

Air monitoring continues both on the Ascon Site and at community locations, which includes dust data at upwind and downwind monitoring stations on the Ascon site documenting effective dust control measures.

For more information about Ascon’s air monitoring and data sharing, please visit the Actively Monitoring Air Quality page on this website. Data is submitted to DTSC and shared on their online document archive, Envirostor. To view archived air monitoring results posted by DTSC on Envirostor, click on “Community Involvement Documents” and scroll to “Updates and Information.”

SAFETY MESSAGE

Work at Ascon is being conducted under Site safety protocols regarding COVID-19. These practices apply to air quality professionals and other team members who may be outside the fence conducting work. We ask for the community’s support of these safety practices by maintaining physical distancing to allow these professionals to focus on their work and stay safe.

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