DID YOU KNOW
If you missed it, DTSC mailed and posted (in their online database, Envirostor) an August 2022 Ascon Community Update providing the next steps for the Site and answering frequently asked questions from the latest community survey. Those living in a one-mile radius of Ascon received the mailed update, as did families at Edison High School. Find the latest DTSC Community Update here.
You can read the current and past Ascon Community Updates from DTSC under DTSC Fact Sheets and Notices at asconhb.com/updates.
SITEWIDE ACTIVITIES
AIR MONITORING: DTSC has permitted a brief pause on air quality monitoring both onsite and at offsite locations to allow our personnel to be with their families over the Labor Day holiday. The pause will begin Friday, September 2, at approximately 7 a.m., and air sampling and monitoring will resume at approximately 7 a.m., Tuesday, September 6. There will be no fieldwork or earth movement during this time. Onsite security continues 24/7.
PROJECT STATUS: DTSC and the Ascon team continue with technical analysis, review of field investigations and planning for future pilot testing and final cleanup phases. During this time, the Ascon Site regular maintenance activities remain ongoing, onsite and offsite air monitoring continues 24/7 (with a holiday pause over Labor Day weekend), and inspections by DTSC and other agencies such as the City of Huntington Beach and Orange County Vector Control continue. DTSC will announce when there are decisions on the final cleanup plan and hold public meetings.
MAINTENANCE: Regular maintenance is conducted within the Site and around the perimeter fence areas, including gate areas. Weed abatement around the Ascon Site to prepare for summer was conducted and inspected by the City of Huntington Beach Fire Department.
INSPECTIONS:
- DTSC conducts weekly inspections at Ascon and independent air monitoring checks in nearby neighborhoods. Their inspection reports can be found on the online DTSC database, Envirostor.
- City of Huntington Beach continues its regular stormwater inspections of Ascon. Ascon remains in compliance with stormwater pollution prevention requirements. The last stormwater inspection was conducted with the City of Huntington Beach on August 25.
- Regular inspections are conducted by Orange County Vector Control of the onsite detention basins and other areas of the Ascon site where water may be detained. Active mitigation measures by Vector Control are protective of the community, as well as onsite workers, to prevent mosquitoes and other pests.
SECURITY: 24-hour onsite security continues. Security is not always visible at the entrance gates. In addition to 24/7 onsite security, there are regular visits by air quality technicians, Site inspectors, and Site maintenance personnel. Unannounced visitors without official business or agency oversight of Ascon are not permitted to enter the Site. Trespassers will be reported to the Huntington Beach Police Department and DTSC.
You may see: You may see flashlights or headlights from a limited number of vehicles at night conducting inspections and providing security at the 38-acre Site.
NEARBY ACTIVITIES:
- Bonfires in beach fire pits at Huntington State Beach can generate a smoky odor, sometimes noticeable in the Ascon neighborhood.
- 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.
- Orange County Public Works has planned work on the Sheet Pile Repair Project in the Huntington Beach Channel, south and southwest of Ascon, and the Talbert Channel, east of Ascon, which is expected to be an intermittent activity over the next two years.
AIR MONITORING
Where to find 24/7 air monitoring data and live stream weather: Sitewide and neighborhood air monitoring data and live streaming weather conditions from the Ascon site are found on the Actively Monitoring Air Quality page on asconhb.com. Analytical data are first analyzed by a certified outside laboratory, then validated, and then submitted to DTSC and shared on their online document database, Envirostor. To view archived air monitoring results posted by DTSC on Envirostor — including weekly field inspections by DTSC that include air quality checks — click on “Community Involvement Documents” and scroll to “Updates and Information.”
SAFETY MESSAGE |
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SEE SOMETHING? HAVE A QUESTION? Call our information line: 714-388-1825 or email us at [email protected]
DRONES: The community is asked to not fly drones over the Ascon site when there is active work. This could create worker and Site safety issues. Ascon recently experienced a drone crash into a perimeter power line, flown by a private flyer. We appreciate the community’s assistance by preventing drone flights over sensitive onsite equipment and the power lines along the perimeter of Ascon.
ENTRANCE AND EXIT GATES: Entering the Ascon site is prohibited to those who are not authorized. The community is asked to keep a safe distance from both entrance and exit gates at Ascon, and refrain from parking, walking, or standing in these areas. The gates on Magnolia Street and Hamilton Avenue may open unexpectedly for workers conducting air monitoring and site inspections, as well as supply delivery and removal. Signage outside Ascon also provides reminders that there is periodic vehicle entry and exit in the gate areas.
PEDESTRIANS: Your safety is important! Pedestrians have been observed walking next to Ascon along Magnolia and Hamilton streets next to the concrete fence base where there currently is no sidewalk. With the start of in-person school, we ask families to talk about this with their students who may walk these areas on their way to and from school. We encourage pedestrians to observe public pathway signage and use the sidewalks on the east side of Magnolia and the north side of Hamilton.
PHYSICAL DISTANCING: Work at Ascon continues to be conducted under Site safety protocols regarding COVID-19 and ongoing protocols and procedures to maintain job safety. 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.
Have a Question or Concern?
Please contact the Ascon community information line at 714-388-1825 or email [email protected]. If there is a potential emergency, please call 911. Sign up for AsconAlert, an opt-in community alert system for the Ascon project here.
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