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State Agency Reports Contaminants
Found at Fountain Valley Site
(Santa Ana) -
Test results analyzed by the California Department of Toxic Substances
Control (DTSC) show the presence of several contaminants in soil samples
from a former agricultural site located at 15872 Harbor Boulevard,
Fountain Valley.
Soil samples tested positive for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and
its related chemicals dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (DDE) and
dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD); toxaphene; and dieldrin. DDT,
toxaphene and dieldrin are all insecticides once used at the former
agricultural site. The testing was part of a required site investigation
conducted for the Orange County Department of Education, which intends to
acquire the property as a proposed school site.
Review of site-specific information by DTSC indicates that contact with
the soil at the site may pose health risks to the public. Because the
chemicals bind tightly to soil and do not dissolve easily in water, they
are more likely to be found in surface soil. The Orange County Water
District has also analyzed water samples from five drinking water wells
located within a one-mile radius of the site. There is no indication that
these three contaminants have impacted any nearby drinking water wells, so
the contamination does not pose a threat to public drinking water
supplies.
DDT was banned from use in the United States in 1972 because of damage to
wildlife, but is still used in some countries. DDT affects the central
nervous system and is a carcinogen. Toxaphene was one of the most heavily
used insecticides in the United States until it was banned from use in
1990. Studies in animals indicate that toxaphene affects the liver,
kidneys, adrenal glands, and the immune system. Toxaphene is also listed
as a carcinogen. Dieldrin was a widely used insecticide until it was
banned from use in 1987. Dieldrin affects the central nervous system and
is considered to be a carcinogen.
The Environmental Health Division of the County of Orange Health Care
Agency is designated by the Board of Supervisors for the purposes of
Proposition 65 reporting under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic
Enforcement Act of 1986. The intent of Proposition 65 is to protect the
public and its drinking water resources, and to inform the public about
potential exposures to chemicals.
More information about this site and the related toxicological/health risk
assessment can be obtained from Jeanne Garcia, Public Information Officer
for the Department of Toxic Substances Control, at (818) 551-2176.
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