Dozens turn out for meeting about contamination

By Thema Ponton
WBTW News 13 Reporter
Published: July 22, 2008

Representatives from the United States Air Force, South Carolina Department of Environmental Control, and the Environmental Protection Agency spoke about the plans to clean up two sites where ground water contamination was found in and around the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.

One of the big questions at Tuesday night’s meeting from people in the audience, was why now?

Why were representatives from the Air Force, DHEC, and the EPA giving people an opportunity to give their opinions?

The answer from representatives at the meeting was, since the Air Force is the agency responsible for the contamination, they have to clean it up, and they have to tell the public what they’re doing.

Many of the people at the meeting said even though the contamination was discovered more than 10 years ago, Tuesday’s meeting was the first they heard about it.

Cathy Jerrard, with Air Force Real Property Agency said, “There is contamination in the groundwater but there’s no exposure because no one’s using the groundwater and it’s below the surface so we’re cleaning it up and there are restrictions on the property so no one will be exposed until it’s totally cleaned up.”

High levels of known cancer causing TCE, vinyl chloride, and pesticides, that’s what the Air Force is planning to clean up from the site of the Old Entomology Shop, near the former base, that was used to mix and store pesticides in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and from an area near the east side of the airport runway where known cancer causing benzene and other fuel contaminants were found.

The purpose of Tuesday night’s meeting was to let the public know about the clean-up plan and get their input.

Some people at the meeting said they were surprised to hear about the groundwater contamination.

Maxine Rheingold, who lives near the former base said, “My concern is it’s presented like they’re talking to an audience who is on the same you know understanding level about the issues they’re presenting.”

Jerrard said there have been regular public meetings over the last 15 years about clean-up efforts and they’ve not received a lot of significant comments.

She said there were more people at Tuesday night’s meeting than most meetings they’ve had in the past.

People at the meeting were also given hand-outs, which go into some detail about just where the contamination was found and the plan to get rid of it.

The Air Force, EPA, and SCDHEC are soliciting public review and comment on all aspects of the clean-up and the public will be able to formally comment until August 28, 2008.