Abandoned Northern California missile site poses no immediate toxic chemical threat, report shows
LINCOLN -- A new report by the Army Corps of Engineers shows an abandoned missile site in the Northern California city of Lincoln does not pose an immediate threat to the public.
For decades, there was concern about toxic chemicals seeping into the soil and posing a risk to nearby neighborhoods. The site is in an open field near the Sun City community in Lincoln Hills.
In the 1960s, during the Cold War, the site was a military base holding transcontinental missiles. The base was eventually shut down three years later. Although the missiles are gone, a 1991 study found dangerous remnants left behind.
Ranny Eckstrom, a member of the Restoration Advisory Board, is among those advocating for the community.
"What they found at that time in 1991 was low and behold, we had some TCE," Eckstrom said.
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a toxic chemical used as a degreaser and cleaning agent. Banned decades ago, TCE is linked to cancer and other serious health issues when inhaled or ingested.
In response, the Army Corp of Engineers installed testing wells around the site to look for the dangerous chemical. What they found was that the testing wells near homes about a quarter mile away did not find any traces of TCE. However, the wells near the site did.
"So it aligns with what we already thought and it's still constrained to those areas and does not pose an immediate risk to those communities," said Tyler Stalker, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers.
The agency is expected to hold a public meeting on its next report on October 24.