South Dakota Superfund Site: Ellsworth Air Force Base
Fight Air Pollution & Water Pollution With an Environmental Toxic Tort Lawsuit

Are you in need of a Toxic Tort Lawyer in The Mount Rushmore State? The E.P.A. has designated Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as a Superfund site because of its amounts of toxic pollution and danger to the environment. You can read the report for the site below.

Some Superfund sites are on the National Priority Site Lists. The National Priorities List ("NPL") is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on the NPL. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation.

Sites are listed on the NPL upon completion of Hazard Ranking System (HRS) screening, public solicitation of comments about the proposed site, and after all comments have been addressed. EPA may delete a final NPL site if it determines that no further response is required to protect human health or the environment. Sites where a remediation was completed through the Superfund program are typically deleted from the NPL.

Living near Superfund Sites in South Dakota may place you and the people you love more vulnerable to getting sick from exposure to the site and experiencing a loss of value for your property, but action is being taken to fight back: The EPA says,

[We have] set up a "Post Construction Completion" (or PCC) strategy to ensure that Superfund response actions provide for the long-term protection of human health and the environment. EPA's Post Construction Completion activities also involve optimizing remedies to increase effectiveness and/or reduce cost without sacrificing long-term protection of human health and the environment.

Below you can read the EPA report for the Ellsworth Air Force Base Superfund site. If you, a loved one, or someone in your community has gotten sick due to toxic pollution in Ellsworth Air Force Base, or if your property has lost value because of contamination, you are better off with a toxic tort lawyer who knows the people of the State of South Dakota . You can begin the process of filing a claim by filling out this simple form. There is no obligation, and your case will be evaluated within one day. To refer a friend, neighbor, or loved one, click here to let them know about the environmental toxic tort lawyers at Weitz & Luxenberg.

Ellsworth Air Force Base

This site is a Federal Facility.

EAFB is a U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command base six miles east of Rapid City, South Dakota. It is next to the town of Box Elder. EAFB covers about 4,858 acres in Meade and Pennington Counties. The Base includes runways, airfield operations, industrial areas, as well as housing and recreational facilities. EAFB is surrounded by farm land, a few private homes and light commercial activities.

Military activities for a half century left contamination, both on the Base and on private land beyond its boundaries. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added EAFB to its National Priorities List on August 30, 1990. The Air Force, EPA and the State of South Dakota have worked as partners to clean up EAFB.

EAFB began in July 1942 as the Rapid City Army Air Base, a training facility for B-17 bomber crews. In 1948, as part of the 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, it became a permanent facility.

Historically, EAFB has been operations headquarters for a variety of aircraft, as well as the Titan I Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system and the Minuteman missile system. Presently, the 28th Bombardment Wing (B-1B bombers) is the host unit of EAFB.

Studies to identify hazardous substances were conducted in 12 general areas of EAFB, including landfills, a fire protection training area, spill sites, industrial areas, and an explosive-ordnance disposal area. The hazardous substances found most often on the Base are solvents and jet fuels, located in both soils and ground water.

Some ground-water contaminants have moved beyond the EAFB boundary to the east and south at low concentrations, but above federal drinking-water standards. Continued use of the contaminated ground water over long periods for household purposes, particularly as drinking water, could pose unacceptable health risks.

The Air Force installed cleanup systems to address possible future health risks. Construction of cleanup systems is complete at all contaminated areas. The cleanup includes ground-water pump- and-treat systems, landfill covers, soil treatment systems, excavation activities and natural attenuation (lessening). The systems are functioning properly.

Ground-water contamination has impacted the drinking water wells of some homes adjacent to the east and south of EAFB. The Air Force has provided potable water to these homes via water main extensions from the EAFB water-supply system. Eventually, the mains will be transferred to the City of Box Elder for operation and maintenance.

The Air Force capped landfills and has enforced institutional controls to prevent unauthorized access to those landfills and to prevent the caps from being disturbed.

Contaminated ground water is pumped out of the ground and cleaned up to drinking water standards. The treated water is then either discharged to a local drainage, to EAFB wastewater- treatment plant, or re-injected into the aquifer. East of EAFB, the source of ground-water contamination has been stopped. Natural attenuation of the remaining contamination will continue to be monitored.

These ground-water cleanup systems will be in operation for 20 to 30 years to complete the cleanup. The relatively low levels of contamination in off-Base areas are expected to lessen within the same time frame.

Cleanup of the entire EAFB, including 20 years of ground-water treatment, is expected to cost approximately $30 million. All cleanup activities are being performed by the Air Force. EPA and the State of South Dakota provide regulatory oversight.

In September 2000, the Air Force conducted a five-year review of all remedies constructed on EAFB. EPA and the State of South Dakota reviewed and commented on the results. The only significant issue was a naturally occurring slope failure at one landfill. The slope failure had caused a breech in the vegetative cover. It was immediately repaired by the Air Force. A more permanent solution to prevent future slope failures is being investigated.

All existing remedial systems require monitoring and sometimes minor modifications. The EAFB Environmental Flight staff continue to conduct these efforts and ensure that the remedies remain protective of human health and the environment.

source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Act Now! It is essential that you inquire about your pollutant lawsuit as soon as possible. South Dakota law may limit your time to bring a legal claim to protect your rights. Your legal review is free and there is no commitment. You case will be evaluated immediately, so get started on your claim today!

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see also:

Ellsworth Air Force Base Environmental Pollution in South Dakota- Site: Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base Superfund Site Info - Fight Air Pollution, Water Pollution

SD South Dakota Lawyer; Environmental Lawsuit
South Dakota Lawyer; Environmental Lawsuit