Staying On Top Of RISK

If you live behind Cottonwood Bay to the west of Dallas NAS-or if your children go to school nearby, you need information about the environmental impact of past Navy activities on your neighborhood. Even if a fence separates Cottonwood Bay from your residential area, be careful of possible dangerous vapor from the ground that could come from a toxic aquifer extending out from the Dallas Naval Air Station/NWIRP. Be careful that children do not handle or ingest (eat or put in mouth) soil, and know what you could do in the event of major flooding. Personally, I would keep my family out of Cottonwood Creek which is a little too close for comfort to navy water sources. Consider starting a neighborhood citizens group and express your opinions about the condition of groundwater at NAS to elected officials and state agencies. PTA could perhaps be a strong resource if the local school carries risk. (I so passionately believe in the power of PTA!)
My view is that we need more information on this NAS neighborhood. Are the homes in need of vapor testing? Which ones? I have heard that some homes are built over aquifers, and the aquifers extend out quite a long distance-but no home identification is made public (a good thing). So, while some people may need testing, others may be quite safe. Update: I found out from EPA that TCE vapor, while underground in a shallow aquifer is kept inside the ground by clay soil, which seals it off from humans. But the area should not be re-developed, and people should not dig deep into the clay (I would assume).
Communication with Dallas EPA Region 6 in downtown Dallas could be re-assuring; also community leaders should make sure, as time goes on and situations change, the tough questions are asked of EPA experts and the answers are understood-in several languages. (For exmple, what do current tests show? Are you monitoring? Is the clay barrier still "holding" over time?)
I read a profile of the neighborhood behind the NAS which identified 90-98% minority residences with lower income, with persons speaking languages other than English. Often in areas like this there is frequent resident turn-over, which makes studies by the health dept. difficult and even misleading. Again, community organization, education, and support are very important. Monetary grants are offered to help local groups get the assistance and representation they need, but active citizen involvement is required. Look online for grants to environmental citizens groups, if you are interested.
Remember: what you need most right now is accurate information. Many people believe this area poses little risk. My heartfelt concern is that we make sure all residents are safe - especially children who play outside and explore interesting-looking places we tell them to avoid. Children are believed to more vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals than adults and these chemicals may be present in soil, air, run-off or flood water. Let's care about one another, and openly publish the facts about the NAS area of Dallas/Grand Prairie. Education in this area will be an ongoing endeavor.

Note: Did you know that Senators Clinton, Boxer, and Kerry tried to get the safe level of TCE lowered significantly about two years ago? This effort did not succeed, with EPA (I believe) saying every point the acceptable level is lowered costs the govt billions of dollars. TCE contamination is extremely common in the US, especailly on military bases. I also read on a veterans website that the military is denying veteran claims for disability due to TCE-related disease; or making benefits very difficult and expensive to obtain. Apparently TCE is causing a real govt financial crunch from multiple directions.