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NPL Site Narrative for Tucson International Airport Area
TUCSON AIRPORT AREA
Tucson, Arizona
Federal Register Notice: September 8, 1983Conditions at listing (July 1982): The Tucson Airport Area Site covers about 24 square miles in a southwestern section of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona. The site encompasses the Tucson International Airport, Air Force Plant #44, portions of the San Xavier Indian Reservation, and residential areas of South Tucson west of the airport. Ground water at the site is contaminated with organic and metallic compounds, primarily trichloroethylene (TCE) and hexavalent chromium.
The ground water underlying the site is part of the Santa Cruz Basin, the aquifer Tucson uses as its principal source of water. The Tucson area, with a population of 517,000, is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country that is totally dependent on ground water for its drinking water.
Status (July 1983): A preliminary investigation conducted by EPA, the State, and the city confirmed only one source of contamination: Air Force Plant #44, a missile manufacturing facility owned by the Air Force and operated by Hughes Aircraft.
In negotiations with EPA, the State, and the city, the Air Force agreed to take the necessary actions to clean up the contamination caused by the plant. In the portion of the site north of Los Reales Road, the extent and sources of the contamination are as yet unknown. The State has received $581,000 in CERCLA funds under a Cooperative Agreement with EPA to complete the investigation to identify the extent and sources of the contamination.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.