County airport not source of TCE groundwater contamination, officials say

County officials have concluded that the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is not the likely source of groundwater contamination south of San Luis Obispo.

County staff scrutinized airport operations, reviewed records and historical documentation, and observed the nature of the businesses and facilities on and around the airport, but did not find any evidence that the airport is the source of contaminated groundwater beneath properties nearby.

State water officials have found elevated levels of the chlorinated industrial solvent trichloroethylene, or TCE, in wells in the Buckley Road area near the airport.

“We are still investigating the possible causes of TCE, but the chemical is not used by the airport in maintenance or operations, nor do we have any record of it ever being used by the airport in the past,” said Kevin Bumen, county director of airports. “We also have no record of TCE spills, releases or disposal on or from the airport. At this point, all evidence indicates that the airport is not the source, but we’re still looking into it.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 1:28 PM with the headline "County airport not source of TCE groundwater contamination, officials say."