MCAS El Toro: Email Exchange Highlights Informational Roadblock

Proof that the committee overseeing the remediation of the environmental impacts from the closed El Toro Marine base, is simply not going to provide information to the public that it is legally bound to deliver.

Nicole Wright, a local mom of three who is very concerned over El Toro, talks with City Council Member Christina Shea after their Tuesday night meeting. Photo & video: Tim King

(IRVINE, Calif.) - The following is an email exchange between Salem-News.com's Roger Butow and Bob Woodings, City Engineer in Lake Forest, California, regarding the reconfiguration of the old El Toro Marine base, which Irvine is attempting to transform into a park and residential neighborhood.

The old air station is highly contaminated according to the federal EPA which listed the base as an EPA 'Superfund site' in 1990, and while years have passed without much in the way of critical response, the city's plan to create the 'Great Park' on the old base is gaining increasing attention, much of it not so good for park proponents.

Roger and I attended the Irvine City Council meeting Tuesday where fiery moments flared between City Councilwoman Christina Shea, and Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang.

Shea is frustrated with her inability to access information privy only to Mayor Pro Tem Larry Agran and his staff.

She wants to know why he is invoking an attorney-client privilege in city dealings that are taking place out of public view; matters that she is not informed of. Shea says if she is denied information as a city council member, the public doesn't have a chance, and a lot is at stake.

Irvine City Councilors Dr. Steven Choi and Christina Shea talk about their efforts to draw attention to the contamination of the El Toro Marine base, slated to become a park.

She also is very curious about why the several year old plan to tear up the runways has never happened.

Public testimony was provided by Roger and Nicole Wright, a local mom who is extremely concerned about the contamination from the old base, and myself.

Mayor Pro Tem Larry Agran was suspiciously absent from the council meeting. Councilman Dr. Steven Choi, while extremely diplomatic, showed what he described as a genuine interest in making sure the remediation is complete and fair. He urged the council to be transparent, and agreed with Shea that any meeting on this subject should be conducted in full public view. The Mayor urged Shea to resolve the matter in a private meeting, she openly refused.

In this email exchange we learn that James Callian with the Department of the Navy, is failing to provide answers at this critical time to a number of highly pertinent issues. He was present at the council meeting and the information he offered, however supportive of the Great Park, does not address the issues.

As you will learn in the email below, the people behind the Great Park simply can't begin to answer a few simple questions. Believe me, we are in the very simple questions at this point, there is a long list to follow.

We recorded the meeting and will have a story up this week that fully examines Tuesday's council meeting, and the ongoing plight of MCAS El Toro. The meeting by the way, was attended by several reporters, we'll include details in our full report.

Mayor Sukhee Kang, Mayor, City of Irvine