OCEANSIDE: Consultant releases report on French Field
Document lists contaminants, cleanup steps for shuttle ball field
By CRAIG TENBROECK - Staff Writer | ∞
French Field Little League Park in Oceanside has been closed since 2005 due to soil contamination. (Photo by Jamie Scott Lytle - staff photographer) OCEANSIDE ---- A newly released study of a Little League park that was closed because of contaminated soil identifies a host of health risks at the site and recommends covering some areas with soil and concrete before players are allowed to return.
Download the report
The city closed French Field in 2005 because it suspected the remnants of a defunct county dump had fouled soil in the area.
Oceanside, Vista and San Diego County then hired a consulting firm, Tetra Tech Inc., to evaluate the risks to human health and suggest a cleanup plan.
The three agencies are involved in the project because, decades ago, the Vista Sanitary District owned the property, and from 1944 to 1967, leased it to the county for trash disposal. The land is now in the city of Oceanside.
Tetra Tech's report was finished July 2 and posted on the state Department of Toxic Substances Control's Web site this week.
The highly technical document provides the most comprehensive picture to date of contamination at the site, which is in an industrial area near Oceanside Boulevard and North Melrose Drive.
Testing conducted at the park and on property owned by an adjacent recycling company revealed 58 "chemicals of potential concern," including arsenic and lead, which Tetra Tech screened for health risks, the report states.
For the parking area and property owned by the adjacent recycling business, "all health risk estimates exceed acceptable levels," the report states.
On the ball fields and on the nearby slope, noncarcinogenic hazards and risks from exposure to lead are low, the report states.
Exposure to some chemicals in those areas may have a non-negligible cancer risk, but it's at a level deemed acceptable by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the report states.
Officials said the levels of contamination were not a surprise.
"Nothing came out of right field," Todd Lovell, Tetra Tech's project manager, said in an interview this week. "Nothing that we didn't expect."
Before the park can reopen, the report recommends:
-- covering the three baseball diamonds with one foot of soil to prevent exposure to low levels of lead and exposed landfill debris;
-- paving the parking lot and covering the nearby banks of Loma Alta Creek with concrete;
-- paving the slope between the ball fields;
-- removing contaminated soil at an adjacent recycling business due to past spills and extending a concrete cap to cover its entire operation.
It remains unclear when the repairs will take place or who will bear the cost.
Vista, Oceanside, San Diego County and the recycling business sued each other several years ago to figure out how the costs will be divvied up. That case is still pending.
William Snyder, an attorney for Oceanside, told the North County Times last year that the repairs could run between $1 million and $2 million. But this week, he declined to estimate.
"I really don't know what it's going to cost at this point," he said.
As for when Little League will be allowed to return, "we certainly hope to be ready to go by the 2010 season," Snyder said.
The parents and players of Vista American Little League have been anxiously awaiting the reopening of their home field.
The league played out its 2005 season at Vista's Breeze Hill Park. It then moved to John Landes Park in Oceanside, where it remains today.
League president Jason Estenson said Friday he was skeptical about a 2010 reopening of French Field, which has been decimated by vandals and weeds.
"Realistically, I don't see it happening," he said. But at least the consultant's report is progress, he added. "I'm glad its moving."
Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 901-4062 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com.
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Dude wrote on Jul 11, 2008 6:44 PM:I think the parents of these kids should be more concerned with the possible long term health problems their kids might experience from using these fields and less concerned with when the fields will reopen. Get real with your priorities!!
Bazzzzze ball mom wrote on Jul 11, 2008 7:23 PM:what a flippin' shame...one more toxic dump given to kids to play on. I wouldn't let my child play on this field...get real.
Umm.. wrote on Jul 11, 2008 9:57 PM:Hey, in the latest "us too!" they have arsenic in Carlsbad..
been there done that wrote on Jul 12, 2008 7:23 AM:I personally along with many other young girls, played on those fields in the early 80"s, in fact scraped my knee playing softball there.
My son also played many years of Baseball on the fields in the late 90's...
Have there been ANY health group studies to see if any persons who have used these fields have any health issues??
we personally have none.
I have not heard of anyone yet....
make the suggested improvments and get back to using the fields.
south darwin loco wrote on Jul 12, 2008 7:52 AM:Shoot, we played home run derby and games out the yang on this field growing up, all of us are fine, maybe bazzzeball mom should move to Rancho Santa Fe or Temecula, elitist
PC wrote on Jul 12, 2008 9:47 AM:Both my kids played Little League ball at these fields and they were wonderful -- the volunteers who maintained the fields worked very hard and did a fantastic job. These fields were among the best maintained Little League fields in all of North County. It breaks my heart to see how they look now. It will take a lot of time and money to bring them back to their former glory. The Padres have renovated lots of Little League fields around the community for many years. If any field is deserving of their assistance, it's this one!!
Kinda Sad wrote on Jul 12, 2008 10:41 AM:While the levels of contamination are probably so low that no one will get sick, once you know they exist, there really isn't any choice but to fix it. And I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a bunch of lawyers looking for "victims" so they can sue the pants off of all those involved. Best possible outcome is for the fields to be fixed and we never hear about this again (I know, it's a long shot, but one can hope, right?)
douglas wrote on Jul 14, 2008 10:49 PM:I am so glad this project is moving I was the one that called micheal turko and got this field to get restored. i played on these field in the early to mid 90's and i am happy about the progress. i wish it would go quicker. as far as long term damage do to lead. come on people this is not a situation for environmentalists to get into the way. it is a sources of community fun and proactive activities. so come on people get a clue.
to douglas wrote on Jul 15, 2008 2:02 PM:You must be mixing up with another field. There is no progress on this field. 3 years for a report and several lawsuits over responsibility. That is not progress. Turko has not shown up on this one. Several parents 3 years ago contacted the Padres and they were no help at all. Only one news station did a tv story. This is one of the poorest family income leagues in california. The city/city council of Oceanside just want it to go away. The league is in a park and struggling to keep going, only 4 teams in majors. On field clean up days, the kids find used condoms, malt liquor bottles etc. The parents running the league have done a noble effort in keeping the league alive and should be saluted.
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