Welcome
Ford Motor Company (Ford) created this website to keep residents and businesses informed about environmental work being conducting in and around the former Ford Aeronutronic facility in Newport Beach.
Ford and its environmental consultant, WSP USA Environment and Infrastructure Inc. (WSP), are conducting environmental investigation and mitigation / remediation measures to safely manage or remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in soil gas (tiny air pockets between soil grains) and indoor air in the vicinity of the former Ford Aeronutronics property at 1000 Ford Road in Newport Beach, California (former Ford facility or site). All work is overseen and approved by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board).
Environmental investigations conducted since 2017 have defined the extent of VOC contamination in groundwater and soil gas. This information has been used to determine if soil gas is impacting the quality of indoor air in buildings through a process called vapor intrusion. Vapor intrusion occurs when chemical vapors in soil enter a building through cracks and other openings in the foundation and potentially impact the quality of indoor air. Ford is in the process of implementing remediation methods to permanently remove VOCs from soil and mitigation measures to lessen the effects of vapor intrusion while the site is cleaned up.
In fall 2023 and winter 2024, WSP is installing soil vapor extraction systems (SVE systems) in the Bayridge Park and Belcourt Terrace communities. The SVE systems are designed to permanently remove VOCs from soil and will provide
Summary
long-term protection of public health and the environment. SVE systems pull underground vapors to a central treatment building, run them through granulated activated carbon filters and safely discharge the treated air into the atmosphere in accordance with permits issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (Air District). The SVE systems are anticipated to be operational in early to mid-2024 and will operate for at least one year. Following the one-year operation period, Ford will review the data to determine the extent of VOC removal. Ford will provide the Water Board with these recommendations and the Water Board will agree to the recommendations or provide additional guidance with respect to shutting down the systems or continue to operate them intermittently. More detail can be found in the Remediation/Mitigation page.
Concurrent with work on the SVE systems, Ford installed 15 sub-slab depressurization systems (SSD systems) at homes within the Bayridge Park community that have documented vapor intrusion based on samples collected to date. The SSD systems create a pressure difference between the area under the building foundation and the inside of the building which prevents underground vapors from entering the building. SSD systems are considered a mitigation measure, meaning they lessen the effects of vapor intrusion, while SVE systems are considered a long-term remediation measure that will permanently remove contamination.
During both construction and operation of the SVE systems, Ford will continue to monitor soil gas and indoor air at 424 subsurface locations and about 280 properties at frequencies ranging from every six months to five years, based on soil gas concentrations. Residents at properties that have already been evaluated are notified directly of their sampling frequencies.
The Water Board continues to keep the community informed of project activities through fact sheets and in-person, virtual and/or hybrid community meetings. Click on the Community Outreach tab for more information.
Provided below is the current project timeline. Should you have any questions, please Contact Us for more information.
Timeline
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For more information about the Ford Newport Beach project or to be added to the project email list, please contact us at info@fordnbfacts.com or call our project information line at (833) 949-3676.
For more information about the Water Board’s role in this project, please contact Jessica Law, Water Board Case Manager at jessica.law@waterboards.ca.gov.
To sign up for project updates from the Water Board, please visit the following link, fill out your name and email address, and select Former Ford Aeronutronics Facility, Newport Beach. Once signed up, a confirmation email will be sent to you that requires you to confirm your subscription.