TCE discovered inside Moffett housing TCE discovered inside Moffett housing (January 30, 2004)

More testing is needed to determine health risk
After testing the air at more than 30 indoor and outdoor locations around Moffett Community Housing, the U.S. Navy announced this month that it had found elevated levels of a cancer-causing solvent inside two vacant residential units.

Federal officials stress that there is no reason to panic; they say there is no immediate or short-term health risks associated with the finds. However, they added that they haven't yet ruled out the possibility of long-term health risks. The Navy will conduct further air tests at the same locations this May.

In November, air tests conducted by Navy officials revealed two vacant units at the Moffett housing site had levels of trichloroethene (TCE) -- a solvent leaked during the 50-plus years the Navy operated Moffett Field -- that were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's safe risk range. Further testing is necessary to determine if there are any long term health risks, said the Navy's Wilson Doctor, who added that he would feel comfortable living in the area based on the results of last fall's test results.

According to the EPA, for a person to be subjected to long-term health risks associated with TCE, they would have to be exposed to it 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 30 years.

Alana Lee, who is overseeing the Moffett air tests for the EPA, said she is not expecting TCE levels to be dangerously high when officials go out for the second round of testing this spring.

Federal officials still say they don't know if the TCE is coming from the ground or if it is airborne.
-- Julie O'Shea

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