The
Great Park Project which is currently underway in
Orange County, California on the former El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station will be used as a research
platform to develop projects, texts, actions, and
discourse around the contemporary notion of "park".
The
Great Park Project
as presented by Futurefarmers
is a critical enquiry into the future land
use of this former military base. The project was
conceived for the 2004 California Biennial at the
Orange County Museum of Art and Orange Lounge.
[This
can tend to be confusing, but basically, there is
a large urban planning project under way in Orange
County, California which Futurefarmers is using
as a platform to create ongoing research and projects.]
The Great Park Project on Orange County’s
former El Toro Marine Corps is currently being developed
into “America’s
biggest public park”. This transitional
space offers fertile ground for research and discourse
surrounding notions of the political and social
organization of open space in urban areas.
Some facts:
The current architecture of the former El Toro site
includes an airstrip, radio tower, theater, baseball
fields, handball courts, over 100 buildings including
a hangar sitting on over 4,700 acres of open space
within the nations second most densely populated
area.
Contamination:
A total of 25 potentially contaminated areas have
been identified on the Air Station, including four
landfills suspected of containing both hazardous
and solid waste, and other areas where polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), battery acids, leaded fuels,
and other hazardous substances were suspected of
being dumped or spilled. A Remedial Investigation
conducted by El Toro has identified volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) primarily
trichloroethene (TCE) in groundwater that has
migrated more than three miles off base. The primary
source of the groundwater contamination is two large
aircraft hangars. Approximately 1,100 acres of land
are irrigated by wells located within three miles
of the site; however, none of these wells are drinking
water sources. Surface water flows into the Upper
Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, located approximately
eight miles from the base.
History
of the Land:
Formerly a lima bean farm.
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