EPA says water threatened by oil leak at Travis Air Force Base

(Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force, Graphic by Solano NewsNet)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered the U.S. Air Force to immediately address an ongoing oil leak at Travis Air Force Base after regulators determined the leak threatens local bodies of water.

A copy of the order was sent to Solano NewsNet on Friday. The EPA notified officials at Travis Air Force Base earlier in the week of their requirement to address the oil spill and mitigate harm to the environment.

“This order is critical for ensuring that the Air Force addresses the oil discharge into Union Creek in a thorough and timely manner, and that no impacts to public health occur,” Martha Guzman, the administrator of the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region, said in a statement. “EPA is committed to fully utilizing our authorities to make sure that the current oil discharge is stopped, and similar incidents are prevented.”

According to the EPA, oil has been leaking into Union Creek since October 2021, but wasn’t reported to the agency until February 2022. Union Creek is connected to the Putah South Canal, which runs through parts of Winters, Vacaville and Fairfield.

For more than a year, officials at Travis Air Force Base have notified the EPA’s National Response Center of various environmental hazards connected to the spill, including the leak of jet fuel from a pipeline on base.

The EPA has collected samples of tarnished water from throughout the area, and determined that the contamination originates from a “common source” at Travis Air Force Base.

“The Air Force has yet to take action to identify and address the source of the oil discharge to Union Creek,” a spokesperson for the EPA said. “The initial oil spill response efforts implemented by the Air Force at Travis AFB were limited, and these efforts were only upgraded after input from EPA and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response.”