Palomar Airport: Part 2: County Landfill Study, Blog 64

Last week, we discussed the County SCS Engineers’ report “Evaluation of Possible Environmental Impacts of a Potential Aircraft Crash into the Landfill Cover at Palomar Airport Landfill.” [October 15, 2013, File No, 01213281.00]

We saw the hazardous waste problems an aircraft crash can cause at any airport.  Aviation fuel spills.  Cryogenic liquids spills with “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions.”  Pressurized fluid discharges from hydraulic and pneumatic aircraft systems leading to injury and property damage.  

We also saw an aircraft crash could spark a Palomar underground landfill fire that could burn “indefinitely” and destroy the underground methane collection system leading to other problems.

Palomar Site-Specific Hazards that Aircraft May Cause

Today, we see more SCS report–noted Palomar environmental problems an aircraft may cause.  Report language is italicized.

• Areas north of Areas 1 and 2 of the airport serve as aircraft parking areas, house fuel farms and other structures which store various chemicals….  There is an additional fuel island north of Area 3. [The landfill at the east end of the Palomar runway that aircraft approach to land.]  A crash in this area could result in extensive damage to structures and other parked aircraft.

• The site also contains a below-grade, high-pressure, gas transmission main, owned by … SDGE, running east-west, along the north fence….  Damage to gas mains can vary from a gas leak resulting in the evacuation of surrounding areas, to potentially significant explosions.  Please note SDG&E transmission main is more than 450 feet north of the existing runway centerline.” [Bender note: An FAA rated C or D 90,000 pound aircraft approaching the runway at 150 knots travels about 225 feet per second and hence is about 2 seconds from impacting the SDGE line location.]

•  [T]here are several below-grade LFG [landfill gas] extraction wells and pipelines … which are assumed to be damaged/ruptured by an aircraft crash causing free venting of methane into the atmosphere.  Furthermore, a post-crash fire can pose as an ignition source which can lead to explosions, depending on the concentration of methane and oxygen in the affected LFG pipelines, affected by the crash.

• A post-crash fire and/or explosion will also severely compromise the air quality at the site and possibly, at downwind locations.   The San Diego air basin is currently in non-attainment of the 8-hour ozone standard set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as well as non-attainment for state particulate matter standards.

• Finally, the site also maintains an extensive storm water drainage system with a treatment vortex. … Storm water runoff from the airport property travels through the drainage system … to a structure under an existing business park area … north of the airport.  This runoff eventually discharges into Agua Hedionda Lagoon, located north-west of the airport.  Under a worse case scenario, it is assumed contaminated liquids from fire-fighting efforts or chemicals related from a crash can enter the storm water management system and potentially impair downstream tributaries and water bodies such as the Agua Hedionda Lagoon.

• During the past ten (10) years, there have been twelve (12) separate incidences of aircraft accidents, both fatal and non-fatal, in nature, all of which occurred during take-off and landing related operations.  Since the lengthening of the runway can potentially alter the glide path of the aircraft, SCS included brief discussion on two (2) additional aircraft crash scenarios. [Takeoff and landings.]

Next Week: More Potential Environmental Impacts of Jets Operating Near Palomar Landfills