Sacramento, CA


Sacramento, CA

The City of Sacramento is home to an estimated 501,901 residents, and it’s located in Sacramento County, CA.

This report will help you become better acquainted with Sacramento and the surrounding area by addressing the following questions:

  • Are there any hazardous sites in Sacramento County, CA?
  • How clean is the air in Sacramento County, CA?
  • What’s the average radon level for homes in Sacramento County, CA?
  • Is the water in Sacramento County, CA safe to drink?

Hazardous Sites near Sacramento, CA

There are four Superfund sites in Sacramento County, CA. Superfund sites, like McClellan Air Force Base (Ground Water Contamination) in Mcclellan Afb, CA, are areas that have been contaminated with hazardous substances. If not for the cleanup efforts orchestrated by the EPA, these sites could endanger people living in nearby communities.

The EPA uses the Hazardous Ranking System (HRS) to quantify the risk a contaminated site poses to human health and the environment. Sites assigned HRS scores of 28.5 or greater qualify for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL), and are eligible to receive federal funding for cleanup efforts.

Before the EPA deletes a site from the NPL, it conducts reviews to ensure the cleanup was sufficient. As a result, some sites remain on the active site list long after cleanup activities are complete.

For more information about the Superfund sites located in the Sacramento, CA area, be sure to review the map and background information provided below:


Map Legend:

06067

A. McClellan Air Force Base (Ground Water Contamination) (HRS Score: 58)

The McClellan Air Force Base (Ground Water Contamination) site, the location of an Air Force Logistics Command Base from 1936 to 2001, is located in Mcclellan Afb, CA.

Contaminants found at the McClellan Air Force Base (Ground Water Contamination) site include:

  • Aluminum
  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Barium
  • Benzene
06067

B. Aerojet General Corp. (HRS Score: 55)

The Aerojet General Corp. site, used for the manufacture of rocket engines as well as chemicals, is located in Rancho Cordova, CA.

Contaminants found at the Aerojet General Corp. site include:

  • Aluminum
  • Antimony
  • Barium
  • Benzene
  • Cadmium
06067

C. Sacramento Army Depot (HRS Score: 44)

The Sacramento Army Depot site, an electronics supply depot established in 1945, is located in Sacramento, CA.

Contaminants found at the Sacramento Army Depot site include:

  • Arsenic
  • Cadmium
  • Chloroform
  • Chromium
  • Lead
06067

D. Mather Air Force Base (AC&W Disposal Site) (HRS Score: 29)

The Mather Air Force Base (AC&W Disposal Site) site, which served as a military training facility from 1918 until 1993, is located in Mather, CA.

Contaminants found at the Mather Air Force Base (AC&W Disposal Site) site include:

  • Aluminum
  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Barium
  • Benzene

Air Quality in the Sacramento, CA Area

The two most widespread forms of air pollution are ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot). Exposure to these harmful pollutants, for even just a short period, can have adverse effects on your health.

Thanks to data collected by air monitoring equipment located across the country, the American Lung Association (ALA) is able to assess and track our air quality using three metrics:

  • Ozone
  • Short-term Particle Pollution
  • Year-round Particle Pollution

In their 2019 annual report, the ALA rated the air quality in Sacramento County, CA as follows:

Ground-Level
Ozone Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Short-Term
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: A-F

Year-Round
Particle Pollution

Grading Scale: Pass/Fail

Radon Levels in Sacramento, CA Area

Air quality inside your home can be impacted by a number of factors, including the presence of hazardous substances in building materials (asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, etc.) and local radon levels.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas you cannot see or smell. It can build up inside your home and negatively impact your indoor air quality as well as your health.

To provide a guideline, the EPA assigned one of three zones to each U.S. county and county equivalent:

  • Zone 1 (higher radon levels)
  • Zone 2 (moderate levels)
  • Zone 3 (lower levels)

The average indoor radon reading in Sacramento County, CA is predicted to be less than 2 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), so the county has been assigned EPA Radon Zone 3.

EPA Radon Zone

But, it's worth mentioning homes with elevated levels of radon have been found in all three radon zones. So, despite the fact Sacramento, CA is in EPA Radon Zone 3, you should have a radon test performed on any home you purchase in the area.

Water Quality in Sacramento, CA Area

In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA sets regulatory limits for drinking water contaminants known to cause adverse health effects.

The following Sacramento County, CA water provider(s) violated the maximum allowable level for one or more regulated contaminants:

Filter ValueWater SystemContaminantHealth Effects
06067B & W Resort MarinaArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Edgewater Mobile Home ParkArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Elk Grove Water ServiceArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Galt, City OfArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Korths Pirates LairArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Locke Water Works Co [Sws]ArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Rancho MarinaArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Rancho Murieta Community ServiTTHMLiver, kidney, or central nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer 
06067Spindrift MarinaArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067The Courtland GroupArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer
06067Vieira's Resort, IncArsenicSkin damage or problems with circulatory systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer

In addition to setting enforceable standards for harmful contaminants, the EPA also established guidelines to assist public water providers in managing the taste, odor and color of their drinking water.

To find out more about what’s in your drinking water, contact your utility company and request a copy of the latest Consumer Confidence Report.


Sources and Methods

Hazardous Sites: Identified using a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous sites detailed on trendingtowns.com represent sites contained on the National Priorities List (NPL) as of November 25, 2019.  The NPL is the list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories.  All site-related data was sourced from the EPA.

Air Quality: Grades for ozone, short-term particle pollution, and year-round particle pollution were obtained from State of the Air 2019, a report compiled by the American Lung Association.

Radon Zones: Radon zone designations were obtained using a public use dataset provided by the EPA (September 11, 2019).

Water Quality: Drinking water violation data was sourced from the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), a public use database provided by the EPA.  The dataset included violations submitted to the database as of the third quarter of 2019.

Paul

I’ve moved several times over the years, so I know just how stressful it can be to relocate. I want to help put your mind at ease. That’s why I research and write about all the things I think you should consider when moving to a new town.

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