Fort Ord possibly causing water contamination for people in Marina

MARINA, CALIF. (KION-TV)-  Kathy Blau is one of many people who have concerns about the water in her area.

“That’s been a concern for a lot of the residents here in Marina,” Blau said. “About Fort Ord and what they’ve done to clean up Fort Ord.”

As a dog owner, she wonders what her dog Luna might be drinking.

Read more: CDC to conduct health study at polluted former Army base Fort Ord

“I am very worried about that,” Blau said. “She’s a rescue dog. She had been abandoned, and she’s a very sweet girl. We hope to have her for a long time.”

There was another person living in the same area as Kathy Blau, who wasn’t fully aware of the latest information that came out. However, she said if the water could cause harm, she wants something to be done about it.

With this being said, how does the council feel about this? Marina Council Member Cristina Medina-Dirksen explains what she believes.

“I think it’s about time we really give the environmental justice portion a fair shake and relieve some of the burden from Marina’s residents,” Medina-Dirksen said. “This EPA investigation is kind of part of that. It’s kind of a reckoning like what did we do here? What did we do to Marina, and what are we going to do for Marina?”

She also explains how she understands the concerns not just as a councilmember but as someone who lives here as well.

“This has been my home,” Medina-Dirksen said. “I love my community, and I think we owe it to one another to love our Mother Nature as well and be in tune with the things that we do that’ll impact not just our generation, but future generations.”

KION also reached out to the Marina Coast Water District for more information. According to their Fort Ord Annual Report, the water within the area is safe.