Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CAG-2011-09-12 Community Advisory Group (CAG) Minutes for September 12, 2011 Present: Nels Bohn, Ken Deschere, Regina Deschere, Jennifer Dotson, Peter Fortunato, John Graves, George McGonigal, Michele Palmer, Leia Raphaelidis Guest:Scott Nostrand Minutes from the August 1, 2011 CAG meeting were approved with no revisions. Agenda Additions and/or Deletions Ithaca Falls Overlook—Environmental Restoration Project Scott Nostrand, P.E., a Tompkins County resident and environmental engineer with Barton& Loguidice, P.C. of Syracuse, outlined the restoration program for the Ithaca Falls Overlook and handed out a written Project Overview(PDF attached). Barton& Loguidice wishes an ongoing dialogue with CAG so there are several opportunities for citizen participation in the project.To that end, perhaps members of the Ithaca Gun CAG would be available to attend future project updates at these CAG meetings.Both N. Bohn and K. Deschere said Sarah Steuteville, a member of the Ithaca Gun CAG,would be contacted to notify the group of these opportunities. Barton&Loguidice's work is separate from the development team at the Ithaca Gun site,but one group's work affects the other. S.Nostrand said his company was now drafting a work plan for the L-shaped parcel and public walkway to the Falls' Overlook. The work plan is due to the State at the end of September, then on to CAG.The City owns the base of the Ithaca Falls, as well as some of the cliff. Over 15 years,there was lots of testing, "but didn't hit everything."The Overlook includes a 25-to 30-ft deep gorge.Lead shot is the contamination of concern, particularly the walkway area. Standard for lead is 400 parts/per million. There is much cooperation between involved parties, and the State will sign-off and give the City indemnity paying for future issues. Wally Diehl is current factory owner;Frost Travis, site developer; Gary Priscott,NYSDEC contact. S.Nostrand: "The City, State and residents need to decide how to spend a$700,000 clean-up grant." Site Developer Frost Travis will pay the 10% local grant match reimbursement to the City.Beyond this grant,the EPA has more funding possibilities.The intent is to do clean-up during the site investigation.Interim Remedial Measure:Find pollution, and where practical, remove it. The public walkway is access to the park and housing units to be located on the factory/smoke stack areas.There's 6" soil sitting atop bedrock--a highly erosive slope; how likely is it polluted?There will be limitations as to what can and can't be done to remediate lead particle contamination. Present concrete slabs could be a form of containment, and perhaps should stay. Remediation could cause more lead dust contamination. Lead is leachable, hitting bedrock fast. Skin could absorb lead dust.The DEC and DOH will be weighing in on these concerns, particularly the eroding slabs. Island slabs are 1950s-60's vintage. The area,though fenced, has evidence of people. There is a need for consistency in the State's decisions, on this side of the site, as well as the other(factory). Clean-up efforts on the factory site, including sign- off to ROD, will continue independent of the Falls Overlook restoration project.Nostrand estimated 18-24 months work, commencing next spring/summer. PROJECT UPDATES: Emerson's 2008 calculation of 1 lb. per day mitigation stack TCE discharge, questioned by Ithaca residents,was alarming and incorrect.The source of the data, Emerson's consultant, WSP, corrected two math errors it found in their report, and re-submitted it to DEC's Karen Cahill, who forwarded to K.Deschere for CAG. The recalculated data show very low acceptable mitigation stack discharge levels. Emerson Sewer Project—Common Council did not have the votes necessary to approve the easement to move forward with this now-tabled project before the end of this year's construction season. Despite TCE data of 18,900 ug/m^3 on Turner Place and 17,000 ug/m^3 on S. Cayuga Street,the ROD for Emerson off-site remediation consists solely of this project's East Spencer Street removal of 300-feet of sewer and passive vent system. Questions remain about this experimental project's ultimate effectiveness as well as testing assurances to residents.And when would the sewer project be reconsidered, since the Clinton Street bridge work is slated for 2012? Regarding home testing by Emerson:the company will send an engineer to determine if testing is warranted in mitigated homes whose structures have been changed. In the mean time, CAG should review the data within progress reports for on-site redesigned dual-phase extraction system. Axiohm: Approval has been given for the modification of a mitigation system for the South Hill Business Campus building. Quarterly groundwater sampling has been conducted. SHBC will submit a work plan for additional groundwater remedial work—another injection—soon. Therm: The final draft of the investigative work plan is due to the state by the end of next week (mid-September). CAG members speculated about the location of future additional groundwater monitoring wells. The work plan should answer specifics. P.Fortunato said this summer an attempt was made and to his knowledge, failed,to locate monitoring wells installed 15 years ago. K. Cahill should be asked for clarification. K. Deschere brought passive VOC sampler product information that K. Cahill sent.A 30-day means of data collection with cost/analysis similar to past home testing. Cornell DesignConnect Project: M. Palmer said she did not know if enough students were on board for our project to begin. We'll know very soon. CAG will need to make goals, identify members to periodically meet with students, and locate necessary funding. Future Meeting Topics: DesignConnect, Therm, Emerson, project updates. Next Meeting: Monday,October 3, 2011 at City Hall,2nd floor Conference Room, 6-7:30 p.m. Ithaca Falls Overlook Ithaca, New York Environmental Restoration Project Ithaca Citizen Advisory Group Project Overview September 2011 artt)11 E►r:udice • • Ithaca Falls Overlook Ithaca, New York Environmental Restoration Project Ithaca Citizen Advisory Group Project Overview September 2011 Prepared for. City of Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency 108 East Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 And New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Environmental Remediation Region 7 1679 Route 11 Kirkwood, New York 13795 Prepared By: Barton &Loguidice, P.C. Engineers • Environmental Scientists • Planners • Landscape Architects 290 Elwood Davis Road Box 3107 Syracuse, New York 13220 Ithaca Falls Overlook—ERP Project Overview Table of Contents Section Page 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Ithaca Falls Overlook 1 1.2 What is the Environmental Restoration Program? 1 • 2.0 Upcoming Site Investigation Activities 2 3.0 Specific Citizen Participation Activities 3 4.0 Goals and Objectives 6 • • 1307.002.001/9.11 -i- Barton&Loguidice,P.C. • Ithaca Falls Overlook—ERP Project Overview 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Ithaca Falls Overlook The Ithaca Falls Overlook Environmental Restoration Project is the publically funded Brownfield Investigation of lands adjacent to, and formerly part of the Ithaca Gun Site. This project is distinct from, but coordinated with the privately funded, Voluntary Clean-up Program, Ithaca Gun Project Site. The project involves the land running from Lake Street, along the western boundary of the former Ithaca gun factory site, and connecting to the"Island", the land separated from the main Ithaca Gun lands, by the former Mill Race (mini gorge). The"Island"is connected to the former manufacturing property by a bridge, and ends at the gorge wall, and a steep slope leading down to the Ithaca Falls Park area, near the Fall Creek House Bar& Restaurant. The lands below the steep western slope are not part of the parcel, and are considered off-site areas. See Figures. 1.2 What is the Environmental Restoration Program? In 1996, the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act was passed and established a $200 million Environmental Restoration Projects Fund. This fund provides financial assistance to municipalities to investigate and/or clean up potentially contaminated properties that otherwise would continue to pose contamination related health concerns in the local environment. Municipalities eligible for funds include counties, cities, towns and villages, as well as public authorities, public benefit corporations, schools and supervisory of improvement districts. The Environmental Restoration Program is administered by the NYSDEC, with assistance from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). 1307.002.001/9.11 - 1- Barton&Loguidice, P.C. Ithaca Falls Overlook—ERP Project Overview 2.0 Upcoming Site Investigation Activities The City of Ithaca has been approved to receive funds under the Environmental Restoration Program to pursue an investigation of contamination at the site. This program designates the preparation of a Site Investigation/Remedial Alternative Report (SI/RAR). Barton & Loguidice, P.C. (B&L), has been hired by the City to perform the site investigation. The first phase of the project is to prepare the Site Investigation work plan. The work plan will identify the scope of the additional site characterization, and media to be investigated. Significant information has been identified in the record for the site, including prior studies and investigations by private owners, NYSDEC, USEPA and the former Ithaca Gun Site VCP project,that are being assessed as part of the ERP project. It is expected that additional site characterization activities and specific Interim Remedial Measures (IRM)will be included in the Work Plan. These activities are likely to commence this Fall, and continue in the Spring 2012. Once the investigation and IRM activities are complete, and the site characterization and remedial alternative reports are submitted, the NYSDEC will produce a Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP)that will include a comparison of cleanup alternatives listed in the SI/RAR. NYSDEC will select the preferred cleanup option based on short-and long-term permanence of the solution, cost, and effectiveness of implementation measures. 1307.002.001/9.11 -2- Barton&Loguidice,P.C. Ithaca Falls Overlook—ERP Project Overview 3.0 Specific Citizen Participation Activities • The City of Ithaca, in conjunction with NYSDEC, will ensure that the public is informed about the progress of the investigation. To promote citizen participation in the Environmental Restoration Project,the City of Ithaca and NYSDEC will offer several formal opportunities for citizen involvement during the investigation project. In addition, the project team will regularly report and discuss the project with the Ithaca CAG. The following presents a summary of specific Citizen Participation activities that will be performed as required by the ERP program: 1. A copy of the Final Work Plan for the Site Investigation will be placed in the local and regional document repositories. 2. A public notice and fact sheet will be sent to the public contact list indicating the completion of the Final Work Plan and the following information: • A brief description of the site; • Objectives and overview of the site investigation; • Location of local and regional document repositories; and • Contact person(s)to send information and comments to. 3. A copy of the Final Site Investigation/Remedial Alternatives Report (SI/RAR)will be placed in the project's document repositories. 4. A public notice and fact sheet will be sent to the contact list indicating the completion of the SI/RAR and the following information: • Description of site • Objectives of the site investigation • Summary of proposed remedial alternatives 1307.002.001/9.11 -3- Barton&Loguidice,P.C. Ithaca Falls Overlook—ERP Proiect Overview • Location of document repositories • NYSDEC contact person (also New York State Department of Labor and NYSDOH, if applicable) 5. The NYSDEC will prepare a Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP) based on the findings of the Final SI/RAR. 6. The NYSDEC will prepare a public notice and fact sheet to be sent to the contact list regarding the availability of the PRAP with the following information: • Description of the site • Overview of the work completed in the SI/RAR • Summary of findings of the SI/RAR • Brief analysis of the proposed remedial alternative • Summary of NYSDEC's reasons for selecting the proposed remedial alternative • NYSDEC contact person(s)to send information and comments • Location of local and regional document repositories • Location, date and time of public meeting • Final date for submittal of comments 7. A public meeting will be held on the Final SI/RAR and the NYSDEC PRAP. The purpose of meeting is to: • Present the final Sl/RAR • Discuss briefly the remedial alternatives considered • Describe in detail the most promising alternative and how this alternative will complete the environmental restoration process at the site • Receive public comment 1307.002.001/9.11 -4- Barton&Loguidice,P.C. • • Ithaca Falls Overlook—ERP Project Overview • Present a schedule for construction/implementation of the preferred remedial alternative 8. Prepare a transcript of the public meeting and place it in the local ' document repository. 9. The NYSDEC will prepare a Record of Decision (ROD)that will include: • A brief analysis of the remedial alternative selected for implementation; • Any significant changes from the proposed remedial alternative; • and • Responses to comments received during the public review process 1307.002.001/9.11 -5- Barton&Loguidice,P.C. Ithaca Falls Overlook—ERP Project Overview 4.0 Goals and Objectives The current goals and objectives for the project are to identify the remaining environmental concerns associated with the "Island"site and public access way, and to remediate hot spots, and to provide for the acceptance of the site as a property cleared for public use, and the construction of safe &effective public works thoroughfares and parklands (Falls Viewing area). As part of the project we are soliciting your input on the final site use. Issues to be weighed include: • The degree of remediation/clean-up to become part of the ROD; • The acceptability of residual contaminant levels capped on the site; • The significant disturbance potential for invasive remediation, and the risk of such actions to the public lands adjacent to the site; • The integration of the site investigation/clean-up with the former Ithaca Gun Site and its development; • The timing and funding for the future site development; and • Other concerns. • 1307.002.001/9.11 -6- Barton&Loguidice, P.C.