Title
Contaminants from the Cabot-Koppers Superfund Site (B)
Explanation
This item supports City Commission Strategic Initiative 6.2: Develop a community partnership for long-term clean-up and revitalization of the Cabot/Koppers Superfund site and surrounding neighborhood.
The purpose of this item is to provide the CDC with an update on the status of the Cabot-Koppers Superfund Site remediation. In 1984, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) placed the Cabot-Koppers site on the National Priorities List (NPL); the NPL is a list of national priorities among known releases or threats of releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. This list is intended to guide USEPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation. The Cabot-Koppers site includes two (2) projects: the Koppers property and the Cabot-Carbon property. The Koppers property includes the area where a wood treatment facility operated between 1916 and 2009. Beazer East, Inc. purchased the Koppers facility March 30, 2010. The Koppers area covers 90 acres on the western portion of the site. The Cabot-Carbon property includes the area where a charcoal production facility operated. The Cabot-Carbon area covers 50 acres on the eastern portion of the site. A shopping plaza, car dealership and several other stores and businesses currently operate on the Cabot-Carbon portion of the site. (See the attachment A - Map of the Cabot - Koppers Superfund Site).
In 2011, USEPA issued a clean-up plan known as the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Koppers site. This plan finalized the clean-up activities for the Koppers area and revised the requirements included in the 1990 ROD. USEPA is the lead agency responsible for ensuring that Beazer East, Inc. complies with the ROD. EPA completed and negotiated a consent decree with Beazer East, Inc. in December 2012. It was entered final by the court on July 9, 2013.
In February, 2014, the offsite remediation began in the Stephen Foster Neighborhood to the west of the Koppers site. 77 properties were included in the off-site remediation, covering exactly 100 tax parcels. There are 103 residential structures (some multi-family) on those parcels, with 214 residents (per stipend payment data). There are also 7 commercial buildings, 4 vacant lots, and 1 school. All properties participated in the remediation.
It is anticipated that the offsite soil remediation, including final landscaping and punch list items is anticipated to be complete by the end of November or early December 2014.
In addition to offsite remediation to the west of the Koppers Site, offsite soil remediation occurred on some commercial and residential properties to the south of 23rd Avenue between NW 2nd Street and NW 6th Street, and north of NW 21st Avenue. The offsite delineation for remediation has been completed by USEPA.
The remediation plans are still being developed and reviewed by USEPA and by the Local Intergovernmental Team (LIT). The LIT is composed of representatives from the City of Gainesville (GRU and General Government), Alachua County Health Department, the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, Protect Gainesville Citizens, and CH2M Hill (the City's consultant). The purpose of the LIT was to share resources in order to develop, monitor and provide written and verbal feedback to USEPA, Beazer East, Inc. and Cabot Corporation on their progress on the remediation efforts. Once the on-site remediation (Technical Plans) have been fully developed and reviewed by USEPA, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the LIT, the Plan will be implemented. The implementation of the Plan could take a number of years to complete.
As this issue is now part of the City Commission Strategic Initiatives that each have their own legislative numbers, the Committee may wish to ask the City Commission to remove this referral from the CDC pending list.
Fiscal Note
None at this time; this item is strictly informational.
Recommendation
The Community Development Committee hear a staff presentation on the status of the Cabot-Koppers Superfund Remediation efforts.