Title
Update on the Status of the Cabot - Koppers Superfund Site (B)
This item involves a request for the City Commission to authorize staff to formally request that the US Environmental Protection Agency extend the public comment period on the Proposed Plan by an additional sixty (60) days (to provide a total of 90 days of comment period) in order to provide adequate time for public and City Commission input.
Explanation
The City of Gainesville has expressed great concern about the need for sufficient time for an adequate public involvement process and citizen participation during the development of a Remedial Plan by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Cabot-Koppers Superfund Site.
On June 24, 2010, Honorable Mayor Lowe expressed these concerns to the EPA and requested that they postpone release of the Proposed Plan for the remediation of the Koppers portion of the Cabot/Koppers Superfund site until July 15, 2010. The purpose for this request was to allow time for the TAG recipient (Protect Gainesville Citizens) to be able to retain consulting services to assist the community in understanding and providing meaningful input into the process.
EPA agreed to the City's request to delay the release date of the Proposed Plan to July 15, 2010, but stated that while they desired to include greater community involvement in the EPA actions, "we also have a responsibility to complete site cleanup as expeditiously as possible." The Proposed Plan was released on July 15, 2010 and the EPA has publically noticed a meeting scheduled for August 5, 2010, in Gainesville to discuss the Proposed Plan. The EPA has also set the public comment period for thirty (30) days between July 15, 2010 and August 15, 2010. It is standard procedure that the EPA allows a minimum thirty (30) day public comment period with the release of the Proposed Plan. The City and County has expressed to EPA on numerous occasions an interest in requesting an extension to this public comment period to allow for greater public participation and a thorough review of the Proposed Plan. While EPA has made a commitment to "complete site cleanup as expeditiously as possible", City staff recognizes that a great deal of time and work will need to go into reviewing the Proposed Plan and providing valuable feedback to the EPA.
The Local Intergovernmental Review Team (Team) (consisting of representatives from the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Alachua County Health Department, Gainesville City Manager's office, as well as City Consultants) has been reviewing and providing comments and recommendations to the EPA and FDEP on a variety of technical documents which support the remedial plan for the Cabot-Koppers Superfund Site.
The Local Team is proposing to hold two (2) public meetings on the Proposed Plan. Dates for these meetings have yet to be set, but will have to be held well before the end of the public comment period set by EPA. The Team plans to work with the community stakeholders (Homeowners/Residents, Neighborhood Associations, TAG group, and other interested parties) to request their review of the Proposed Plan. Upon completion of the community review, the Team will hold a public meeting to get public input on the Proposed Plan.
Once the public input has been received, the Team will incorporate the comments and information into the preliminary documents which will be presented to the City and County Commission at a Joint City/County Commission meeting, which will be the second public meeting. Staff anticipates that the public will provide additional comments which will also need to be incorporated into the final document prior to it being submitted to the EPA.
It is the recommendation of staff to request that the EPA extend the public comment period on the Proposed Plan by an additional sixty (60) days (to provide a total of 90 days of comment period) in order to provide adequate time for public and City Commission input. The proposed deadline for comments based upon the extension approval by EPA would be October 15, 2010.
Fiscal Note
None
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) authorize the City Manager/designee to send a letter to the US EPA and Federal Delegation on behalf of the City of Gainesville requesting that the EPA extend the public comment period on the Proposed Plan by an additional sixty (60) days (to provide a total of 90 days of comment period) in order to provide adequate time for public and City Commission input.