Arsenic levels detected during review of CC dump likely to increase city’s cost

Arsenic levels detected during review of CC dump likely to increase city’s cost

EPA OKs 11 test well closures, wants new tracking for others

The cost of a decades-old environmental study may be going up for Charles City after an August review found stable or increasing levels of arsenic concentrations at individual Shaw Avenue Dump Site test wells. The site was put on a federal watch list after laboratory dumping in the early 1950s built up contamination levels of arsenic and other compounds to a hazardous level. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requested the city draft a work plan to expand risk assessments of soil and aquatic life at nearby R Campground and the adjacent pond. Although overall chemical levels at the 28 test well sites remain positive, with arsenic and other chemical levels naturally cleaning out, chemical concentrations seem to be increasing in test well MW-2, near the pond. The EPA is also asking that Charles City test for other potential contaminants not included in the original 1990s monitoring plan.

Charles City currently spends around $25,000 per year on related costs, City Administrator Steve Diers said. Although the city and Zoetis have historically split the costs of site monitoring, the EPA’s change order and new testing requirements will increase initial costs for Charles City in the current fiscal year.

“We could see upwards of $50,000 for our share to implement those additional testing requests,” Diers said.

Diers said the city expects to spend a total of $70,000 on the project during fiscal year 2015-16, of which $10,000 has already been spent, about $11,500 will go toward the work plan draft and $17,625 will be added for the EPA’s change order. About two-thirds of the estimated $50,000 testing costs will also be paid.

The city is also anticipating a cost of $40,000 in fiscal year 2016-17, including the last third of those testing costs, Diers said.

The money will have to come out of the city’s general fund and cash reserves, Diers added.

“Depending how much we have to implement, we may have to look at borrowing.

We have a pretty good cash reserve,” Diers said. “When things of this nature come up, you’re able to cover them.”

Charles City will be able to close 11 of the test wells this year after the EPA determined data from those sample sites remained consistently safe.

Diers said the city will submit a final work plan covering the remaining wells in November, and expects to begin the new testing regime in the spring.

“We want to do everything we can to make that area safe and continue improvement,” Diers said. “(Zoetis has) been very good partners with the city and community, making sure that these issues get addressed.” The EPA has historically done a five-year review of the site after Zoetis’ predecessor Salsbury Laboratories, Inc.

used the dump site to dispose of waste sludges from 1949 to 1953. The laboratory waste included high concentrations of arsenic and other compounds, such as nitrophenol, 2-nitroaniline and nitrobenzene. The site was identified as a potential hazardous waste site by the Iowa Department of Environmental Quality in 1977 and was later placed on the National Priorities List in 1987, the August report said. The next review visit is expected in 2020.

By Kate Hayden khayden@charlescitypress.com