Item:
Title
Approve Request for Consent of Access to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to allow its Division of Waste Management and Contractors Access to the 721 Foster Street Site
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: November 12, 2024
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to authorize the County Manager to execute the attached Off-site Property Access Consent form granting access to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) via its Division of Waste Management for its contractor’s access to the 721 Foster St. site for the purpose of installing Monitoring Well #17 and the four (4) sample ports within the building as requested (see Attachments 1 and 2). This request comes as part of NCDEQ’s Dry-Cleaning Solvent Cleanup Act (DCSA) Program, which investigates releases of dry-cleaning solvents. The new monitoring well and additional sample ports need to be inserted in order to allow continued monitoring by the Program.
By way of context and history, in April, 2010 (Session held on 4/12/2010, Consent Agenda Item 8.a.), February, 2023 (23-0055), and September, 2023 (23-0661), the Durham County Board of Commissioners approved property access to NCDEQ for the purpose of monitoring potential groundwater contamination from a former Dry-Cleaning operation north of the subject site (see Attachments 3, 4, and 5). On October 23, 2024, Durham County Engineering was once again notified by email of a request from AECOM (DEQ’s contractor) to permit access to the property in order to complete the work described above. (See Attachment 2).
The new request is to install a new Well #17 and to install sample ports in four (4) locations in the building as noted in the attached email. The locations will be coordinated with County Engineering to ensure the placement does not interfere with the historical integrity of the facility.
The County Attorney’s Office and Engineering Department have reviewed the request and recommend that the Board authorize the Property Access Consent form. It is important to note that the possible contamination poses no risk to the safety of the Cooperative Extension building and adjacent property occupants as all facilities in this area are supplied by Municipal water.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This aligns with Strategic Plan Goal of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment - by allowing continued monitoring of the potential groundwater contamination.
Resource Persons: Michelle Freidman, Geologist IV, AECOM; Peri Manns, ASLA, Deputy Director, Engineering & Environmental Services; Nathan McKinney, Senior Assistant County Attorney
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board authorize the County Manager to execute the attached Property Access Consent to the NCDEQ and its contractors for access to the 721 Foster site for the purpose of installing monitoring Well #17 and four (4) sample ports within the building as requested.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________