City Hall close to cleaning up groundwater under BBB FIXING GROUNDWATER AT THE YARD
(Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures appearing on upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agendas. Consent agenda items are routinely passed by the City Council with little or no discussion from elected officials or the public. However, many of the items have been part of public discussion in the past.) CITY HALL — When it came to historic preservation, perhaps no one had its hands full more than PCR Services Corp. this year.
It’s the reason why city staff intends to ask the City Council to replenish the consultant’s nearly exhausted contract with $79,000, covering future historic resources analysis through the remainder of the fiscal year.
The contract amendment is part of a $3.1 million spending package the council will face at its meeting tonight.
The consulting firm, who has an office in Downtown Santa Monica, provides an extra set of expert eyes for city planners on matters related to landmarks and historic preservation. In addition to performing analyses for older structures facing impending demolition to see if they qualify for city Changes are in store for the local drinking water supply.
The council will be asked to enter into two contracts worth a combined $2.2 million with ICF International to continue performing groundwater remediation at the Big Blue Bus and Corporate yards where cleanup of fuels and spills have taken place since 1987.
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board is expected in the next year to issue City Hall a letter requiring no further action at the Big Blue Bus yard if the current remediation level continues. The board has also approved a Remedial Action Plan for the Corporate Yard, allowing groundwater extraction to commence at the Olympic Well Field sub basin, adding more local sources to the drinking water supply. Santa Monica residents currently receive a sizable chunk of their drinking water from the Metropolitan Water District.
“Continued remediation of these two city-owned sites will result in significant economic and environmental benefits for the city, its residents and the surrounding environment,” the staff report states.
The contaminants found at both sites in the past include diesel, MTBE, and hydraulic oils.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 8, 2008. Read the original PDF.