Derby Aldermen will consider hiring an environmental engineering firm from Farmington to test possible soil contamination at O’Sullivan’s Island.
The Valley Council of Governments (VCOG) has recommended HRP Associates, a Farmington firm founded in 1982 with offices in Stratford, to perform tests on the public property at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck rivers.
Assuming the Aldermen agree to the hire, “Assessment work will commence as soon as the contract is signed,” Rick Dunne, VCOG’s executive director, wrote in an email to Aldermen Thursday (June 5).
Dunne said Monday HRP was chosen by a VCOG committee overseeing remediation projects throughout the region after a blind bidding process.
The city’s attorney is now reviewing a draft contract between Derby and HRP and it could be approved at some point this month.
Dunne said a draft contract for the work totals about $65,000 for initial testing that will take between 60 and 90 days.
The firm may be called on to do more testing depending on what they find, he said.
In January the Aldermen voted to close the property out of an “abundance of caution” after questions were raised as to whether the site is safe for the public.
In 2008 and 2009, the federal Environmental of Protection agency conducted a “removal action” on the south side of O’Sullivan’s Island, hauling away tons of contaminated dirt and toxic barrels full of PCBs.
However, the EPA dealt only with PCBs, and did not address other possible contaminants in the soil on the property, such as those previously identified in the portion of the property that was used as a training area for area firefighters.
The EPA left behind some PCBs deep in the ground on O’Sullivan’s Island, but not at levels that pose a threat, according to the EPA.
In addition to peace of mind over non-PCB contamination, the city wants to get the site off a state list of “Significant Environmental Hazard” properties.
Derby has a total of $300,000 from grant money to investigate possible contamination at the property.
That money could also be used for legal costs and research into the property’s history, Dunne said.
After the testing is done, the city will know whether more cleanup is needed there.
The costs connected to a potential cleanup are not known at this time.
Dunne noted Monday that “any substantial cleanup costs will need to be paid from an additional future funding source.”
Website Goes Live
VCOG has also set up a “public information center” on its website with information about the property.
The page includes links to a history of the property, minutes from the advisory committee’s meetings, frequently asked questions, links, and other documents associated with the site.
Additional documents and background will be posted to the website in the coming days and weeks, Dunne said.