Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER STATUS REPORT ON THE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION AND CARSON DECLARATION OF THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY WITHIN THE CAROUSEL TRACT (CITY COUNCIL)
Body
I. SUMMARY
This item is on the agenda to provide updates related to the environmental investigation of the Carousel Tract. The report provides updates on the cluster reconfiguration, water main replacement, sewer pipe testing, and the taxability of relocation and per diem payments (Exhibit No. 1).
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
CONSIDER and DISCUSS.
Body
III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE such other action the City Council deems appropriate that is consistent with the requirements of law.
IV. BACKGROUND
History
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles (Regional Board) is the lead agency overseeing the environmental investigation and cleanup of the Carousel Tract. The Regional Board issued a Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R4-2011-0046 (CAO) on March 11, 2011 requiring Shell Oil Products US to investigate and clean up discharges of waste in soil and groundwater at the Carousel Tract site (Exhibit No. 2).
Project related documents are available for public review at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles/Kast/index.shtml
The remedial activities at the Carousel Neighborhood will be conducted in phases, with each phase originally involving a group of up to ten (10) properties. Each group of properties is referred to as a cluster. The site has been subdivided into twenty-eight (28) clusters that were originally scheduled to be remediated over a five (5) year period (Exhibit No. 3).
Once work commenced in May, 2009, it was determined that working in the tight space and with the protocols in place to ensure health and safety, that the original schedule of 5 years would likely take more than 11 years to complete. Shell and AECOM, its lead contractor, processed an Addendum to the Remedial Design Implementation Plan to amend the cluster configuration to be able to shorten the duration of the project. Approval was granted by the Water Board on April 17, 2017.
Residential Sampling Activity
Testing of property in the Carousel Tract is continuing and the latest reports are posted on the Regional Board’s website at:
http://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/profile_report.asp?global_id=T10000000228
As of March 10, 2015, the completed Residential Sampling Activity is as follows:
• 272 homes have been screened for Methane. (95%)
• 273 homes have had soils sampled and vapor probes installed. (96%)
• 273 homes have had vapor probes sampled. (95%)
• 261 homes have had indoor air sampled. (91%)
• 244 of 261 homes have had their 2nd round of indoor air sampling. (94%)
• 86% of total homes in the Carousel Community have had second round of Indoor Air Sampling conducted.
Timeline of Activities
A general timeline that tracks past and current activities of the Carousel Tract environmental investigation is included in the attachments (Exhibit No. 4).
Additional information regarding the Carousel community can be found at the following link:
<http://ci.carson.ca.us/department/communitydevelopment/carouseltract.asp>.
Recent Events
Remediation of Clusters
The Regional Board has been conducting information events for each Cluster. Remedial construction work has been completed in Cluster 1 (9 properties) and Cluster 2 (10 properties). The actual duration for Cluster 1 was 19 weeks, and for Cluster 2 it was 22 weeks. Work is currently underway in Cluster 3, which consists of 11 properties. Work on Cluster 3 is expected to be complete by late June 2017. Ten residences in Cluster 4 moved out during the week of April 24th and then the sound walls went up between Cluster 3 and 4 and at the northern gutter edge of 247th Street. The most notable impact to the neighborhood is the closure of 247th Street between Panama and Ravenna Avenues.
In addition, final work on the homes, such as painting, will be done after the sound walls are removed in a cluster, in order to have painters work in a more typical work environment and not in a heavy equipment zone. This means that residents can move back into their homes sooner.
Once work commenced in May, 2009, it was determined that working in the tight space and with the protocols in place to ensure health and safety, that the original schedule of 5 years would likely take more than 11 years to complete. Shell and AECOM, its lead contractor, processed an Addendum to the Remedial Design Implementation Plan to amend the cluster configuration to be able to shorten the duration of the project. Approval was granted by the Water Board on April 17, 2017.
The Addendum considered three options. The selected option was called “Broadway with Leapfrog Scenario,” which expands clusters to include both sides of the street (the “Broadway Scenario”), but also overlaps construction at clusters rather than it being done sequentially (the “Leapfrog Scenario”).
Under the Broadway with Leapfrog Scenario, the average cluster duration would still be 22.9 weeks and residents would still be relocated for an average of 27.8 weeks, but because the clusters themselves are larger, the overall duration is now reduced to 6.4 years from the 11.2 years base line condition.
Water Main Replacement
During soil remediation work, Cal Water will continue to move and replace its water supply mains in the area. As part of the second and final project phase, Cal Water crews will install about 5,500 linear feet of new 8-inch water main and move meter boxes and fire hydrants from customers’ front yards to the sidewalk beginning June 19, 2017. This phase is expected to take approximately 12 weeks and will improve fire flow and water supply reliability within the Carousel Tract (Exhibit No. 1).
Sewer Pipe Testing
Recent activities by the City have included developing a testing and study protocol to investigate the potential of sewer pipe corrosion due to or exacerbated by the presence of petroleum in the soil underneath homes. One house sewer pipe and soil testing was completed the week of June 5, 2017 and four more houses will have their sewer pipes and soil tested during the week of June 12, 2017. Some sampling has occurred from houses currently under excavation by Shell, and other homes have been sampled with the consent of the homeowners and with the owners still in residence in the home.
A considerable amount of work and time has gone into notifying the homeowners and physically locating buried cast iron sewer pipe sections. Preliminary test results from laboratory analysis are expected to take several weeks. Once staff has the final results it will update the City Council and the community.
Relocation Payments
Staff has followed up on a request from community members to receive a review and determination of the taxability of relocation and other payments from Shell, particularly the per diem payment and the inconvenience fee paid by Shell, which are direct cash payments made to residents. This is a federal tax issue and the City is working with its Federal representatives on the issue. Congresswoman Barragan’s office now has the information and has made an inquiry to the IRS.
California Senate Bill 343-Carousel Tract Proposed Legislation
California State Senator Bradford has proposes a bill that would also exempt the remediation payments that the Carousel Tract homeowners received from being taxable income. Senator Bradford’s office will keep the City updated as the bill proceeds.
The public or resident/tenants may call the Shell Hotline at (310) 857-2335 or drop by at 24628 Marbella Avenue which is staffed by Shell’s representatives Monday-Friday, 8-4 p.m.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. The California Water Service/Rancho Dominguez District letter dated June 5, 2017. (pg. 5)
2. AECOM Remediation Cluster & Implementation Sequence Map. (pg. 6)
3. Water Boards Spring 2017 Community Update. (pgs. 7-8)
4. Carousel Tract Environmental Investigation Timeline. (pgs. 9-17)
Prepared by: Zak Gonzalez II, Associate Planner