Strecker Forest Status Update

MEMORANDUM
To:
Mayor Woerther and City Council Members
From:
Ryan S. Thomas, City Administrator
Date:
May 21, 2015
Re:
Status Update on Strecker Forest Site
I have been requested to provide a status update of current activities on or near the proposed
Strecker Forest development site, the northeast corner of which is part of the Ellisville Superfund
Site. See attached Figure 2, “Study Area.”
2014 Removal Action
During 2014, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) conducted a removal
action on the Ellisville Superfund site, which involved the excavation, transport and disposal of over
1,500 tons of dioxin and other contaminated soil from the northeast corner and eastern boundary of
the Strecker Forest property, as well as from portions of the Bliss property. A Final Report on this
action was issued on December 2, 2014, and is available at the following link:
http://www.epa.gov/Region7/cleanup/strecker_forest/pdf/strecker-forest-removal-actionreport.pdf
This action utilized a site-specific Recreational Cleanup Standard of 820 ppt at the surface, which EPA
determined to be appropriate for the Ellisville Superfund site rather than a Residential Cleanup
Standard(approximately 50 ppt), premised on the assumption that the portions of the Ellisville
Superfund site where dioxin levels exceed the residential cleanup standardwould not be used for
home sites and would remain undisturbed. These areas have also been restricted through recorded
Environmental Covenants. However, concerns remain at the far northeast portion of the Strecker
Forest site and an adjacent area to the northwest (see attached study area, Figure 2), adjacent to a
tributary to Caulks Creek, where the USEPA’s report identifies remaining elevated dioxin levels above
the recreational standard. This is particularly of concern due to potential soil erosion in this area
from storm water runoff. Therefore, additional ground sampling may be desired in this area, which
could potentially lead to further action by the USEPA to remove dioxin-contaminated soil.
Planning Tomorrow Today
16860 Main Street  Wildwood, Missouri 63040  636-458-0440 phone  636-458-6969 fax
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Ongoing Groundwater and Soil Gas Monitoring
Several groundwater and soil gas monitoring wells remain in the area, which the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has been monitoring, for which it plans to prepare a
summary report (expected by mid-June). Currently there are 7 groundwater monitoring wells on the
Strecker Forest Site and 6 groundwater monitoring wells on the Bliss Site (north and east of Strecker
Forest). There are also 3 soil gas monitoring wells in the Turnberry Place Subdivision common
ground just north of the Bliss property. The locations of the groundwater monitoring wells are
depicted on the attached Figure 1, which are summarized as follows:
Groundwater Monitoring Well Summary
BMW-01 – BMW-06
Existing monitoring wells on the Bliss property, actively being monitored by MDNR.
MW-01 – MW-07
Existing monitoring wells installed by the City of Wildwood on the Strecker Forest Site in conjunction a Phase II
Environmental Study completed by Mundell & Associates. The City of Wildwood has an obligation to remove
these 7 wells, at some point in the future. Only MW-06 is currently being monitored by MDNR, and MDNR may
be willing to take ownership of this monitoring well, leaving the other 6 locations for the City to remove. The
cost to remove a well is approximately $1,500 each.
MW-08 – MW-10
Former Federal/State monitoring wells on the Strecker Forest Site, which have been removed.
MW-C01 – MW-C03
Former Federal/State monitoring wells on the Callahan Site, which have been removed.
MDNR has indicated there are low levels of contamination at MW-06 and BWM-03, but not at
BWM-04 – BMW-06. MDNR also plans to install a 7th monitoring well in the woods to the east of
BMW-03, to confirm whether any groundwater contamination has travelled to the east. With this
data, MDNR hopes to be able to define the limits of groundwater contamination in this area. Of
note, the groundwater monitoring wells are at the uppermost aquifer, at a depth less than 100 ft.
below the surface, and not at the deeper aquifer utilized for drinking water. This uppermost aquifer
ultimately discharges at the surface at Lewis Spring, several miles to the north. Previously,
contaminants were identified at Lewis Spring as well, but that is no longer the case.
MDNR has also indicated their soil gas monitoring wells in the Turnberry Place Subdivision common
ground, just north of the Bliss property, have shown trace readings for certain contaminants. This
information, along with the groundwater monitoring well data, will be summarized in their June
summary report.
Communications with USEPA
Wildwood Mayor Woerther, Ellisville Mayor Paul, Ellisville City Manager Schwer and I have had a
couple of conference calls with USEPA over the past couple months to determine what next action
steps might be taken going forward. Certainly, MDNR’s monitoring well data will be helpful in
making this determination. Additionally, discussions continue regarding the remaining soil
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contamination at the far northeast corner of the Strecker Forest site and the adjacent area to the
northwest. Another conference call is scheduled for May 27, 2015. Once USEPA has a proposed
action plan identified, I expect their attendance may be requested at a future City Council Meeting or
other public meeting to provide an opportunity for further dialogue with elected officials and
interested citizens.
Strecker Forest Development
It is my understanding that Claymont Development is currently revising its proposed Site
Development Plan to eliminate any disturbance within the portion of the site restricted by the
Environmental Covenant. A revised Site Development Plan has not yet been submitted to the City
for review at this time.
I will be available for any comments or questions at the May 26, 2015 City Council Work Session.
RST
BMW-05
BMW-04
BMW-06
BMW-03
Approximate Scale
200
0
feet
MW-06
MW-07
BMW-02
MW-05
MW-10
BMW-01
MW-04
MW-03
MW-09
MW-08
MW-02
MW-C02
MW-01
MW-C03
MW-C01
FIGURE 1
MONITORING WELL LOCATION MAP
ELLISVILLE SITE
WILDWOOD, MISSOURI
ST. LOUIS COUNTY
Monitoring Well
Strecker Forest Property
(Approximate Boundary)
Callahan Property
(Approximate Boundary)