NDEQ to inspect Annex

At last week’s regularly scheduled Kimball County Commissioners meeting, Brian Hilbert, Project Manager and Environmental Scientist from Panhandle Geotechnical and Environmental (PG&E) approached the board with an update to the proposed physical inspection and environmental assessment on the lot located at 209 East 3rd Street.

Hilbert’s company was assigned the task of inspection and assessing the local property by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, NDEQ.

The property, now the location of the county Annex building as well as the ambulance garage, stored underground fuel tanks in the late 50s and 60s that are believed to have been last used in the 1970’s.

According to Hilbert, the fuel tanks were removed in 1994, but at that time, there was some contamination of the ground that was observed by the NDEQ.

“We have to bring in a drill rig, and bring up soil samples,” Hilbert said, “then we will install monitoring wells. There is a possibility that we won’t have to set monitoring wells, and it looks like to me because of the information that I have that we will drill out contamination, but I can’t guarantee that we won’t have to set monitoring wells.”

“You’re going to drill right in the parking lot over there?” questioned Commissioner Chairman, Larry Engstrom. “How long does that take?”

With a small mapped graph of the mentioned location in hand, Hilbert showed the commissioners the proposed location of the drilling, which sits in the Annex lot in front of the ambulance garage. He added that they would likely drill and sample in two out of the three proposed pinpointed areas, collect soil samples, and determine if a sample was needed on the third. Although, if they do show “clean” on the two areas, they would then take a sample from the third, and may even drill far enough down to test the ground water as well.

“There was a used oil tank over here,” continued Hilbert with graph in hand, “and the problem with that is that they didn’t collect samples like they were supposed to when they removed those tanks, so, we’re not sure if there is contamination there or not.”

He added that a dispenser island was also located on the property, from which low levels of contamination were also observed, probably from overspill.

“If there is any contamination, we have to set monitoring wells,” he said.

According to Hilbert, if monitoring wells are necessary in the area, the well will have a steel cap that will allow for driving, snow plowing and such, and will not impede with the daily use of the lot.

The entire cost of the projected testing will be paid by NDEQ through a petroleum remediation fund, according to Hilbert,

When the department finds contamination in an area that has had fuel tanks removed, the area is then put on a list to further investigate the area. It has taken a little over twenty years for the government to readdress the local situation. Hilbert hopes to start the process of testing next month on the site.