Members of the Wrangell Assembly commiserated with Wrangell Cooperative Association leadership Tuesday evening to discuss possible alternatives to a proposed monofill for the Byford cleanup.
The Department of Environmental Conservation proposes interring 18,350 cubic yards of treated, lead-contaminated soils in a rock pit managed by the Department of Natural Resources. The material was removed during cleanup of acres of property at the former Byford junkyard, which the city had previously acquired through foreclosure. DEC stepped in to manage the expensive project after funding through the Environmental Protection Agency proved unable to allocate the funds.
Reclamation work at the site last spring revealed the extent of the contamination to be significantly greater than first estimated, and plans to transport the leaden soil to Oregon for treatment were mostly shelved in favor of a local monofill, with the soil treated to reduce its leachability. Subsequent selection of the rock pit by DEC proved controversial among residents due to its nearness to Pats Creek, an anadromous stream
system. Subsequent meetings with the Tribe and Assembly in August led DEC to postpone the start of work to April 2018.
In the meantime, the department has recommended that the concerned parties seek out alternative funding sources to cover additional costs to the project for funding a complete transport off-island. Cost of the monofill has been estimated at $5.7 million with full transportation estimated by DEC at around $12 million. However, in a letter to the city issued last month it was explained project delays and mobilization costs would likely make the difference between the two project approaches closer to $8 million.
Alternatively, other site candidates were welcome. WCA administrator Esther Ashton explained the Tribe’s environmental office is currently reviewing all state lands on the island which might fit the criteria laid out by monofill project leads.
Ashton explained she met with Lt. Governor Byron Mallott last week at the Alaska Federation of Natives’ annual conference.
“He’d already been briefed on it three times,” she said. He had reportedly expressed interest in DEC’s interactions with local governments, and recommended WCA put forward a proposal to ensure closer collaboration on such projects in the future.
“He said his next step is to meet with the the commissioner and the governor on this,” said Ashton. She also met with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and is in contact with her office on the matter.
For its part, city manager Lisa Von Bargen said she would be asking Wrangell’s federal lobbyist on retainer to solicit additional funds from various sources. She also sought direction on what role borough staff should play in looking for alternative sites. Mayor David Jack thought they should be involved, too, and review city-owned properties as possible sites for the monofill.
“It should be a partnership,” he weighed in. DEC briefly considered the running track next to Evergreen Elementary and a rock pit near the Spur Road shooting range, but had ruled them unsuitable.
Assembly member Stephen Prysunka advised restraint, noting city staff already had a number of critical projects to contend with, such as boosting productivity at the water treatment plant and renovating the Public Safety Building.
Von Bargen also wanted to get an idea of whether the Assembly would be willing to put up a match themselves, offering that a modest level match might be worthwhile if the possibility arises.
Prysunka expressed disagreement, saying he would be unwilling to put any money forward considering other projects the city was contending with. “I don’t believe we have extra cash to be putting forward to the project,” he said.
By the workshop’s end, Von Bargen and Ashton agreed to continue to keep in contact as both governments seek out alternatives.
“We would love to collaborate on this. I think together we are stronger,” Ashton commented.
“We just want to find out if there’s any way, any funds out there to get it off the island,” added Richard Oliver, WCA board president.
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