Title
Intergovernmental Agreement with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for Transfer, Use and Abandonment of Groundwater Monitoring Wells at Glenrosa Service Center (Ordinance S-45916)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to transfer ownership of 20 of 87 groundwater monitoring wells located at the Glenrosa Service Center to ADEQ. These wells were installed between 1987 and 2005 to allow groundwater sampling, monitoring and remediation of fluid leaked into the subsurface environment beneath the site by the City of Phoenix. The site is listed by ADEQ as a Leaking Underground Storage (LUST) site.
Report
Summary
The Office of Environmental Programs has been monitoring these groundwater monitoring wells for the Public Works Department since 2014 and in November 2018 received approval for closure on the fuel tank releases from ADEQ. The City no longer has a need for the wells. Staff has worked closely with ADEQ to develop a plan to permanently remove closed wells over the next several years to remove the site from ADEQ's list of LUST sites. The IGA is very instrumental to support planned efforts to close wells.
This IGA provides mutual benefits to the City and ADEQ in support of the planned closure of wells. Transferring the 20 wells is essential to the ADEQ remediation efforts and will allow ADEQ to continue to monitor other, non-City, spill plumes in the area. The Public Works Department is willing to transfer ownership of the wells to ADEQ provided that ADEQ takes full responsibility for the use and official abandonment of the wells. Transferring these 20 wells will reduce the number of wells the City will need to abandon in future years for removal from ADEQ's list of LUST sites.
Contract Term
The initial five-year contract term will begin on or about July 1, 2019 and conclude on June 30, 2024. Provisions of the IGA include one five-year option to extend the contract.
Financial Impact
The City of Phoenix is responsible to pay the required fees estimated at $700 to Arizona Department of Water Resources to accomplish the transfer of ownership of the wells. It is anticipated the City will save approximately $70,000 in abandonment costs associated with these 20 wells.
Location
Glenrosa Service Center, 4021 W. Glenrosa Ave.
Council District: 4
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Public Works Department.