Staff writer
Contaminated soil found during construction of a new county transfer station will cost the county $24,060 more than originally anticipated for the project.
Refuse director Bud Druse alerted county commissioners to diesel contamination in February. At that time, no one knew how the problem would be resolved.
Now that Kansas Department of Health and Environment has assessed the contamination, it recommends the soil, which was excavated and piled southeast of the transfer station, be turned weekly to aerate it until the diesel fuel is cleared.
Druse brought a construction change order to Monday’s meeting with a list of added costs caused by the removal and stockpiling of contaminated soil, hauling in new dirt to backfill the hole, cleaning out the bottom of the excavation area, and other work done at the site. The most expensive items were hauling in new dirt, then hauling in additional dirt, which cost $10,170. Hauling off debris added $2,200 to the tab.
“As for the contaminated dirt, they hauled it out and put it in a pile,” Druse told commissioners. “That’s OK with KDHE.”
Commissioners approved the change order. After weighing options, they decided there was no real way to save the county money.
trash
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Druse said people have created a problem by leaving trash and recyclables on the ground during weekends because bins along the street are full.
Commissioner Kent Becker suggested putting up a sign telling people not to do that.
“If I bring my trash out and the bin is full, I’m going to leave it,” commissioner Randy Dallke said. “I’m not going to, but that’s the thought out there.”
Druse also told commissioners that the city of Marion will consider stopping recycling pickups.
Marion public works department is recommending the city discontinue curbside recycling because of less tonnage being collected and because they believe the county will discontinue recycling operations for an undetermined amount of time during the demolition and reconstruction of the solid waste processing center.
“Recycling is not going to be stopped during construction,” Druse said. “A lot of people think it will. I don’t know why the city of Marion thinks we’re going to stop. They say we told them it was going to stop. We didn’t.”
Druse said recycling also comes from Centre, Burns, Florence, Goessel, Durham, and Tampa, and will soon come from Hillsboro as well.
The county collects 270 tons of recyclables in the average year, Druse said.
“It’s not all about the money,” Druse said. “It’s about protecting Mother Earth.”