Contaminated soil may add an extra challenge to an otherwise rapidly progressing Civic Center project Shoreline city council members learned during a staff presentation on Feb. 23.
Additional costs associated with contaminated soils or Asbestos abatement and demolition are “warranties to the ground lease” and are not included in any original price estimates of the $30.5 million project. These extras could come with a price tag of $896,415 according to a staff report.
“The soils could cost in the neighborhood of $614,000 but could vary once they get in and do that work,” finance director Debbie Tarry said.
A development agreement between the city and Opus Northwest allows for a project element referred to as “Unknown Soils Conditions” that dictates unexpected costs of clean-up for soil contaminant outside the original project scope are to be incurred by the city. In this case, a report was initially reviewed by the Department of Ecology (DOE) in 2004 and the level of contaminants in the soil were not significant enough to require any corrective action.
The soil may or may not have changed since the project’s original environmental survey but DOE regulations have definitely become more strict since the initial assessment, according to Jesus Sanchez, Civic Center project manager.
“There’s more regulatory behavior as the DOE is becoming more and more protective of the natural environment,” he said. “In 2004, there was no reason to assume there would be a greater cost … We are wanting to make sure we’re doing the right thing, that we really are protecting the environment.”
To date, the city has incurred $222,121 in warranty costs not included under the ground lease for investigative reports, removing contaminated soils and storage tanks under the original AKC Auto building as well as additional abatement and demolition of the same building. In further development of the property, soil that is affected by tetrachloroethene or PCE must be removed because it poses a health risk.
Grant money would help cover the costs associated with removing an estimated 1,300 tons of soil, Sanchez said. The process would involve removing soil eight to 15 feet deep in certain places at every two feet. The soil samples at every two feet would be tested for contaminants to help mitigate the cost of the project. Once the DOE confirms the soil is safe, there won’t be a need to test a deeper layer of soil.
The added cost is significant however, Deputy Mayor Terry Scott noted.
“Being the environmental council we are I know we all appreciate what’s being done,” he said. “I would hope we would be high up on the list in terms of grants since this is an after the fact discovery.”
The facility is on schedule to open in August 2009, according to city staff and will meet the requirements for a silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and could reach the LEED gold standard. The city has all ready been awarded $271,335 in environmental grant money from King County and Seattle City Light. Of the amount awarded, $229,289 will be budgeted into the project for improvements such as solar voltaic panels on the garage, solar thermal in the Council Chambers, occupancy lighting and other sustainability features.
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