HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/1/2001 - STAFF REPORTS (18) DATE: August 1, 2001
TO: City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works & Engineering and
Director of Planning & Building
EAGLE CANYON ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING FOR RIVERSIDE COUNTY FLOOD
CONTROL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT (RCFCWCD)
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council approve payment in an amount not to exceed $10,000 to
the Riverside County Flood Control &Water Conservation District (RCFCWCD),
as the City's share of a consultant contract between the District and Earth
Systems, to conduct environmental testing and evaluation within Eagle Canyon,
to determine the amounts of hazardous material and usable material within the
Eagle Canyon area.
SUMMARY:
This action will authorize payment in an amount not to exceed $10,000 to
RCFCWCD. The District intends to hire Earth Systems to conduct environmental
testing and evaluation of the soils in Eagle Canyon to determine amounts of
hazardous material and usable material. The information is necessary to the
development of specifications and costs for the Master Planned Eagle Canyon
dam. An equal amount will be provided from the City of Cathedral City.
BACKGROUND:
For more than 2 decades, RCFCWCD has had a dam, retention and debris basin
shown on the Master Drainage Plan for Eagle Canyon. The area primarily
protected from flooding by this facility is within the southwestern portion of
Cathedral City, although the area of the dam and basin itself is within the City of
Palm Springs.
Approximately 10 years ago, the Cities and the Flood Control District determined
that the site had been used for illegal dumping, and it was studied to determine if
hazardous materials existed. In 1993, a report was prepared by Leighton &
Assoc., Inc. for the Bureau of Indian Affairs which concluded that artificial fill did
indeed exist on site and, while investigation did not reveal the presence of
hazardous waste, the report did include the statement that hazardous wastes
may exist in isolated areas. Further tests were recommended due to the
presence of buried metallic materials and reported concentrations of other metals
within the native soil.
In 1998, RCFCWCD contracted with Gradient Engineers, Inc. to prepare an
environmental site assessment of the area. This report concluded the site was
underlain with at least 20 feet of artificial fill; that several areas within the
subsurface soils and on the surface of the artificial fill were impacted with
petroleum hydrocarbons (waste oil), traces of metal concentration, low levels of
total cyanide, and over a dozen abandoned vehicles within the site. This report
recommended that the petroleum impacted soil be removed from this site and
114
EAGLE CANYON
August 1, 2001
Page 2
that the removal of the artificial fill be observed by an environmental professional
to monitor for the presence of hazardous substances.
In 1999, a meeting was held which included staff from cities of Palm Springs and
Cathedral City, as well as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, RCFCWCD and the Agua
Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Planning Dept. At that time, the cities were
interested in determining the cost of the cleanup of this area which is within Palm
Springs. RCFCWCD reported that a proposal was being sought to give them an
accurate estimate of the amount of fill, the percent of usable fill and the percent
of hazardous waste which must be removed, as well as an estimate of costs to
cleanup the site such that it would be usable for the dam and basin construction.
In June 2001, the RCFCWCD selected the firm of Earth Systems from among 5
firms that responded to their RFP to perform the necessary investigation and
evaluation. The City of Cathedral City has agreed to fund half the cost of the
investigation, and RCFCWCD is asking the City of Palm Springs to fund the
remaining 50% in a maximum amount of $10,000. Upon the receipt of the report,
the Cities and RCFCWCD will be able to know the full extent of the
contamination, as well as the cost for cleanup and will, at that time, be able to
determine the course with which they wish to proceed with respect to the
proposed dam
Sufficient funds are available in account #135-4375-55000 (Eagle Canyon
Drainage), and 135-4374-55000 (Southeast Zone yDrainage).
DAVID J. BARAKIAN DOUGLA R. EVANS
City Engineer Director of Planning & Building
^_--.
APPROVE �s
City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Minute Order
2. Map
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SITE LOCATION MAP
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Riverside County Flood Control DPzAF JUIY�� FIGURE No- 2
and Water Conservation DBtrict DATE
Canyon Dam Site "
GRADIENT ENGINEERS
Eagle
Cathedral City, California
MINUTE ORDER NO. 6906
APPROVING PAYMENT TO THE RIVERSIDE
COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL & WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT (RCFCWCD) AS THE
CITY'S SHARE OF A CONSULTANT CONTRACT
BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND EARTH SYSTEMS,
TO CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING AND
EVALUATION WITHIN EAGLE CANYON, TO
DETERMINE THE AMOUNTS OF HAZARDOUS
MATERIAL AND USABLE MATERIAL WITHIN THE
EAGLE CANYON AREA, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO
EXCEED $10,000.
------------------
I HEREBY CERTIFY that this Minute Order, approving payment to the Riverside
County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (RCFCWCD) as the City's
share of a consultant contract between the District and Earth Systems, to
conduct environmental testing and evaluation within Eagle Canyon, to determine
the amounts of hazardous material and usable material within the Eagle Canyon
area, in an amount not to exceed $10,000, was adopted by the City Council of
the City of Palm Springs, California, in a meeting thereof held on the 1st day of
August, 2001.
PATRICIA A. SANDERS
City Clerk