RE: Re: Wichita Part 2

[Guest guest]

Dana,

One of the interesting things about being a government employee is that I'm also a tax paying citizen. What you assume to be bias may simply be a different point of view. In one of your posts, you spoke of Monday morning quarterbacks. I've been one of the muddy guys on the field, and I can attest that it looks different from that of someone sitting in the stands - or even at home in front of their high definition big screen TV.

Thanks for the complimentary assessment of my character. From what I see of my co-workers, they are pretty good people, too. Ultimately, we may have to agree that we disagree on this subject, but I'm glad that you care enough to have become so passionate about this.

Curtis

-----Original Message-----From: iequality [mailto:iequality ]On Behalf Of DanaSent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:59 PMTo: iequality Subject: Re: Wichita Part 2

Curtis,

It is also true that you work for the City of Wichita and are just a little more than biased. However, as I stated you are a very good person, so I will stay civil. The issue is the money and the agreement that Wichita mad with the EPA to keep the Gilbert Mosley Site off the NPL. I also agree that IF and only IF that agreement was honored it would be a great thing. However that is not what is happening. Let me explain to you what I am talking about.

The agreement does exist and the record is written with the City of Wichita and mediated by KDHE in 1991. That agreement was for the whole of the Gilbert Mosley Plume and the other contaminants. SUPERFUND does not allow only addressing the Contaminate of Concern. The agreement states that all the entire area is to be assessed and ALL CONTAMINATES to be remediated. Additionally, the City of Wichita was allowed by SPECIAL STATE LAW to pass a Tax Incremental Financing for the payment of the activities, and Wichita would then be responsible for the entire site financially. The City of Wichita did pass that law and did collect the money starting in 1991. That is ALL without dispute.

The City of Wichita then hired a plethora of Consultants to do the RO/FS and the "Permeable Reactive Barrier", which did not work. The assessment went on from 1994-1998. In addition to the PRB not working the proposed processes did reduce levels to alternative levels, but not to the compliance levels. Then another round of Final Design in 2001.

What came out of this was the WATER Center. It is a very cool design, but very pricey. $22 million for 2 air strippers and 13 extraction wells in the 4 mile long plume that process 1.4 MG per day. This center is a "Taj Mahal", a wonton and disgraceful display for a testament for the designers ego and an tribute to governmental largess. Here is the site including pictures. I mean it is cool, but WAY too much money was spent on "environmental bling" rather than actual cleanup. Hell, Lawrence, Ks, but in a entire 200 MG per day water treatment facility addition for $13 Million!!! What Wichita SHOUL have done is spent that money on cleanup, and not a park and "Environmental Remediation Museum". The function of the museum and the 1,100 gallon fish tank, and fountains are just bling and is propaganda. Why on earth use fountains and a glass fish tank, when money should be better spent on cleanup activities.

Here folks is the site, look at the pictures. For the cost of the bricks, the finished wood, the tile, and all the very expensive finishes, the city of Wichita could have spent money on multiple smaller air strippers and moved them around the site. There are a lot of perched water areas in downtown Wichita. This design was accepted because that is what the city wanted. FINE! But do not raid the rest of the KDHE money chest and deny the rest of the state cleanup funds because you built a very cool tribute to stupidity.

How do you think the Kansas City Star Reporters are going to take this? Should the KC area get less money for cleanup because Wichita did not use their money wisely? How about the Topeka Capitol Journal, how do you think a letter to the editor would play there. I am sure Wichita sees nothing wrong with this, but the rest of the Kansas Cities and towns DO!!

This is an overhead of that was built. It looks like a Gaia or sun god temple:

http://www.wichitagov.org/Presentations/GilMo-Model%20Image_files/slide0002.htm

WATER CENTER:

http://www.wichitagov.org/CityOffices/Environmental/WATERCenter/

Here is the photos of the Grand Opening, LOOK at this monstrous building:

http://www.wichitagov.org/CityOffices/Environmental/GilbertMosleyProject/

Gilbert and Mosley Site:

http://www.wichitagov.org/CityOffices/Environmental/GilbertMosleyProject/

SO now Wichita is running out of money on the Water walk areas, and finding UST and leap that were supposed to be already found and assessed, But instead Wichita built their "Enviro-Church of the blessed mega ego"! Don't take the rest of the state's brownfield's money to do it now, because Wichita built a testament to stupidity and did not spend the money wisely on cleanup! JUst how do you defent this as proper financial restraint?

And clean that site up and stop making excuses. And Curtis, next time you give tour of the WATER Center, look around and think about how much cleanup could have been done with all that look for that monument to stupidity.

And now for good old BOB!

You hate the lawyers getting money, well how about architects and inside deals with the engineering company and the contractor. NO much of this went to actual cleanup. In my estimation with this $22 million project only treating 1.6 MGD only about 25% was actually spent on cleanup technology, the rest on a freaking building.

Additionally there is the Tri State/Harcos site that is within the Gilbert Mosley NPL agreement. You see this is supposed to be cleaned up with that Wichita "Tax Incremental Financing" that they were allowed to collect;

"The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is working with the city of Wichita to clean up groundwater and soil at the former Tri-State Laundry and Dry-Cleaner Supply Company (724 E. Osie) and the Harcros Chemical Supply Company (727 E. Osie) (known as the Tri-State/Harcros Site). The city of Wichita expects to begin cleanup activities in early 2006 at the Tri-State/Harcros site.

Tri-State and Harcros were identified as significant sources of groundwater and soil contamination during the Gilbert and Mosley site investigation. Contamination in the Gilbert and Mosley site consists primarily of chlorinated solvents, mostly trichloroethene (TCE) and perchloroethene (PCE). The Gilbert and Mosley site is an area of contaminated groundwater located in downtown Wichita, Kansas. The site has multiple sources of contamination with co-mingled contaminant plumes, and is being remediated under a Consent Agreement…"

You see they want to have KDHE pay for the assessment and the cleanup under the dry cleaning program. That is NOT permitted under the 1991 agreement. Again, the City of Wichita is robbing the rest of the state of Kansas because of poor financial decisions.

Every time Wichita runs out of money..they run to KDHE and KDHE gives them some more. That is the problem I have with this site, and those so-called professionals that support this malfeasance.

Do you think I am still clueless and mis informed on this now?

Now that is Wichita "thinking locally, and acting locally".