Chestnut Street Property Remediation

Project Updates

April 26, 2022     I     City Awarded Grant to Remediate Chestnut Street Property

June 6, 2022       I      Work Commences to Remediate Chestnut Street Property

June 24, 2022     
Patriot Engineering contracted with Choice One Engineering as a sub-consultant to prepare a preliminary development plan and grading plan for purposes of completing the Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination Application (PJDA) required by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which will ultimately authorize excavation and clearing activities on the site to commence. Approximately 0.11 +/- acres of wetlands were identified on the site, which is significantly less than originally anticipated based upon an analysis of the available USGS Wetlands Mapping. Once the PJDA has been submitted and reviewed by the Corps of Engineers, and the findings of the report have been confirmed, the city and its consultant team will begin the process of mitigating the wetlands located on the site, subject to the requirements established by USACE and Ohio EPA, respectively. Mitigation will then clear the way for remediation, site clearing, excavation, and grading activities to commence.

August 19, 2022
The city received the Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination Letter from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), confirming the findings of the Wetlands Delineation Study. USACE concurred with the Wetlands Delineation Report prepared and submitted by Meristem, a subconsultant for Patriot Engineering, finding that the site only contains 0.11 acres of actual wetlands. This important milestone clears the way for the city to continue its work to obtain the necessary clearing and grading permits to accomplish the remediation work on the site contemplated under the Brownfield Grant. Future work will involve the preparation and submittal of a Pre-Construction Notice package to USACE, as well as coordination of reviews by USACE with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and State Historic Preservation Office. Future mitigation efforts will also include purchase of wetland mitigation credits through a recognized mitigation bank.

August 26, 2022
The city filed the Nationwide 404 Permit with the United States Army Corps of Engineers with the assistance and guidance of Patriot Engineering and Meristem. This permit will grant the city authorization to begin clearing and grading the site in furtherance of the environmental remediation efforts contemplated under the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Grant. Also, bid documents for the lead remediation and cleanup were posted. 

September 23, 2022
The city continues to work with Wetland Consultant Meristem and Patriot Engineering to secure wetland mitigation credits to allow the issuance of the Nationwide 404 Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the corresponding 401 Permit from Ohio EPA. The city hopes to have the bulk of the mitigation bank work and permitting approval accomplished in the next 45 days. The city will be purchasing mitigation bank credits from a source yet to be finalized, to allow this work to proceed. Also this week, the city secured the contract to perform the lead soil excavation and debris removal work with Buckeye Elm Contracting, and also opened bids for the Groundwater Remediation Project. Bids will be reviewed by Patriot Engineering, prior to an award recommendation being advanced to City Council.

October 28, 2022
City Council awarded the bid for groundwater remediation at the Chestnut Street property to Innovative Environmental Technologies, Inc., which will result in remediation of existing groundwater contamination. This work will follow the debris removal and lead soil  excavation, which were previously awarded to Buckeye Elm Contracting. The city will be reimbursed for 75% of the total expenditures, up to the full grant award, through the Ohio Brownfield Redevelopment Program grant that the city was awarded. Once the remediation activities are completed, monitoring will take place prior to the issuance of a “No Further Action” letter. Once finalized, the property can be readily marketed for redevelopment.

November 21, 2022
City staff and Patriot Engineering continued efforts to finalize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting questions and to furnish additional information responsive to the Corps’ requests. Once all additional information is provided, the city, subconsultant Meristem and primary consultant Patriot Engineering will move forward with finalizing the mitigation and clearing and grading permits once approvals are received from the Corps. Once permits are in hand, mitigation and remediation work will commence on the site.

December 2, 2022
The city and Innovative Environmental Technologies Inc. continue work to finalize the groundwater contamination remediation scope of work and contractual agreements. The Nationwide 404 Permit documentation is still in the approval process. 

January 9, 2023
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) notified the city that the Nationwide 404 Permit has been approved. Now that the 404 Permit is in hand, the city can secure additional state permits and purchase wetland bank mitigation credits needed to comply with the terms of the USACE permit. Once secured, the city will issue notices to proceed to the remediation companies completing the work.

January 20, 2023
A pre-construction meeting was held in advance of commencing work to remediate the environmental contamination at the Chestnut Street Property. Wetlands have been marked and preserved in advance of the remediation activities, and a boundary survey will also be completed to stake the property limits in advance of the proceeding work. Additionally, the city continues to work with Meristem and Patriot Engineering to secure the wetland mitigation bank credits through the Nature Conservancy Ohio – In Lieu Fee Program – Jacoby Branch Mitigation Project as required by the 404 Permit.

January 30, 2023
The city, along with Meristem and Patriot Engineering, worked with the Nature Conservancy of Ohio to finalize wetland mitigation bank credits within the Jacoby Branch Watershed, which will offset impacts to approximately 0.10 acres of wetlands located on the Chestnut Street Property as required by the Nationwide 404 Permit. Contractors continue to mobilize in preparation for carrying out site remediation activities.

February 10, 2023
The city received confirmation that the Nature Conservancy has received the city’s wetland mitigation in-lieu-of fee for impacts to the wetlands, clearing the way for full site clearing and remediation activities to commence. 

February 24, 2023
Buckeye Elm mobilized and remediation activities are in the beginning stages. The contractor is clearing and stockpiling materials. Innovative Environmental Technologies continues efforts to mobilize with a start date to occur some time in March 2023 for the groundwater remediation portion of the project.

March 2, 2023
Buckeye Elm continued initial clearing and site preparation activities. Initial sorting and processing of materials will commence after this work has been completed. 

March 17, 2023
Buckeye Elm completed debris pile clean-up and stockpiled the material on-site. Buckeye Elm has also completed the excavation of the lead-impacted soil areas. Patriot Engineering also collected confirmation samples from the areas of excavation, as well as the debris pile locations. In addition, Patriot Engineering has also collected samples from the stockpiled materials for waste characterization purposes. Groundwater injections to remediate contamination identified on the site have now commenced.

March 24, 2023
Crews are completing 6 to 8 injection points per day. Predicted heavy rain may affect the planned injection activity schedule. Patriot Engineering has received results from the debris pile and lead-impacted soil confirmation samples. No exceedances of any action levels were observed in the debris pile samples; however, two exceedances of the lead action level were seen in samples from one of the lead-impacted soil areas. The area will be over-excavated to address this condition in accordance with the remediation plans for the site.

April 14, 2023
Remediation work continues. Drilling and Injection work was completed. The next step will involve monitoring wells to observe the efficacy of the treatments as part of the voluntary action plan program. Buckeye Elm will resume activities to complete over-excavation of contaminated soils to achieve Voluntary Action Plan standards. Loading and transport of the debris piles will also commence. In addition, the city is now securing proposals to demolish the structure located at 501 Loveland Madeira Road, clearing the way to achieve full access onto Loveland Madeira Road to accommodate the eventual redevelopment of the Chestnut Street property. 

April 21, 2023
Now all groundwater injections have been completed, and the monitoring phase will soon commence to determine the efficacy of the treatments as part of the remediation process. Buckeye Elm is resuming waste removal, over-excavation of contaminated soils, and sorting/shipping and disposal in accordance with all applicable laws. The city has been completing and receiving timely reimbursements for the grant funding from the State in support of the remediation efforts.

April 28, 2023
Buckeye Elm is mobilizing again to complete additional work, now that groundwater injections have been completed. Patriot Engineering will be installing additional groundwater monitoring wells as part of the grant program to ascertain the efficacy of the treatments. Work continues per the anticipated project schedule thus far, with now major issues encountered to date.

May 18, 2023
City staff met with Buckeye Elm Contracting and Patriot Engineering to review plans for final site clean-up and post-remediation restoration work. Work will continue in the coming weeks to fully address any remaining waste piles and excess debris not removed as part of the regulated waste removal activities. In addition, monitoring efforts will commence soon with remaining monitoring wells scheduled for installation upon conclusion of the site excavation activities.

June 12, 2023
Demolition of the structure at 501 Loveland Madeira Road (city owned property) was completed. Removal of the vacant structure creates a preferred access point into the Chestnut Street property.

June 23, 2023
Remediation work is wrapping up at the Chestnut Street Property, with the contractor addressing stumps, root balls, rough grading, and other work required to bring the site into a maintenance phase while the remaining voluntary action plan work is completed. Groundwater monitoring wells have been set and initial testing has been completed. The city is awaiting results from Patriot Engineering regarding the groundwater testing. Several rounds of groundwater testing will be needed to achieve final environmental clearances from the Ohio EPA through the Voluntary Action Plan Program.

July 7, 2023
Removal of downed vegetation and stumps continued. Work progresses to continue final clean-up on site, which should be complete in the next 30-45 days. Sampling and monitoring work continues in pursuit of the remediation plan.

July 14, 2023
City staff met with representatives from Patriot Engineering and Buckeye Elm to review conditions on the site and to discuss the final post-remediation clean-up progress. Monitoring work is ongoing. More samples will be collected, and the remaining root balls and vegetation will be removed from the site in the next couple of weeks, weather permitting.

July 24, 2023
Crews have now been able to clear rudimentary access from the recently acquired 501 Loveland Madeira Road property. Some final cleanup of logs and other downed vegetation remains to be completed. Groundwater monitoring efforts continue and will continue to occur on a regularly scheduled basis as part of the Voluntary Action Program to clear the site for future development. Utility investigation has yielded an available outlet for storm water detention, and the city is still investigating remaining utility access, including the most feasible avenue for achieving sanitary sewer connections to facilitate future development.

August 25, 2023
Chestnut Street is well into the monitoring period with remediation activities now substantially complete. Utility investigations have yielded that the site can be developed with adequate utilities. As the monitoring process continues, the city will begin the process of marketing the site for future development.