Commission assigns mitigation for Kickapoo street environmental work in ODOT modification
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Summary
The commission approved a modification to the city’s agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for the Kickapoo Street widening project; the amendment assigns responsibility to the city for some environmental mitigation related to past contamination along the project corridor.
The Shawnee City Commission approved a modification agreement with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) that assigns the city responsibility for some environmental mitigation along Kickapoo Street as part of an upcoming widening project (state job number 3225504).
Seth Barkeimer, director of engineering, told the commission the modification formally assigns responsibility for some environmental mitigation along Kickapoo, a preliminary step as the city gears up to widen Kickapoo from Spur to Farrell (spelled in packet as Feral/Farrel). Staff recommended approval.
A commissioner questioned whether contamination arose from a former on-site tank leak and whether an active site still has monitoring wells; Barkeimer said a former leak had caused contaminants that must be mitigated in the project and that a monitoring well on the currently occupied site is regularly tested by the Corporation Commission.
The commissioner also asked if the property owner or operator had specialty insurance that could cover mitigation costs; staff said they had no knowledge of such insurance at the meeting.
The commission moved, seconded and the item carried 4-0.
Staff and commissioners noted mitigation is required where contaminants are found in the right-of-way and that National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review and mitigation obligations are part of the project’s process. Specific remediation costs or insurance coverage determinations were not provided during the meeting.