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City updates residents on slow progress toward cleanup at Titan missile site; community pushes for faster action
Summary
City staff and community members gave updates on remediation of TCE and lead contamination at the former Titan missile site; residents criticized perceived delays by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and asked the city to press federal agencies for faster cleanup and clearer public information.
City staff provided an update on remediation efforts at the former Titan missile site and associated contamination near Crocker Knoll and Sun City, and residents urged more aggressive action and clearer federal accountability.
City Manager Sean Scully said the issue has drawn sustained attention and advocacy, and that progress has included formation of a Remediation Advisory Board (RAB) convened by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said monitoring wells placed near the residential border have generally shown nondetect results for TCE in those locations to date, which staff described as encouraging. Scully said the Corps has not yet released a remediation plan (the engineering plan that would identify cleanup approaches, costs and a schedule) and current Corps timelines on its website indicate a possible completion of that stage in 2026.
Public commenters at the council meeting said they fear contamination of soils, soil vapor and groundwater, and that spent ammunition and lead are present on the 46-acre parcel. Anne (last name not specified in the transcript) provided a packet to council describing structural problems and contamination on the site and urged the city to press the Corps. A resident who lives adjacent to the property expressed frustration about delays and the owner’s inability to get Corps cooperation to clear weeds and access monitoring wells; that resident said a private property owner has begun mowing weeds and asked the city to demand a Corps meeting with higher-level officials.
City staff and attendees said Placer County is coordinating lead-removal work on portions of the site; staff said the county has budgeted and assigned a contractor to excavate contaminated soils and transport them to an appropriate hazardous-waste landfill. Scully said that work is expected to be finished by the end of the year or early next year for the county-controlled portion. The city emphasized that lead-remediation for the county parcel is further along than the Corps’ work on the former missile complex.
Council and public speakers stressed the need to remain vigilant, continue monitoring, push for a publicly released remediation plan and advocate for federal funding and prioritization. City staff said the RAB continues to hold public meetings and issue written responses and newsletters, and that the next RAB meeting will be held in June at McBean Pavilion to accommodate wider public attendance.
No formal action was required; the council treated the item as an informational update and public comment opportunity. Residents asked the city to continue pressing the Corps of Engineers, coordinate with Placer County and the state water board, and keep the community informed about monitoring results and milestones toward a remediation plan and federal appropriations.
