City staff brief committee on two municipal‑settings designation applications for contaminated sites

City staff presented two municipal‑setting designation (MSD) applications to the Quality of Life Committee, describing past cleanup work and monitoring at the Ismaili Center site (2323 Allen Parkway) and a separate Go Forth Street property and explaining why the city is being asked to approve MSD restrictions that would prohibit construction of drinking water wells on the parcels.

The committee heard that the Ismaili Center site, owned by Aga Khan Foundation USA (local entity Amara Houston), covers about 11.8 acres along Allen Parkway. Cassandra Walker, administration manager for Brownfields and MSDs in Infrastructure and Development Services for Houston Water, said contractors removed contaminated soil and groundwater from the portion of the site identified by state investigators. "The white area is the excavation site. That is the site that had the contamination and that is the site that they removed the contamination physically removed the contamination from," Walker said. Wilde Associates prepared investigation reports for the property; Paul Wilde represented the applicant during the briefing.

Walker told the committee the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conducted an initial property assessment and requested additional sampling. Wilde Associates completed the requested work and TCEQ found the groundwater plume had been delineated. Walker said the applicant excavated and removed contaminated soils and associated contaminated groundwater prior to construction; TCEQ will not approve the state-level APAR until the city approves an MSD for the property. Walker also said Republic Services landfill facilities, permitted by TCEQ, are receiving the removed soils.

The Go Forth Street application was presented by Trevor Cole, a professional geologist. That site, accepted into the TCEQ Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP), was assigned VCP ID 3207 after detection of chlorinated solvents in soil and groundwater and some petroleum compounds associated with historical operations. Cole and Walker described monitoring wells installed to delineate a shallow groundwater plume. Cole explained Go Forth’s approach relies primarily on monitored natural attenuation; quarterly sampling shows concentrations decreasing but the process can be slow. "We have been monitoring the site for about two years and have seen enough attenuation to show a decrease, but ultimately it can probably take on the order of tens of years," he told the committee.

Officials emphasized the scope and limits of MSDs: an MSD is a voluntary, deed‑based restriction that prohibits use of contaminated groundwater for drinking and is intended to protect the public while cleanup and monitoring continue. Walker said an MSD does not affect municipal drinking water service to surrounding properties, does not obligate nearby property owners, and does not cure contamination — responsible parties remain responsible for cleanup. The city’s MSD review process includes public notice and a hearing before the council; TCEQ retains final certification authority and records any ordinance on the property deed.

Members of the committee asked about disposal of excavated materials and about signposting of sites. Walker said the Ismaili site soils and groundwater went to Republic Services landfills permitted by TCEQ and that Go Forth has no warning signs posted because potable water is supplied by the city and the MSD is intended to prevent future well installation on the property. The committee did not vote; staff said the applications will proceed through the city process and then to TCEQ for final action.

Ending: The presentations were informational and no votes were taken at the committee meeting. City staff said MSD applications and full supporting documents are available at certain Houston Public Library branches and online through Houston Public Works; TCEQ remains the state authority for final MSD certification.