Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Belvidere approves termination and escrow to close Wycliffe subdivision methane monitoring wells
Summary
The committee approved agreements to terminate a 2003 monitoring-well arrangement near the landfill, with Freed Corporation escrowing funds to cap wells after more than 20 years of monitoring that have shown no methane leaching.
The Committee of the Whole approved a city attorney–drafted agreement on June 22 to terminate a long-standing monitoring-well arrangement in the Wycliffe subdivision and to require Freed Corporation to escrow funds to guarantee statutory closure of the wells.
City Attorney Drella said the wells were installed in early 2003 after methane was reported migrating toward residences near the landfill. "We have never seen any indication of any leaking methane since they put those monitoring wells in over 20 years ago," Drella said. Freed Corporation is winding down operations and will not be available to maintain the wells indefinitely, so the termination/escrow agreement sets a closure plan and money aside to perform the work and restore yards.
Drella said the city contacted the Environmental Protection Agency, which "took no position" on the legal termination because EPA was not party to the original 2003 agreement but noted there has been no indication of leaching gas toward the subdivision. The committee approved the termination and escrow arrangement by voice vote.
Alderman Peterson asked whether EPA signed off on closing the wells; Drella said EPA declined to take a legal position but indicated it had no concern given the monitoring history. The transcript records no persistent methane detections since the wells were installed and some homeowners previously installed radon-like mitigation systems as a precaution.
The termination agreement and escrow require Freed Corporation to cap the monitoring wells in accordance with statute and codes and provide funds to complete the closure so homeowners near the wells will not be left responsible for maintenance or closure costs.
