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Council records highway authority agreement making Park District responsible for past UST contamination cleanup
Summary
Council approved an agreement clarifying the Oak Forest Park District, not the city, is legally responsible for remediation and disposal costs associated with a historic underground storage tank leak under Forest Avenue; the agreement sets safety and disposal rules for future excavations.
The City Council approved an ordinance formalizing a Highway Authority Agreement and Environmental Indemnity with the Oak Forest Park District concerning a historic underground storage-tank leak that impacted the public right-of-way beneath Forest Avenue.
City Administrator Moses Amidei explained the agreement designates the Park District as the responsible party for any future soil disposal and cleanup costs stemming from the past leak, and imposes required safety and disposal guidelines for municipal work undertaken in the contaminated zone. "The agreement establishes that the city is not the responsible party for any environmental contamination in this area," Amidei said. The council noted this type of indemnity agreement is common and that the city already maintains similar agreements.
Alderperson McCarthy moved to approve the ordinance and Alderperson Vetter seconded. The motion passed by roll call vote (recorded as carried; meeting minutes show the vote and one abstention on a different item during the meeting). The ordinance must be recorded to allow planned water-main and sewer work to proceed in the corridor without exposing the city to cleanup liability.
