2015.04.14 Work Session Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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the water and that they would like to have the City continue to operate NBCGRS to do this. Lotter explained that the Army clearly stated that they wanted the City to continue to have control over and to continue to operate the existing treatment process. Lotter also indicated the Army understands that the City has received $60 million to address water contamination issues and wants the City to use a portion of it to address the DX issue. Ideally, the City would like to see additional money to handle the DX concerns. Keil reviewed how the interim response would meet consumer demand for water on a normal use day as well as a day during peak demand. A discussion ensued regarding what implications this has for New Brighton's neighboring communities of Fridley and St. Anthony Village. Keil stated that preliminary modeling shows that dominant hydraulic forces would likely move the discharge underneath Columbia Heights and Minneapolis into the Mississippi River which is large enough to dilute it to levels below the Health Risk Limits. Keil provided comment on potential longer term response options including an Advanced Oxidation process and a Synthetic Media Adsorption. The City's next steps would be to review the efficiency, efficacy and cost effectiveness for the various methods of treating DX and proceed from there. He anticipated that it could take as long as four years to find, implement, bid and construct a solution. Lotter asked if the Council was comfortable with staff implementing the interim response described by Keil: turning the valves off at NBCGRS and the interconnect to Fridley and turning on the deep wells located in Mount Simon - Hinckley. He informed them that staff would like to implement this immediately. He assured the Council that he has been in communication with Fridley, St. Anthony Village and Ramsey County staff during this process. He stated that City staff wanted to be proactive in getting a letter out to its residents as soon as possible and he would like to be able to tell residents that an interim solution has already been put into place. Lotter apprised the Council of political challenges staff experienced during this process. He noted he would be meeting with the Governor's office on April 15, 2015 and would be attending another meeting with Fredrikson and Byron, Barr Engineering, the Army, the EPA, the MPCA, the MDH, Ramsey County and others on April 23, 2015. Councilmember Bauman supported the City's interim response. She asked if water used for sprinkling (contaminated with DX) would contaminate the soil or have any effects on New Brighton's neighboring communities. Keil explained that, over time, the DX would dissipate with sunlight and other environmental factors. It would not stay there. Lotter thanked Councilmember Bauman for her question and encouraged the Council to forward any further questions to staff prior to the Town Hall meeting / Community Open House. Councilmember Burg questioned if the DX contaminated water would have any dermal impacts. Keil stated that is the City's hope that the Health Department addresses these types of concerns since they have the toxicology reports. He clarified that it is understood that DX cannot be absorbed by skin. He indicated the only health concern for DX was long -term consumption. Councilmember Bauman requested that staff provide the Council with further information on the DX water treatment plant in Tucson, Arizona and asked staff what the short term message to the public would be. Lotter assured her that staff would be speaking with officials from this plant. He described anticipated short term impacts and the communications that would be made from the City to the residents. He stated that the City of New Brighton was committed to partnering with neighboring cities to communicate with their residents and that the City would be working with the various agencies and the neighboring communities on the timing of the letter to residents.