HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-21-2000-9ai
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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 21, 2000
Action Agenda
Item No. - ~ _Q
_SUBJECT: Fairview Park .Testing Results/ Fairview Youth Baseball Facility Use
DEPARTMENT: County Engineer, ERCD and PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
Recreation and Parks
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul Thames, 245-2303
Bob Janes, 245-2661
David Stancil, 245-2590
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-45Q1
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To receive the results of the soil testing and Fairview Park, and to consider use of
this or another facility for the Fairview Youth Baseball (FYB) group.
BACKGROUND: In November of last year, the Board authorized soil testing to be performed at
Fairview Park in north Hillsborough to determine whether a playing field could be created and
used this summer by the Fairview Youth Baseball group.
At the Board's direction, the County's environmental/geotechnical consultant, Trigon
Engineering, was instructed on February 17 to expedite a porkion of the Fairview Park
investigation. The goal was to try to determine if it was practical to continue using the existing
"playing field" for youth baseball activities this season. Accordingly, Trigon was directed to
initiate an expedited and additional series of environmental tests targeting only the area in an
around the ball field. The soil samples were taken on February 25, 2000 and received by the
laboratory for analytical testing on February 26~'. Orange County and Trigon received the
results of the lab tests on March 13'".
In accordance with EPA and NCDENR guidelines, Trigon collected three sets of three discrete
soil samples from the top two feet of soil in and around the ball field. Each set of samples was
combined and the three resulting composite samples were analyzed for the presence of volatile
organic compounds (VOC's), semi-volatile organic compounds (sVOC's), PCB/pesticides and
RCRA 8 metals. One additional or "background" sample, intended to establish non-landfill-
related background or baseline levels of the various chemicals for which the site was tested,
was taken from an area of the Fairview property lying approximately 500 feet northwest of the
landfilled area.
To summarize, the results of the testing indicate.
+ None of the samples have quantifiable levels of any of the VOC's, sVOC's or PCB/pesticides (more
than 1.60 chemicals). .
• Levels of arsenic, ranging from 10 to 19.7 parts per million (ppm), were found in the samples at the
field and in the background sample. Detection of arsenic at these levels will prompt a more detailed
evaluation of these landings. .Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can often be found at
levels well in excess of 4 ppm in areas that have not been affected by human activity. It is not clear
whether the arsenic levels detected. at Fairview Park are naturally occurring or are related to previous
waste disposal operations. It is unlikely that any regulatory agency would require remediation of
natural or background levels of arsenic.
• None of the above RCRA 8 metals, with the exception of arsenic, were detected at levels that were
sufficient to even require reporting to the EPA ar NCDENR. All of the samples do show quantifiable
levels of six of the RCRA 8 metals (arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury). No
selenium or silver (the two remaining RCRA $ metals) were detected at quantifiable levels.
The consequences of the arsenic findings, in terms of regulatory requirements for Fairview
Park, are~not clear at this time. Typically, a standard action level and remediation goal for
arsenic in residential/recreational areas may be 4 ppm or less.
The 4 ppm level is not an unequivocal standard, however. Regulators may rule that the level of
arsenic detected represents merely the background level and is consequently not actionable
from a regulatory standpoint. Conversely, regulators may require that the County undertake
additional testing to more firmly establish the background bevel.
It is expected that the issues surrounding any further investigation and review of the arsenic
findings may take several months to resolve. Since any potential mitigation strategy for the
continued use of the existing field would involve some sort of construction (earth moving, filling,
grading, etc.), the field would not be playable this year because a new grass surface will have to
be established for the outfield -which could not be accomplished during the upcoming playing
season. Staff is continuing to work with Trigon to complete the testing of Fairview Park,
determine the regulatory implications of test results, and develop strategies - as necessary - to
mitigate the situation at the ball field and other areas of the park. Staff will continue to advise
and update the Board ahd the public on the results of the testing program and the implications
of those findings.
With the Fairview Park field unavailable during the upcoming season, staff has developed an
alternative or contingency plan for use and/or upgrade of nearby school playing fields, in
cooperation with the Orange County Schools. Arrangements have been made for the playing
field at Hillsborough Elementary School to be upgraded for use as a baseball field for practice,
and the possibility of use of the baseball field at Orange High School for games. However,
schedule issues (particularly with the field at Orange High which is used by other organizations
during the summer) will need to be resolved with FYB and the other parties that use this field.
Use of the fields may also require signage far public awareness to alert walkers and other field
users of the FYB playing and practice schedule. With Hillsborough Elementary being ayear-
round school, this field will be available during the summer break of June 9-July, but will only be
available far practice during the week afker 6:00 p.m., once school starts back on July 10. The
potential for providing transportation for the FYB players to and from the playing fields is being
explored with Orange Public Transportation.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is na direct financial impact associated with receiving the results of
the testing. Improving the Hillsborough Elementary playing field for use as a practice facility is
expected to involve only skimming of the infield area, and the cost of this will be determined by
Recreation and Parks staff after a site visit.
RECOMMENDATION(S):. The Manager recommends that the Board receive the report as
information, and direct staff to take the following next steps to secure playing and practice fields
for the Fairview Youth Baseball group:
• Develop a formal arrangement with the Orange County Schools for use of the Hillsborough
Elementary and Orange High School fields for the FYB this summer.
• Instruct the Recreation and Parks Department to prepare the Hillsborough Elementary
School site for use (skimming of the infield area).
• Develop a basic agreement between FYB and the County for use of these fields under
County's auspices and transportation to the fields.
• Instruct Recreation and Parks to develop, as soon as possible, a schedule of activities with
the FYB for use of these fields.
• Instruct staff to make arrangements with Orange Public Transportation for getting the FYB
players to the fields at scheduled times, where practical