RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCY – H. MAVROGENES 

Consider the need for emergency repairs to the EW-4 well, a County maintained groundwater extraction system well at the landfill, due to the critical need for EW-4 to provide essential groundwater extraction system monitoring to protect public health and property from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) migration; adopt findings required under section 22050(a)(2) the Public Contract Code and section 15269(a) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; approve the emergency repairs without adopting plans, specifications, strain sheets or working details, or giving notice for bids to let the contract, pursuant to sections 20134(a) and 22050(a)(1) of the Public Contract Code (4/5 vote); and ratify approval of the contract with James Sommerville Inc. (JSI), in the amount of $14,500, to complete the emergency repair.

SBC FILE NUMBER: 75.4

EW-4 is the critical well for capturing on site contaminated groundwater and needs immediate repair to ensure contaminated groundwater will not migrate offsite and raise the VOC concentrations to levels above the required threshold per the California Water Board Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB). The CCRWQCB requires the County to report per Section D. 1.a.ii of Monitoring and Reporting Program Order R3-2013-0047 to perform groundwater monitoring and extraction reporting using this system and without EW-4 functioning the VOCs could increase to levels that are unsafe for the public and for county property.

In Q1 of 2020, the CCRWQCB required that the County secure a vault box over groundwater extraction monitoring plumbing and the County had a contractor complete this work to meet the Water Board’s deadline.  After this work was completed, it was discovered that the EW-4 line was damaged and suddenly not working properly. Contract staff noted there were still issues with EW-4 even after replacing a pump and this poses an emergency situation due to threats to public health and property damage from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) migrating. Additionally, immediate action is necessary to avoid fines and or compliance orders from the CCRWQCB. Staff developed a scope of work to get the problem resolved and received 3 proposals to complete the work.

Emergency repairs to publicly or privately owned serviced facilities necessary to maintain service essential to the public health, safety or welfare are categorically exempt from CEQA under section 15369(b) of the CEQA Guidelines.

County staff notified WCI staff and the Water Board and have scheduled to start the work on 7/29/20 to immediately address the problem. County staff will continue to keep the RMA Director, CCRWQCB staff and WCI staff updated on the project completion.

Staff respectfully recommends that the Board:

1)     Consider the need for emergency repairs to the EW-4 well, a County maintained groundwater extraction system well at the landfill, due to the critical need for EW-4 to provide essential groundwater extraction system monitoring to protect public health and property from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) migration;

2)     Find, pursuant to 22050(a)(2) of the Public Contract Code, that the emergency damage to the EW-4 well will not permit a delay resulting from a competitive solicitation for bids, and that the repair is necessary to respond to the emergency;

3)     Find that the emergency repair work is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to section 15269(b) of the CEQA Guidelines;

4)     Approve the emergency repairs without adopting plans, specifications, strain sheets or working details, or giving notice for bids to let the contract, pursuant to sections 20134(a) and 22050(a)(1) of the Public Contract Code (4/5 vote); and

5)     Ratify approval of the contract with James Sommerville Inc. (JSI) in the amount of $14,500, to complete the emergency repair.