REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 12, 2023
FROM
BRENDON BIGGS, Director, Department of Public Works - Special Districts
JAMES E. JENKINS, Director, Department of Airports
SUBJECT
Title
Plans and Specifications for the Chino Airport Monitoring Wells Project
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve the plans and specifications for the Chino Airport Monitoring Wells Project.
2. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works to advertise the Chino Airport Monitoring Wells Project for formal bids.
(Presenter: Brendon Biggs, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Sufficient appropriation for the Chino Airport Monitoring Wells Project (Project) has been included in the County’s 2023-24 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget (WBSE 10.10.0556) and will be included in future recommended budgets, as necessary.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On October 31, 1990, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) issued Clean-up and Abatement Order No. 90-134 to San Bernardino County (County) for suspected contamination of groundwater beneath and near Chino Airport (Airport). The groundwater is suspected to have been contaminated due to past usage of chemicals that contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) by prior Airport occupants of the Airport property. The County has since complied with this order by conducting investigative activities at the Airport to identify potential sources of contamination to understand the extent of groundwater contamination.
In June 2008, the Water Board issued Clean-up and Abatement Order No. R8-2008-0064, which required the County to conduct additional soil and groundwater investigations and develop a remedial action plan for containment and mitigation of VOCs in groundwater downgradient of the Airport.
During 2016 and 2017, the County prepared a Feasibility Study to identify and evaluate options to properly mitigate environmental impacts from past operations and historic activities at the Airport. On January 11, 2017, the Water Board issued Cleanup and Abatement Order (CAO) No. R8-2017-0011, which superseded the previous orders, and continued the requirements for the County to complete the groundwater investigation and added a new reporting requirement. Based upon the Final Feasibility Study, a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) was prepared proposing implementation of a pump-and-treat system using Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) treatment, in coordination with the Chino Desalter Authority. The RAP was reviewed by the Water Board and redesignated as an Interim RAP (IRAP). On January 29, 2019 (Item No. 24), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the IRAP and related California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents. The IRAP was approved by the Water Board on November 4, 2020.
In June 2021, in compliance with the Water Board order and approved IRAP, the County, as part of a human health screening-level risk evaluation, performed and submitted the results of the supplemental vapor intrusion and shallow soil investigation to the Water Board. In response to the Water Board’s comments and feedback to this investigation, on January 3, 2023, the County submitted a Work Plan to the Water Board for a focused Supplemental Investigation at Areas of Concern EE, HH, and J/K. This Work Plan provided additional data used to update the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment previously completed by the County. The Work Plan was approved by the Water Board on March 14, 2023, and requires, upon completion of additional sampling and analysis in the focused areas of concern, the construction and installation of three groundwater monitoring wells for future monitoring of groundwater for potential chemicals of concern resulting from historical activities by Airport tenants. Additional monitoring wells may be necessary, following review of future soil gas data and as determined by the consultant.
Approval of this item will allow the County to construct additional monitoring wells to remain in compliance with the Water Board order through continued groundwater monitoring at the Airport. The Project is in compliance with the approved IRAP and associated CEQA documents and is on the same site as the Chino Airport Groundwater Remedial Project Phase One, such that no new CEQA analysis or documentation is required.
PROCUREMENT
Upon Board approval of this item, the bid process will begin with issuance of an advertisement for bids in the County’s Electronic Procurement (ePro) Network in accordance with Section 22037 of the California Public Contract Code. The Department of Public Works - Special Districts is managing the Project for the County and anticipates returning to the Board in December 2023 with a recommendation for award of the construction contract.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest and Maria Insixiengmay, Deputy County Counsels, 387-5455) on August 15, 2023; Finance (Tom Forster, 387-4635 and Carl Lofton 387-5404, Administrative Analysts) on August 24, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on August 27, 2023.