PG&E Begins Removal of Contaminated Soil From Former SLO Gas Plant
The cleanup of contaminated soil at a San Luis Obispo lot is underway. PG & E says it will take 10 months to remove the oil contaminated dirt.
The site has been there since 1905 but now because of a public health concern they’re removing all of the contaminated dirt there and businesses in the area say they want to see this happen.
“I think it’s great,” Jenna Congdon, manager at The Station, said.
Jenna Congdon is the manager of “The Station,” a wine shop and event space across from where the San Luis Gas and Electric Co. operated a manufactured gas plant from 1905 to 1918.
“I think it’s really important that PG & E and other neighboring businesses around here as well take care and clean up any messes that are here and continue to improve this part of town,” Congdon said.
The Station opened in July of last year – they were fully aware of the situation across the street.
“Might be a little tough on our business,” Congdon said. “It’s definitely going to affect us to have these trucks coming in and out and the noise and the dust and that sort of thing.”
PG & E now owns the land at Walker and Pismo streets. It’s believed there’s polluted petroleum and metals like arsenic and lead as far deep as 20 feet below the surface.
A PG & E spokesperson says safety is their number one priority and that there will be no risk to the public during the project.
“We just hope that people continue to come and support all the businesses here while this is going on,” Congdon said.
Permits have been approved to tear down four trees and demolish these two structures this month. Excavation starts in September.
900 truck loads will bring about 20,000 tons of dirt to two waste sites outside of the county. PG & E hopes to re-develop the land.
“I get out and get off my butt and go walk for at least 5 to 7 miles a day,” SLO resident Nancy Ward said.
Nancy Ward takes her personal health seriously – that’s why she’s glad to see this public health risk being addressed.
“I want to stay around to bug my kids, I like annoying them, they annoyed me enough!” Ward said.
“They’ve assured us that it’s going to be a safe cleanup so I know they’ll do their best to make sure we all stay healthy,” Congdon said.
The project is scheduled to last for about 10 months and cost about 12 million dollars.
