Skate Park Moves Past Challenges
Construction continues at the new skate park in Oskaloosa
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Residents of Mahaska County and Oskaloosa have been watching the progress of the new Skate Park since the site broke ground in mid June.
Along the way, the park has mostly moved along without much of a hitch and became one of the topics during the past city council elections. Beyond the discussion of location or how it may or may not be impacting business for the good or the bad, one problem came up that could have caused major problems for the project.
During the construction phase, workers ran across old tanks that are possibly associated with the old ‘Holiday’ gas station that was located in the area. I asked Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Schrock Jr. about the tanks and what the city is doing about the issue.
Schrock stated in an email, “On October 7, 2011 the city was notified that the construction crew hit what appeared to be an underground fuel tank. Officials from the city, the construction crew and Musco immediately contacted officials within the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as well as Terracon Consultants, Inc., a geotechnical and environmental consulting firm to request their assistance in identifying the fuel tank and the proper steps to handle the tank closure.”
Schrock continued, “The following Monday, the IDNR was on site with the Terracon and the construction team to inspect the tank and it was determined through site inspection and a review of historical records that the tank was in fact used for the purpose of storing/dispensing fuel. The IDNR outlined options for the construction team to pursue to properly resolve the situation. The team chose to fill the tank with a flowable-mortar and keep the tank in the ground. This is an approved IDNR method for a tank closure in this situation. The IDNR does require additional samples of the ground to be taken from the site and sent to a laboratory for further analysis. This process was handled by Terracon out of Des Moines over the last month or so. The results from the sampling process are then placed into a report that is sent to the city and then to the IDNR for their review and analysis.”
On Tuesday, Schrock and the City got the report back from Terracon, and the city is reviewing the information with consultants. Schrock stated the City will be sending a copy to the IDNR as is required. “The IDNR is expected to have a response to the analysis within a month or so and that is when we will know if additional testing will be required at the site beyond the tank closure we just completed.”
Past stories on the park:
- Planning and Zoning Gives Approval To The New Skate Park Site Plan
- New Oskaloosa Skate Park has ground breaking ceremony
- Construction Continues On New Access To Penn Central Mall
- Skate Park Construction Kicks In
- Skate Park Moves Forward in Oskaloosa
- Oskaloosa Skate Park Ready For Concrete
