HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter #05 from Ham Co. Drainage Board 6-26-13HAMILTON COUNTY DRAINAGE BOARD
One Hamilton County Square, Suite 188
Noblesville, IN 46060
President: Christine Altman
Vice President: Mark Heirbrandt
Member: Steven C. Dillinger
June 24, 2013
City of Carmel Plan Commission
Department of Community Services
ATTN: Mike Hollibaugh
One Civic Square
Carmel, IN 46032
RE: Ricker's Convenience Store at Legacy
Dear Mr. Hollibaugh:
Phone: 317- 776 -9627
Fax: 317-776-9628
This letter is regarding the proposed Ricker's Convenience Store and Gas Station within
the Legacy Development at the southwest corner of 146th and River Road.
This Board acknowledges the fact that Ricker's is a good corporate citizen. The Board
also acknowledges that a facility such as what is being proposed is needed in the 146th Street
Corridor. However, accidents do happen along with failures in equipment and structures. These
things do occur to the best intentioned, managed and constructed facilities.
However, this proposed gas station, with underground storage tanks, falls in a wellhead
protection area for the City of Carmel wells, the 1 year time of travel of a Citizens Energy Group
wellhead, and falls in 3 different 3,000 foot buffer zones for 3 public water supply wells for
Graylan Place and Hamilton Estates Trailer Parks. In addition to being proposed in an area with
very porous soils, underlain by sand and gravel, the area also has a very high seasonable ground
water elevation. In research completed by the Hamilton County Surveyor's Office staff, based
on information from the United States Geological Survey Monitoring Well just west of this site,
the highest ground water elevation on record for that area is approximately 746.35 feet above
MSL. This means the ground water elevation may be only 10 to 12 feet below the surface at the
proposed gas station and the underground storage tanks may, at certain times, be in direct contact
with the seasonally high ground water elevation. This would be very devastating, if the same
type of failure happened at this location, as happened at Guilford Road and Main Street on
August 23, 2008, which released approximately 8,000 gallons of gasoline.
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This letter is regarding the proposed Ricker's Convenience Store and Gas Station within
the Legacy Development at the southwest corner of 146th and River Road.
This Board acknowledges the fact that Ricker's is a good corporate citizen. The Board
also acknowledges that a facility such as what is being proposed is needed in the 146th Street
Corridor. However, accidents do happen along with failures in equipment and structures. These
things do occur to the best intentioned, managed and constructed facilities.
However, this proposed gas station, with underground storage tanks, falls in a wellhead
protection area for the City of Carmel wells, the 1 year time of travel of a Citizens Energy Group
wellhead, and falls in 3 different 3,000 foot buffer zones for 3 public water supply wells for
Graylan Place and Hamilton Estates Trailer Parks. In addition to being proposed in an area with
very porous soils, underlain by sand and gravel, the area also has a very high seasonable ground
water elevation. In research completed by the Hamilton County Surveyor's Office staff, based
on information from the United States Geological Survey Monitoring Well just west of this site,
the highest ground water elevation on record for that area is approximately 746.35 feet above
MSL. This means the ground water elevation may be only 10 to 12 feet below the surface at the
proposed gas station and the underground storage tanks may, at certain times, be in direct contact
with the seasonally high ground water elevation. This would be very devastating, if the same
type of failure happened at this location, as happened at Guilford Road and Main Street on
August 23, 2008, which released approximately 8,000 gallons of gasoline.
Although the Indiana Department of Environmental Management made changes to allow
underground storage tanks with certain standards in wellhead protection areas, this Board does
not believe the rule change contemplated situations like the case presented with this project.
Also, please consider the very real possibility of contamination due to surface spills. The
spill from an unattended hose by someone filling a vehicle could enter the aquifer quickly.
Much worse would be a spill from a tanker truck filling the underground storage tanks.
This proposed project has the potential to contaminate a valuable resource in Hamilton County
and could taint a water supply that serves people well beyond the constituents of the City of
Carmel. Please consider the possible environmental liabilities this proposed project creates by
allowing this land use in the wellhead protection area at the proposed location.
Because of these concerns, this Board recommend against the approval of this project.
CC: Mayor Brainard — City of Carmel
Mayor Cook — City of Westfield
Ken Alexander — Westfield Department of Public Works
Jeff Willman — Citizens Energy Group
Tom Edens Enterprises LLC — Graylan Place
Lawrence Weeks — Hamilton Estates