County hears update on possible end to Dirks Oil property

     In 2006, Jones County acquired the property located at 311 W. Main St. in Wyoming. This property used to be the former Dirks Oil Station, owned by Cliff Dirks.

   Shortly after, the county started working with Scott Behrends, GeoSource, Inc., to assess the level of contamination from the underground tanks from the former business. This was at the recommendation of the DNR, which was funded by a grant.

   Every year, the county has received updates regarding the level of product in the ground, via Behrends and/or the County Engineer.

   During the June 20 Jones County Supervisor meeting, Behrends filled the county in on the situation to-date…

   With the property in the county’s hands, the county worked to have the buildings torn down, wanting to see the property put back on the tax rolls.

   “The site is considered ‘no action’ by the DNR,” explained Behrends. “It’s a special classification. It’s ‘no action’ with free product present. I’ll keep working with the free product until it’s gone.”

   Behrends further explained that the DNR has new guidelines to help address leaving free product in the ground.

   “Only two or three sites have been closed with this new guideline,” he told the board.

   The Dirks site has about half a foot of gasoline on top of the water table.

   “That’s better than it has been. The product has moved around,” said Behrends. “There is product in the different wells (which are 35 feet deep). There’s no way to guess how many gallons, and whether we can recover that is the problem. The recent product has been more clear, yellowish.”

   “So what’s our outcome?” asked Supervisor Jeff Swisher. “How long do we have to stick with this?”

   Behrends said some sites that were labeled as having no free product were shut down four or five years ago.

   “The DNR rules have given us a way out,” continued Behrends. “In the next three years, the fund (the grant) will run out of money. The DNR is doing what it can to get these places closed up before that happens.”

   The Iowa Legislature has a sunset date on the funding.

   County Auditor Whitney Hein said the DNR has requested a project update within the next 30 days. Behrends put a report together that the county will send to the DNR.

   “I’ll try and get you out of this as quickly as I can,” offered Behrends of the “no action” classification. “As far as I’m concerned, it should be no further action, period. I’m not sure why the free product is a problem.”