An agreement is pending approval that would allow for the continued collection of groundwater samples from two monitoring wells located on vacant Livingston County property in Howell.

The county’s Public Safety & Infrastructure and Development Committee met recently and approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with Textron Inc. for temporary access to county property for the purpose of groundwater monitoring activities. A previous agreement granted the company access to the vacant property of the county’s West Complex near Highlander Way and Grand River for the installation and monitoring of groundwater monitoring wells for a two year period. A separate company, Stantec Consulting Services, has been retained by Textron to continue to perform certain environmental services and analysis on the site. Textron is now seeking to enter into another agreement with the county, which will allow Stantec ingress and egress to the property for another two year period - with an additional one year option to renew.

During the meeting, Administrator Ken Hinton explained these are existing plumes and the agreement benefits citizens by allowing monitoring of the groundwater for contaminants as there still some ground wells in the area. Hinton says the company is working with a landowner on the north side of Grand River in tracking a plume so the agreement just extends the period of time they have access to the monitoring wells they have already established. The groundwater investigation is being conducted according to Michigan Department of Environmental Quality guidelines and reports are supplied to the Livingston County Health Department.

The resolution still needs final approval from the Board of Commissioners. It is expected to be an agenda item at Monday night’s meeting that starts at 7pm in board chambers of the county administration building. (JM)