This month, thousands of bottles of hazardous chemical waste will be removed from the ground and destroyed.
At the excavation site near the Horace Williams airport, the ground is leveled. The fence is up. And in three weeks, workers wearing protective suits and air respirators will start a careful dig.
"It's not exactly known what we're going to find," said Bob Beke, construction manager for this project. "We could have toxic chemical reactions, and worst case scenario, things could catch fire."
The University and UNC Hospitals buried waste at the site between 1973 and 1979. Back then, it wasn't illegal to do so.
"This is a legacy problem," said Larry Daw, an environmental engineer for the University's Department of Environment, Health and Safety overseeing the cleanup.
"It's a problem that was created many years ago. … We're finally at the point where we have the money. We've done all the planning required, and we're going to do this."
The chemical waste site is on land the University will use for its satellite campus, Carolina North.
The excavation is expected to be complete by mid-September, well before Carolina North construction, set to begin in 2009.
"It's logical to me that we would want to do this now, before we start putting buildings out there that might be in close proximity to this dig site," Beke said.
But Daw said the timing is coincidental and that the two projects are independent.
The project got off to a slower-than-expected start, Beke said, because of delays in getting the contract approved.
Parts of Municipal Drive were fenced off last week because of the project. Some of the fencing blocks the normal entrance to the Orange County Animal Shelter.
The shelter still is operating as usual but has a separate entrance.
"I think that's one of the biggest challenges - letting people know we're still open," shelter Manager Jess Allison said.
"Right now it seems to be about the same traffic, so we're fortunate," she said.
When a large tent goes up on the site next week, the excavation will be visible to those driving by.
"It's a big development, at least visually," Daw said. "We'll start digging right after the tent goes up."
UNC is doing a tremendous amount of monitoring to ensure the safety of this project, Daw said.
"It's not something that somebody just walks in with street clothes and a shovel and works on." Beke said. "It's going to be a very protective environment, like scuba gear."
It isn't known exactly what workers will find when the excavation begins because records are incomplete. But some of the chemicals have seeped into the groundwater, contaminating the soil.
Daw said that groundwater has been actively pumped and cleaned for the past few years, and that the removal of contaminants from the site will make that process easier.
All contaminated soil will be removed and disposed of. The bottles will be packaged and sent to a disposal site where they will be incinerated, Daw said.
"This is the kind of project that doesn't come along very often," Daw said. "I'm seeing it to fruition. … Should I dance for joy here?"
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
