59th Street Corporation Yard Demolition and Remediation Project

The 59^th Street Corporation Yard Demolition and Remediation Project includes:

Demolishing the site’s buildings
Excavating and disposing contaminated soil
Conducting soil gas testing at the site to verify that all volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remain in soil gas are below the human health screening levels established by the Department of Toxic Substances Control
Potentially installing a full-scale soil vapor extraction (SVE) system to remediate VOC-impacted soil gas

We anticipate slight increases in traffic and noise while the work is underway. However, we're doing everything possible to minimize these concerns for surrounding residences and businesses.

Elevated noise levels could occur during the hours of 7 AM through 5 PM, Monday through Friday. Weekend work is not anticipated but may be required under certain circumstances.
Trucks will not enter residential neighborhoods or Folsom Blvd., but there will be an increase in truck traffic entering and exiting SMUD’s 59^th Street Corporation Yard.
The increased traffic will impact 59^th Street, north of Highway 50, and will result in additional noise, dust and emissions during the project.
Vibration and dust levels are also monitored at project property line to ensure surrounding residences and businesses are not adversely affected by our activities.

We are continually monitoring the dust levels throughout the demolition and remediation phases. We have water trucks onsite to ensure the dust doesn't exceed the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District thresholds. We're also performing seismic monitoring to ensure vibration levels stay below the recommended action levels for historical structures.

If you have questions relating to the demolition, please contact John Larsen at either 916-732-6380 or John.Larsen@smud.org.

For soil remediation questions, please contact Keegan George at either 916-732-5548 or Keegan.George@smud.org.

Public meeting

Download project flyer and FAQs

When: Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 5:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: 59th Street Demolition and Remediation project
Meeting URL: https://smud.zoomgov.com/j/1609114337?pwd=UFM3cjZhcWNwTVU3Q0tXSldsaGd1UT09
Passcode: 927373
Webinar ID: 160 911 4337

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Project benefits

Remediating the site and disposing of contaminated soil helps ensure human health and the environment are protected. All remediation activities would require approval from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) prior to implementation and adhere to acceptable risk and exposure levels as determined by DTSC.

Environmental impacts

The draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (Draft IS/MND) analyzes the potential environmental effects associated with the proposed project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In compliance with the CEQA Guidelines, we’ve prepared this Notice of Intent (NOI) to provide responsible agencies and other interested parties with written notice of the availability of the Draft IS/MND, and to invite comments and concerns regarding environmental issues associated with the proposed project.

Timing and location

Work began in 2022 and will continue for about three to four years. However, long-term monitoring and testing may be required after the demolition and soil removal effort, which could extend to 2030.

We're working with the Department of Toxic Substances Control to perform environmental cleanup of our former 59^th Street Corporation Yard. In doing so, some of the buildings must be demolished.

Phase I of the environmental cleanup work began after the phase I demolition, but has encountered more contamination than originally expected, causing the work to extend into December of 2023.
Phase II of demolition is tentatively planned to start in late 2023 or early 2024 and continue into mid-year 2024.
Phase II of the soil removal activities will continue through most of 2024.
Soil gas testing and additional soil gas remediation, if necessary, may continue until 2030.

The 59^th Street Corporation Yard Demolition and Remediation Project is in East Sacramento, at 1708 59^th Street. It’s bordered by residential development to the west, commercial development to the north, a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) laboratory to the east across 59^th Street and U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) to the south. The site is bisected by a Sacramento Regional Transit District light rail line.

59th street demo project map

Information repository

The Information Repository includes copies for draft Interim Removal Action Workplan and related key technical and public outreach documents.

Frequently asked questions

Are any of the surrounding residences and businesses at risk from the contaminants at 59^th Street?

No, SMUD is conducting ongoing real-time monitoring at the property line to ensure dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are not leaving the property at concentrations that exceed human health screening limits. SMUD is monitoring the property line with a Photoionization Detector (PID) that is capable of detecting VOCs in the parts per billion range. To date, VOCs have not been detected in any of the air monitoring results from the property line. Additionally, SMUD has four dust meters placed around the perimeter of the property to monitor dust levels. The State of California Ambient Air Quality Standard for dust of PM10 (particles 10 micrometers and smaller) is 50 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m³) averaged over 24 hours. While SMUD has received some intermittent detections over 50 ug/m³, we have never been close to exceeding the 24-hour time weighted average. When a detection over 50 ug/m³ is received, onsite staff is immediately notified so that adjustments can be made to the work activities to reduce dust.

What are SMUD's plans for the property?

SMUD is performing the environmental cleanup on the property so that it can be redeveloped in the future. Based on input from the community, SMUD’s goals for redevelopment include a high-quality, state-of-the-art, sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use development. However, the redevelopment of the site is a few years out. The current project only focuses on the environmental cleanup.

What agency oversees SMUD’s remediation project?

SMUD is working closely with the Department of Toxic Substances Control to clean up the site so that it is ready for redevelopment. Also, the City of Sacramento will issue a demolition permit for the demolition portion of the project.

What’s involved in the 59th Street Corporation Yard Demolition and Remediation Project?

The project includes the demolition of all buildings at the 59th Street Corporation Yard, so the removal of remaining contaminated soil can occur. Following soil removal, SMUD will conduct soil gas testing at the site to verify that all volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remaining in soil gas are below the human health screening levels established by the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

When will the project start and how long will it last?

Demolition is tentatively planned to start in late 2023 and continue into mid-year 2024. Soil removal activities will continue through most of 2024. Soil gas testing and additional remediation, if necessary, may continue until 2030.

What construction impacts does SMUD anticipate?

SMUD anticipates a slight increase in traffic and noise while the work is taking place. However, SMUD is doing everything possible to minimize these concerns for surrounding residences and businesses. Elevated noise levels could occur during the hours of 7 a.m. through 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Weekend work is not anticipated but may be required under certain circumstances. Truck traffic will not enter residential neighborhoods or Folsom Boulevard, but there will be an increase in truck traffic entering and exiting SMUD’s 59th Street Corporation Yard. Vibration and dust levels are also monitored at project property line to ensure surrounding residences and businesses are not adversely affected by our activities.

Are any of the surrounding residences and businesses at risk from the contaminants at 59th Street?

No, SMUD is conducting ongoing real-time monitoring at the property line to ensure dust and VOCs are not leaving the property at concentrations that exceed human health screening limits. SMUD is monitoring the property line with a Photoionization Detector (PID) that is capable of detecting VOCs in the parts per billion range. To date, VOCs have not been detected in any of the air monitoring results from the property line. When a detection over 50 ug/m3 is received, onsite staff is immediately notified so that adjustments can be made to the work activities to reduce dust.

What are SMUD’s plans for the property?

SMUD is performing the environmental cleanup on the property so that it can be redeveloped for future use. Based on community input, SMUD’s goals for redevelopment include a high-quality, state-of-the-art, sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use development. However, the redevelopment of the site is a few years out. The current project only focuses on the environmental cleanup.

What agencies are overseeing SMUD’s project?

SMUD is working closely with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to clean up the site so that it is ready for redevelopment. Also, the City of Sacramento will issue a demolition permit for the demolition portion of the project.