December 2012
Volume 1, Issue 1
Happy Holidays
from Mobile Gas
and the
Manufactured Gas
Plant (MGP) Project
Team!
We hope that you and your loved ones enjoy a festive and
prosperous holiday season. Before year’s end, we wanted to fill you
in on recent project developments and set the stage for some
important objectives for 2013. We look forward to seeing you at
our next community stakeholder meeting early next year. Enjoy!
Recent Public Meetings
A number of project-related meetings and events were held in the
latter part of 2012. A technical advisory meeting took place on
September 20, 2012, followed by a meeting with the Alabama
Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) on October 11,
2012. Updates from both meetings were extremely positive. Finally,
on Thursday, October 25, 2012, a joint meeting of the MGP
Technical and Community Advisory Groups met to discuss recent
project activities.
The group viewed a PowerPoint presentation by Terry Williams of
C.E.R.M. which outlined the history of the MGP site. The
presentation also provided an overview of the project’s progress
such as regulatory meetings, previous technical and advisory
meetings, and educational forums that have taken place to date.
Contents
Recent Public Meetings
1
Recent Public Meetings, cont. 2
Meet our New Team Member 2
Project Background
2
Education Program Update
3
Project Milestones
3
Next Steps
4
Our Advisory Group Members 4
2
Recent Public Meetings, cont.
MGP Project Joint Advisory
Committee Meeting
October 25, 2012
Project Background
On Oct. 10, 2010 Mobile Gas
voluntarily agreed to clean up
the former manufactured gas
plant (MGP) located on a 9.2
acre property at the northeast
corner of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Avenue and Broad Street, in
Mobile. The MGP was owned
and operated from 1836 to 1933
by Mobile Gas Works, the
predecessor of current owner
Mobile Gas Service. The
Alabama Department of
Environmental Management
(ADEM) is working closely with
Mobile Gas on the Voluntary
Cleanup Program.
Under the voluntary cleanup
program, ADEM will provide
oversight of the environmental
risk assessment, remediation
planning, and cleanup of the old
MGP property.
Brad Newton of McFadden Engineering also gave a presentation
which outlined the recent environmental investigation activities
relating to the MGP site. An overview of the following was
presented:
- Assessment sampling plan;
- Soil & Groundwater sample locations;
- Stream & Sediment sample locations; and
- Overview of data & analysis.
Laurie Winslow of CES provided an overview of the Risk
Assessment methodology for the project. A detailed discussion
took place regarding the findings and results of the Site
Assessment.
For more important project milestones, please see page 3.
New Team Member
We’re pleased to announce that C.E.R.M. has a new project
manager. Effective October 2012, C.E.R.M. welcomed Jimmy
Thomas, who will work with us on the MGP Project. Mr. Thomas
has expertise in several aspects of the environmental business.
His experience includes designing and managing environmental
projects such as investigating and characterizing hazardous and
non-hazardous properties for commercial, industrial, and
government clients, conducting and reviewing Phase I/Phase II
Environmental Site Assessments to managing large scale
government abatement and remediation projects.
Mr. Thomas received bachelors degrees from Clark Atlanta
University and Georgia Tech in math and civil engineering, and
holds an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.
Welcome, Jimmy! We are also pleased to report that C.E.R.M.’s
John Wright will continue his involvement in the project by
providing quality control oversight.
3
Education Program
Update
Project Milestones
February 2011
Joint Advisory Committees and Partners
kick-off meeting held at Bishop State
Community College
February 2011
Scoping meeting conducted with ADEM in
Montgomery, AL, with representatives of
Mobile Gas and the Project Management
Team
July 2011
Public involvement meeting held at
Dearborn Street YMCA. Over 250
residents, business owners, youth
organizations, educators and public
officials attended this meeting.
August 2011
Site Assessment and Investigation
conducted of the MGP property by
McFadden Engineering and CERM
January 2012
Planned supplemental sampling
investigation conducted at the project site
July 2012
Draft Site Assessment
Further discussion was held
regarding a youth education
component for this project. Ms.
Kesshia Davis reported on a
confirmed educational
partnership between Mobile
Gas and the Mobile County
Public School System. The
program has been created to
foster the education of children
grades 3-8 on the environmental
sciences. The program will begin
in the fall of 2013, which will
coincide with the planned
project remediation.
Terry Williams (CERM) explaining
MGP site activities to a group of
community youth.
4
MGP updates will be distributed
quarterly in 2013! For more
information or to submit content
for this news brief, please
contact Denise Blake at
[email protected].
Many Thanks to our
Advisory Committee
Members
Next Steps
An exciting range of upcoming activities are anticipated as the
project continues to move forward.


COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
Robert Battles, SCLC – Mobile Branch
Adline Clarke, Mobile Housing Board
Tom Herder, Mobile Bay National
Estuary
Colette Huff, Dearborn YMCA
Lloyd Hughes, MBDA Business Center
Rev. Michael Jackson, Aimwell Baptist
Church

Shiheim Wilson Lee, B.C. Rain High
School
Elzina May, Resident
Dr. James Lowe, Bishop State
Community College
Roberta Swann, Mobile Bay National
Estuary Program
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
Cole Appleman, Mobile Housing
Board
Dr. Doug Haywick, University of
South Alabama
Michael Pierce, MLK Avenue
Redevelopment Corporation
Alou Rice, US Army Corps of
Engineers
Ray Richardson, City of Mobile
MOBILE GAS LIAISONS
Peter Keegan, Project Manager
Kesshia Davis, Director of Community
Relations

ADEM Comments expected in 45-120 Days after Site
Assessment Report is submitted to ADEM: The ADEM meeting
of October 11, 2012 was intended to help highlight concerns
and priorities of ADEM prior to submitting the Site Assessment
report. The ADEM meeting and Site Assessment Report will
also include Community Mitigation efforts to date.
Technical Advisory Meeting Update: We anticipate this next
meeting to take place during the 1st or 2nd Quarter of 2013 after
receiving ADEM’s response. The Consulting Team will then
prepare and submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to ADEM
based on the findings of ADEM’s review of the Site Assessment
Report and Risk Assessment Plan. CERM and the Project
Management Team will work with the Technical Advisory
Group and Project Partners to finalize the road map and
guidance document for remediating the site.
Joint Advisory Meeting: This meeting is also anticipated during
the 1st or 2nd Quarter of 2013 as a follow-up to the Technical
Advisory Group meeting and to plan the next full Public
Involvement Meeting.
Public Meeting: A full public meeting will be held during the 2nd
or 3rd Quarter of 2013 prior to site remediation activities to
educate the public about the anticipated end-use of the Site,
what to expect during the remediation phase of the project,
and to address concerns about health and safety related to
remediation activities.
Corporate Environmental Risk
Management (C.E.R.M.) is a
local minority owned and
operated environmental
engineering firm led by
Mobile-area native Albert
Edwards (Managing Director
and Founder). For this project
one of CERM’s roles in to
manage community and
stakeholder involvement and
public outreach.
Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) Project Consulting Team