After receiving calls and Facebook notifications about the Sterling ZipMart, Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche is taking steps to remove the collapsing building in Sterling.
Sterling Zip Mart operated as a fueling station in 1985 and was operated by the current owners, Whittier Properties, from April of 1990 to December of 2000.
According to the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conversation, The ZipMart facility closed for business in 2000 and a subsequent release investigation was performed in 2001. During the investigation, contamination was identified in several soil borings and groundwater monitoring wells. Several of the monitoring wells had up to 13 inches of free product. Based on this investigation and fuel inventory records, it was estimated that 53,000 gallons of fuel released to the environment from a break in the tanks fill pipe. Whittier Properties investigated the extent of contamination in 2001; however, the extent of was too large and they were unable or unwilling to continue.
Mayor Micciche explains the owners of the building are not taking an action to protect the community from the failing facility;
“It’s owned by Whittier Properties today. And the calls I’ve been getting is that there have been young people in the building and the building is collapsing under its own weight, if you will, just a complete lack of maintenance, snow load, whatever. So, it is a public safety exposure. The owners of the former Zip Mart, owe the Kenai Peninsula Borough, $62,994 in back taxes and they are in default, we would take possession of that property. What we’re doing right now is we’re reaching out to the agencies DC and EPA to ensure that the borough does not take on any liability for the spill. So, there’s a approximately 53,000 gallon spill of refined products into the soils below the storage tanks. Once we determine that we don’t have liability, we will foreclose on the property and remove that building. We’re looking at other options right now to see if we can put an ordinance into action that would allow us to remove it prior to foreclosure. The important thing is removing the hazard and I’m calling out to residents to please talk to their young people about staying out of the building until we can act. We’re moving as quickly as we can, but I hope we get good news from the agencies and that we can act, act to remove that building as soon as possible.”
Micciche says that it’s time for action;
“My understanding is that the owners have been relatively incommunicado over the last several years. I don’t think it’s government’s responsibility; but at some point, when you have a public hazard that exists, unfortunately government has to act. And the fact that there hasn’t been property taxes paid in decades. I think it’s the reality is kind of facing us that nothing is going to happen, from the owners of that property and it is going to be our responsibility unfortunately. So, we will keep the cost down. We’ll of course put that out to bid when the when if it goes the way I think it’s going to go and we are forced to remove that building. And remove that public hazard as soon as possible.”
According to Mayor Micciche, the Kenai Peninsula Borough will absorb the cost of the demolition and the costs involved in the foreclosure of the property.
