The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Friday) approved bids for County-owned farm pasture ground and crop ground. Three bids were received for each property. The Board awarded a bid of $181 per acre for pastureland to TLC Cattle Company (The current tenant), and a bid of $26,700 for 115 acres of row ground (or, about $232/acre) to Ryan Hansen. The contracts for those properties are expected to be for three-years, with the right to terminate by either party given by no later than Sept. 1st of each year.

In other business, the Supervisors heard from County Engineer Charles Bechtold and Seneca Companies Consulting Manager for Environmental Services, Leslie Nagle,with regard to corrective action on cleaning up underground contamination from what is believed to be a leaking underground storage tank. The contamination is on County-owned property located along portions of Commerce and State Street, near the County garage and sheds.

(Nagle says two-years ago the site was cleaned-up to the point where “No action required,” meaning there’s no immediate risk to sanitary lines, water lines, drinking water wells or any human health risk.)

However, the State of Iowa and EPA has requirements that all of the “free product” plume remnants must be removed. Additional tests were conducted and monitoring wells were installed. Two areas, one slightly larger than the other, were determined to have the most amount of residual contamination. Nagel said that can best be removed by excavation, and then land-applied back into the soil on County-owned land for natural degradation and minimal effect. Clean soil will then be applied on top of a sand base.

Nagel said the holes will be deep, but will hopefully take care of the problem once and for all. It’ll cost $125,000, but the funds are paid by the State to the County which in-turn pays Seneca, so it costs the County nothing. The work should take about 5-to 10-days to compete.

Board of Supervisors Chair Gaylord Schelling said also, an “Active Shooter’ drill for County Employees will be held November 16th at the courthouse in Atlantic, from 8-until 11-a.m.  The courthouse will be closed to the public for the duration of the training.