A unique and innovative project that will educate the community on the effects of environmental contamination and the clean up process, takes shape today. The official groundbreaking for the Wichita Environmental Education Center honors the construction that has started the final phase of the Gilbert & Mosley Project located in Herman Hill Park.
Artist's rendering of the Gilbert & Mosley Project.
Click here for a diagram of the rendering. |
"The Gilbert & Mosley Project is considered to be one of the most innovative public-private partnerships ever created to solve the complex environmental problem of groundwater contamination," said Mayor Bob Knight. "This project has earned the City of Wichita national recognition for its development to avoid Superfund intervention and the impacts upon the local economy, public health and environmental risks."
Once completed, the project will consist of park enhancements and educational displays. Enhancements will include a covered public area, restroom facilities, including an aquarium featuring native aquatic plants, fish and other habitat. Educational displays will highlight project activities and discuss the importance of protecting the environment. Exhibits will be designed to "come to life" thereby enhancing the information and engaging the observer. In addition, the treatment area will be available for public tours.
The City of Wichita received the prestigious Ford Foundation's Innovations in State and Local Government Award from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, for forward-thinking leadership with the will to create revolutionary practices to accomplish community goals.
Since 1991, the City has taken the initiative to clean up contamination in the Gilbert and Mosley area. Had the City of Wichita not taken this approach to clean up polluted groundwater, the Old Town District and many other downtown Wichita improvements would not have happened. There was also fear of environmental, public health and safety issues for the community.
The Gilbert & Mosley site encompasses approximately 3,850 acres that contain groundwater contamination. The City of Wichita, with the approval of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) began constructing a groundwater treatment system to begin the remediation of the contaminated groundwater.
The treatment system will be installed adjacent to the Education Center located in Herman Hill Park. The Education Center, designed by Gossen and Livingston Architects, will be a premier facility that will demonstrate how polluted water is cleaned, preventive of future ground water contamination and the interrelationship of ground water to the river system.
The ground water treatment system will remove contaminates by pumping 1.2 million gallons of water a day from 13 wells from the underlying aquifer and pipe the water to a treatment system in Herman Hill Park. The treated water will discharge into a meandering creek, other water features, irrigation applications, possible industrial re-use and into the Arkansas River. CDM has served as the engineering design and construction firm for the project.