Speedway Sand and Gravel Co. deserves official "blacklisting"

A subcommittee of the City's Environment Committee has recommended that City Engineering maintain a "blacklist" of irresponsible contractors. I believe Speedway Sand and Gravel should be the first candidate for this list. Unfortunately, City Engineering seems very tolerant of poor performance on erosion control.   The blacklisting proposal sits on a dusty shelf somewhere--therefore, this blog.

Speedway worker on the job, 9/9 11:11 am. 

All stormwater inlets still unmaintained 7 days after major rain.

Speedway Sand and Gravel has been involved during June-Sept. 2010 in serious and repeated violations of Madison's erosion control regulations, at Edgewood Ave, and now at Segoe Rd.

Speedway is being sued by citizens for repeatedly sending plumes of mud into Lake Wingra.

Violations at Edgewood Ave include

• inadequate gravel tracking pads
• poorly located gravel check dams
• use of unwashed gravel for pads and check dams (washed gravel is required)
• leaving a filter off a key stormwater pipe leading directly to the lake from a muddy construction pit
• ineffective cleaning of streets after work      more

Violations at Segoe Rd include

• clogged and unmaintained stormwater inlet filters
• ineffective positioning of silt socks around major stormwater inlets
• failure to inspect and correct erosion control promptly after major rain events*
• street cleaning after work has been incomplete and ineffective

The whole Segoe site has an air of disorder and neglect about it. Dust control chemicals, and waste water from cement mixing, have been spilled or dumped on the street. 

Residents along Segoe Rd are angry that Speedway is harming the lakes, and that holes in the terrace have not been properly back filled.  Negligent back filling, combined with rain, has caused several holes next to the sidewalk, which residents fear are dangerous to pedestrians.  I saw one resident filling the holes on her terrace.



 More examples  (click photos to enlarge)

Nearly all stormwater inlets in the street were unmaintained and clogged to varying degrees.

Most of the 16 or so stormwater inlets in the median were not adequately protected from inflow of sediment.  None had filters.  This one had no protection at all--it was so buried in sediment that Sherlock had to dig to find it.

Chemicals were spilled on the pavement in numerous places.  The pattern suggested they were intended for suppressing dust.  When samples were placed in water, they formed a floating scum that smelled of petroleum.  Not what you want in the lake.

The pavement and gutters everywhere were dirty.  Residents complain of dust.  Street sweeping has been done, but was cursory and ineffective.

The bottom line...

All this gunk goes directly to a large pipe running under Segoe, and from there to Willow Creek and Lake Mendota at University Bay.

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Update: City officials responsible for this site

Apparently Madison Water Utility was responsible, since this was a water main replacement (plus resurfacing and stormwater inlet replacement).

Permit authority: Tim Troester

(608) 267-1995
ttroester@cityofmadison.com  

Permittee: Madison Water Utility
Adam Wiederhoeft
119 E Olin Ave, Madison WI 53713
608-266-9121
awiederhoeft@madisonwater.org

Inspector: Harley Lemkuil
hlemkuil@cityofmadison.com  See reports

Speedway Staff responsible
Todd Timmerman (608) 575-1499  todd@speedwaysg.com
Josh Stieve  (608) 836-1071  Josh@#speedwaysg.com

*  Inspection is required within 24 hrs of a rainfall of .75 in or more.  On 9/2 it rained nearly an inch, with another inch on 9/3.  There was substantial flooding along the project on Segoe.  Yet by 9/7, none of the damage or clogged filters had been repaired.  Inspection reports could not be found on the city website.  All photos 9/6 or 9/7 evenings.