The library has a leak and it's a big one.
Amanda Iacone of the Journal-Gazette reports this morning that the new main library of the Allen County Public Library has a problem. Over 800 gallons of fuel oil have leaked under the brand-spanking new structure.
And speaking of spanking, ACPL Director Jeff Krull told Ms. Iacone that "officials don't know how much the repairs will cost." One could hazard a guess that it won't be cheap.
Apart from figuring out how remediation of the spill will acually be handled, the next part will be figuring out who is going to pay for it. That is where the attorneys come into play. Attorneys for the library board and attorneys for the contractor and subcontractors are probably working feverishly to get a handle on the situation. The attorneys for the companies which have bonded the contractors are probably working feverishly, too. And somewhere in the mix will be the attorneys for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
From Ms. Iacone's story:
At least 800 gallons of diesel fuel has leaked underneath the still-under-construction Allen County Public Library downtown.
A pipe connecting a fuel storage tank to a backup generator leaked the diesel fuel into the ground below the library. Repairs are not expected to delay the grand opening of the library, which is set for Jan. 27, library director Jeff Krull said.
Krull described the spill as an inconvenience but not a big problem. The spill does not pose a threat to construction workers or those who park in the underground garage. Diesel fuel is not combustible, Krull said.
Officials don’t know yet what method will be used to clean up the spill or how much the repairs will cost, he said.
Supporters of the ACPL have pointed favorably during the construction process for the renovation of the main library that the Fort Wayne experience has been so much better in comparison to that of its Indianapolis brethren where the expansion of the main library in that city has endured huge cost overruns due to shoddy construction, a multiplicity of lawsuits related to the construction, and even criminal charges against one library official.
The most recent news from the Indianapolis-Marion County library is the dismissal this week of the library director who had been hired in the wake of the firing of the director who had presided over the original start of construction.
Historical note: When the main library and the Georgetown branch were originally built, the then library board also had to cope with leaks resulting from the design and construction. Those leaks were due to rainwater leaking through roofs of the facilities.
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