Exide's Nearly $2.7 Million Cost to Close Frisco Site Is ‘grossly Insufficient,' City Says

Five years and one bankruptcy later, Exide Technologies is still trying to get out of Frisco. Its buildings have all been torn down except the onsite wastewater treatment facility. Its proposed closure plan for the site near downtown has been submitted for review. Its obligatory legal notice seeking public comment on the hundreds of pages of technical documents has been sent. In addition, its federal civil suit against the city for breach of contract recently received a green light to proceed. But if city of Frisco officials have any say, the company has a lot more work to do. The company's plan lists the cost for total site closure at nearly $2.7 million. That compares with the $30 million to $40 million range noted by the city and the state during bankruptcy proceedings."Exide has yet to successfully complete the remediation commitments it made to the citizens of Frisco," city officials said in a statement Friday. Much of the land on and around the former plant remains contaminated with hazardous waste from decades of recycling used automotive and industrial batteries. The main contaminants are lead, cadmium and arsenic. And if that waste isn't properly contained, city officials say, it will continue to plague this suburb long after Exide is gone. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is still reviewing Exide's permit amendment, which includes the closure plan. Exide said Friday that it would defer to the agency on its proposal. "We believe it meets all of the relevant legal requirements to protect the environment and stand ready to consider and address input from the agency on the proposed plan to achieve this outcome," a statement from the company said.   Continue reading...