Kanawha County Commission to further discuss Shawnee Park environmental study

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Commission will meet Tuesday morning to discuss the review of an earlier environment study of Shawnee Park.

The commission has been pushing to redevelop the 127-acre site in Dunbar into a multi-sports complex capable of hosting local and regional youth sports tournaments.

S&S Engineering was selected to review the study from consulting firm CH2M HILL Engineers. The firm stated in its July report while chemicals were found in the groundwater and soil at Shawnee Park, “there are no current, complete exposure pathways” for those chemicals to reach the surface.

“We didn’t want to rely on just one analysis,” Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango said at a July 6 meeting. “We want to make sure that it’s safe.”

The Kanawha County Building Commission approved of issuing $10 million worth of bonds to fund construction work last month.

The county commission hired Katie Arthur, of Charleston, at its August 24 meeting to serve as the Shawnee Park facilities director.

The meeting will begin at 8 a.m.