Cleanup of toxins may cost Sunnyvale millions of dollarsCleanup of toxins may cost Sunnyvale millions of dollars

Sunnyvale has endured a series of challenges since embarking years ago on an ambitious plan to refashion its woebegone town center mall into a traditional downtown: a revolving door of developers, missed deadlines and community outrage.

Now, months after the bulldozers started rolling across the site, the city is facing one more costly mess: The groundwater beneath the land is contaminated, and the city, as part of its deal with the project's latest developer, is on the hook to help pump it out. The potential cost to taxpayers? Millions of dollars.

The ultimate total will depend on exactly how much of the contaminant, perchloroethylene, a sweet-smelling chemical used downtown at three former dry cleaners about 50 years ago, has seeped into the water table. After years of delays, the city negotiated with a new development team, Sand Hill Property Management and Rreef. The council in April voted to foot most of the cleanup bill - including any claims from third parties such as nearby homeowners - with no cap.

Caps are commonly used by cities to limit their expenses when the cost of the cleanup and the extent of contamination is unclear.
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