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Department of Ecology News Release - June 5, 2008
08-149
OLYMPIA – The draft plan outlining necessary prep work for this fall’s dredge of contaminated sediments from the Columbia River will be released this week by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).
For a 30-day period beginning June 5, the public can review and comment on a draft enforcement order that expedites the work necessary for Alcoa in order to be ready to dredge the river in November. The order is available June 5 at the Fort Vancouver Regional Library, 1007 East Mill Plain Boulevard or by visiting Ecology’s Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/industrial/alum_alcoavan.htm.
Ecology’s order enables Alcoa to clean up soil contamination and demolish petroleum tanks, piping and smelter ore unloading systems to prepare the dike and river bank.
Ecology will host an informational meeting June 17 for the public to ask questions and provide comments about the draft order. The meeting begins 7 p.m. in Clark College’s Foster Auditorium.
An enforcement order is one of several legal options provided to Ecology by the citizen-passed Model Toxics Control Act to advance a toxic cleanup project. Alcoa and Ecology have been fast-tracking since November 2007 the cleanup of river sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. This chemical persists in the environment and can pose a serious risk to human health.
The cleanup of industrial contamination at Alcoa has been underway for many years, with $42 million spent to date. Approximately $34 million has been focused on controlling the sources of PCBs and stopping the flow of contaminants to the Columbia River.
Part of the work Alcoa needs to complete by mid-fall is to remove any soils with PCBs above cleanup level near the company’s dock and dike. In addition, if petroleum contamination is found after removing aboveground and underground petroleum tanks and piping, this soil will also need to be removed. Once the demolition work is complete, the bank area will be stabilized to accommodate the equipment needed to start the in-river dredge process.
To comment by e-mail, regular mail or fax by July 5, 2008:
Paul Skyllingstad
Dept. of Ecology, Industrial Section
PO Box 47706 Olympia, WA 98504-7600
psky461@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6949 (phone)
360-407-6102 (fax)
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Media Contact: Kim Schmanke, 360-407-6239 (desk)
For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/industrial/alum_alcoavan.htm
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
