Project Background
In 1993, Port tenant Pacific Wood Treating (PWT) declared bankruptcy and ceased operations. PWT left the Port's 41 acre Lake River Industrial Park severely contaminated with wood treating chemicals: pentachlorophenol, creosote and copper-chromium-arsenate (CCA). In 1995, the Port and Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE) reached an agreement to begin cleaning the site. Clean-up has begun and although significant progress has been made, much remediation of soil and ground-water contamination remains.
Project Scope & Scale
It is estimated the full clean-up project at the lake River Industrial Site will take 8-10 years and cost more than $48 million. Currently both Washington State Department of Ecology and the Port are focusing clean-up efforts on the removal of a plume of wood-treating chemicals that spilled from PWT's operation.
At present the plume is in a shallow underground aquifer. The plume is approximately four acres in size and may contain some 100,000 gallons of wood treating chemicals. The plume threatens to contaminate a deeper, regional aquifer as well as nearby Carty Lake on the adjoining Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, and Gee Creek, a salmon/steelhead bearing stream.
Remedy & Timing
The Port is using an innovative steam enhanced extraction system to remove the plume of contaminants. Using this system, steam is injected into the ground, heating the contaminant plume to expedite its recovery via a field of extraction wells. Contaminants and contaminated water will be pumped out of the ground and treated. The chemicals will then be stored in tanks and treated clean water will be discharged back into Lake River.
Steam injection and pumping has shown to be a faster, more effective removal method than the alternative - long-term pump and treat without steam. Using steam, the plume may be removed in 8-10 years; traditional cold pump and treat would likely require over 100 years to complete. Cold pump and treat has the advantage of being cheaper to start, however the long term maintenance and operations costs become costly and in effect unending.
The Port of Ridgefield and WDOE are working with environmental engineers Maul Foster Alongi and additional experts to engineer and operate the high-tech, steam enhanced extraction system onsite. Port employees are operating and maintaining the system on a day-to-day basis. Twenty-four hour, seven-day-a-week operation began in April 2004.
Environmental Concerns
Emergency Action - WDOE declared emergency action necessary to remove the risk of environmental exposure resulting from the contaminant plume reaching Carty Lake and Lake River.
People - There is no immediate threat of human exposure caused by the contaminants at the site.
Pentachlorophenol, Creosote and Copper-Chromium-Arsenate - Long-term exposure to these chemicals may cause serious health problems in humans, fish or other animals.
Lake River - is adjacent to the site and is a tributary to the Columbia River.
Carty Lake & Gee Creek - The lake, in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge lies directly in the migratory path of the plume. Carty Lake, its associated wetlands and Gee Creek are tributaries to the Columbia River.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge - The Refuge is an environmentally sensitive wetland, that is a seasonal resting ground for tens of thousands of migratory birds. The refuge is also home to resident wildlife and a natural tourism draw attracting over 40 thousand visitors each year.
Salmon - Lake River and Gee Creek are both salmon bearing waterways; endangered species of salmon and steelhead use these two waterways. Should contaminant reach Lake River, Carty Lake or Gee Creek, salmon may be impacted.
Flood Plain - Some contaminated areas of the site are in the Lake River 100-year flood plain.
Clean-up Progress
- Demolished tank farm and treatment retorts.
- Removed 100 tons and 4,500 gallons of hazardous waste removed from site.
- Removed an additional 158,000 gallons of wood treating chemicals.
- Delineated a plume of underground contaminant.
- Expanded groundwater monitoring program.
- Assessed deep-water aquifer.
- Constructed extraction wells in upper aquifer to hydraulically contain plume.
- Conducted feasibility analysis for steam enhanced extraction system.
- Developed conceptual steam enhanced extraction system and budget.
- Selected general on-call remedial construction service provider to provide and oversee construction and demolition throughout the project. Selected on-call waste removal service provider to remove hazardous waste from our site.
- Received delivery of equipment for steam generation and water treatment.
- Demolished buildings #2 and #4 and began configuration of the site for equipment placement.
- Situated equipment in place for operations. Current mobilization efforts include well drilling, pipe fitting and welding.
- Completed drilling of extraction wells.
- Completed injection and monitoring well installation.
- Steam injection system begins operation in May 2004.
- By December 2004, some 55,000 pounds of wood treating chemicals and contaminants had been removed.
Full-scale operations have brought more steam injection and extraction wells online.
GALS of contaminants removed as of : July 23, 2008
Regulatory Oversight
The Washington State Department of Ecology has regulatory control of the site. As such, they are the lead regulatory authority and oversee all clean-up activity on site. WDOE has committed 65% of the funds required to remove toxic materials.
WDOE is working closely with the Port to effect the clean-up of Lake River and to accommodate the site's redevelopment. WDOE is supportive of the Port to using the safe, innovative, state-of-the-art steam enhanced extraction technology.
Economic & Community Development: Brownfield Redevelopment
Ridgefield is transitioning from a timber-based economy. Ridgefield lost 250 timber related jobs when PWT went bankrupt. Development of new industrial space cannot proceed without additional environmental remediation. The Port is working to clean and redevelop the site to create a vibrant waterfront area for Ridgefield. Cleaned up and redeveloped the site will:
- Provide 240+ direct new family-wage jobs
- Stabilize and diversify the local economy
- Strengthen Ridgefield's downtown core, supporting another 120 jobs
- Increase local tax base
- Increase recreational access to Lake River. Currently access to Lake
- River is limited because there are few recreational facilities on the river and these are used at capacity.
Cost of Clean-up
The estimated $48 million cost to clean up the Lake River site would be significant even for a large urban port. Being a small rural port, the Port does not have the financial capacity to finance the local share of this project. The Port District covers 57 square miles and its current population is nearly 11,000. Total Port tax revenue in 2004 was approximately $280,000. The Port's present bond capacity is $2.3 million. The projected, per-capita cost of full clean-up is more than $4,000 for every man, woman and child living in the Port District. The Port cannot afford the steam enhanced extraction system recommended by WDOE without significant financial assistance from state or federal programs.
Click here to download the Lake River Industrial Site Master Plan.
Click here to download the Lake River Industrial Site Master Plan Exibits
