News Releases Article
Port inks contract with state
Originally published in The Reflector, 22 August, 2001. Reprinted with permission.
Ridgefield commissioners move to start clean up of contaminated industrial site
by Heidi Wallenborn
Port of Ridgefield officials signed a contract with the state Department of Ecology July18 that will get the ball rolling for the first phase of an environmental clean up on Port land.
The contract will allow the Port to move ahead one phase at a time, removing the toxic underground wood treating chemical soup at the 40-acre Lake River Industrial site.
The former agreement included other phases, and was much broader in scope and definition, said executive director Brent Grening.
“This order truly reflects the time and money to be spent on the site,” Grening told the commissioners.
According to Grening, the agreement will be revised when phase one is finished and phase two is begun.
“This allows us to get going and gather information,” he said.
Phase one will include five aspects:
- Remove free mobile chemicals and generally define the area of concern to begin steam remediation. This will reduce the risk of the contamination migrating further into the Carty Lake area of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, and from reaching the groundwater.
- Continue to improve storm-water quality, preventing con~taminants from running off the property.
- Demolish remaining contaminated structures in the north pole yard.
- Conduct and revise the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility study.
- Complete the study and look at the affect of pollution runoff on Lake River to determine the extent of contamination, what the Port is dealing with, and the cost for the entire site.
The first phase also calls for breaking the site into clean up cells to better manage work at the site, said project environmental engineer Jim Maul, with Maul, Foster and Alongi.
“It allows the Port to establish priorities,” Maul said.
"Phase one will tell us a lot more,” Grening said. “We can stop the migration of the plume and actively begin to clean the site. We’ll get enough information for phase two and a full-blown implementation of steam.”
“This agreement puts us in a very good position, and eliminates the need for a Superfund rating,” he added. “I’m pretty excited about where we can get with this agreement.”
Port attorney. Bill Eling said he felt comfortable with the commissioners signing the agreement.
“It establishes the ground work for the Port to be able to handle this financially,” Eling said. “It also allows enough flexibility for the Port to achieve its goal.”
Commissioner Joe Melroy said, “I’m satisfied the staff has done a great job. I’m willing to accept and sign the document.”
“I wholeheartedly support and second that motion,” commissioner Bruce Wiseman said.
