The Washington State Department of Ecology and Shell Oil Products US have signed the state’s first agreement by a fuel marketing company to clean up contamination at multiple current and former gas station sites.

As part of a pilot program that could eventually be implemented across the state, Shell will accelerate the study and cleanup of 83 locations in King, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties, including two Kirkland sites.

The clean-up efforts are necessary because of leaky steel underground tanks and piping at older gas stations, which have corroded over time. A substantial number of fueling stations built before 1998 have been found to have leaking underground tanks, including two Shell gas stations in Kirkland: A filling station and car wash in Upper Juanita at 13701 100th Ave. N.E., and a station at 10801 N.E. 68th St. in Houghton.

Gas stations today — and since 1998 — must meet standards that safeguard against corrosion and leaks, maintain leak-detection systems, and undergo regular inspections by Ecology. While the two Kirkland Shell stations took clean-up actions in 1992 and 1995, the work was never supervised or certified by the state. Ecology spokesman Larry Altose said the agreement would rectify that.

The multi-national oil company will pay for the site clean-ups through the state’s Voluntary Cleanup Program, enabling them to work on a contractual basis rather than under legal order.