Public comment wanted on plan to clean up contaminated Moss Bay site

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) seeks public comment on a legal agreement with ULTRA Corporation, and other documents, outlining a final plan to clean up groundwater contamination at the former Pace National Corporation property, at 500 7th Ave. S., in Kirkland.

January 26, 2012 3:14 pm
Sound Environment Strategies engineer Don Harden demonstrates the viscosity of the zero-valent iron slurry that was injected at the old Pace National Corporation site. They hope the substance will help decontaminate the soil of Vinyl Chloride.
Sound Environment Strategies engineer Don Harden demonstrates the viscosity of the zero-valent iron slurry that was injected at the old Pace National Corporation site. They hope the substance will help decontaminate the soil of Vinyl Chloride.

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) seeks public comment on a legal agreement with ULTRA Corporation, and other documents, outlining a final plan to clean up groundwater contamination at the former Pace National Corporation property, at 500 7th Ave. S., in Kirkland.

The company has completed a detailed site investigation and a feasibility study of cleanup options, and carried out interim cleanup projects that have removed chemicals of concern from soil and groundwater.

Ecology also seeks comment on a public participation plan and a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) declaration of non-significance for the proposed site cleanup action.

The 5-acre property, located west of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks and Google campus, has had commercial and industrial occupants since the early 1960s.

Pace National conducted chemical mixing and packaging on part of the site for approximately 20 years, starting in the early 1970s, and installed 14 underground storage tanks that held various products. From the early 90s to 2006 the site was used for retail storage.

Interim cleanup projects have removed petroleum hydrocarbons, semi-volatile organic compounds, and chlorinated solvents from soil and groundwater. Vinyl chloride remains present in groundwater.

The proposed cleanup action plan would require ongoing monitoring of the natural breakdown of this compound, until groundwater meets cleanup standards for at least four consecutive monitoring events, which are scheduled to occur every six months.

A public comment period on the site documents will remain open through Feb. 27. For more details and background on this proposal, visit the King County Library in Kirkland and ask at the reference desk for the Former Pace National Site documents.

For information on the Pace National/ULTRA site overall, including the consent decree, SEPA documents, public participation plan, and remedial investigation and feasibility study reports, visit: fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/Sitepage.aspx?csid=5063