The future home of Ballard Blocks II at 14th Ave. and 46th St. is a big empty lot that frequently fills with water. It’s also contaminated, according to the Department of Ecology. The land used to house Wesmar Co., Inc., a chemical product manufacturer and distributor, and Color Tech, Inc., a metal coating service. Between 1905 to 1917, Pacific Coast Pipe Company used and stored the wood preservative creosote at this location.
According to this release (.pdf) by the DOE, “The results of preliminary subsurface investigations conducted on the Property indicated that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil and arsenic-contaminated soil and groundwater are present beneath the property.”
The property owners have come to an agreement with the Department of Ecology to clean up the land, and the DOE is looking for public comment. According to this draft (.pdf) by DOE, the plans include excavating contaminated soil, installing a permanent water-control system, capping contaminated soil along NW 46th St., and installing groundwater monitoring.
The public is encouraged to review and comment until November 23rd. Contact information for who to contact can be found here (.pdf).