Facility Site ID: 500 Cleanup Site ID: 3632

  • Site Status

  • Construction Complete-Performance Monitoring

Site Description

The Yakima Railroad Area is approximately six square miles in size and includes parts of the cities of Yakima and Union Gap. The Yakima Railroad Area has groundwater contaminated with Perchloroethylene (also known as tetrachloroethylene, PCE, or perc) from past industrial use, and is centered around the railroad/industrial corridor of the greater Yakima area.
 
PCE, a halogenated hydrocarbon, is a common solvent with many commercial and industrial uses. Commercial and Industrial operations in the Yakima Railroad Area that have potentially contributed to the PCE contamination of ground water include dry-cleaners, machine shops, activated carbon regeneration, pesticide formulators and historic operations that have yet to be identified.

The history of the Yakima Railroad Area begins in 1987. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigated sites in Yakima for potential Superfund candidates. PCE was found in the soil and the groundwater. The EPA referred its findings to the State of Washington.

In 1991, the Washington State Department of Ecology defined the potentially affected vicinity as the "Yakima Railroad Area". A selection of wells used for domestic water supply were sampled throughout the area; many wells scattered throughout the study area showed PCE contamination. Several of these wells were shown to have PCE contamination concentrations above 4 ppb, the cleanup level for PCE in groundwater.

Ecology initiated a bottled water program, providing free bottled water to residents in the area who were using groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. In February 1992, the Potentially Liable Parties (PLPs) were issued as enforcement order to take over the bottled water program. New PLPs have since been added to the enforcement order.

The PLPs requested that Ecology do a search for additional PLPs. A credible evidence report was submitted to Ecology. Based on this report, additional soil and water samples were taken.

In June 1992, a grant application was submitted by the cities of Yakima and Union Gap to connect about 1,200 homes in the Yakima Railroad Area to the cities' water systems. Ecology provided a 100% grant of $6.4 million to the cities. Construction began in 1993, and to date, more than 1200 homes have been connected to the Municipal water supplies.

The number of PLPs has changed over time. New PLPs have been discovered and added to the list. Several PLPs have reached a de minimus settlement with Ecology and exited the cleanup process. 

Groundwater Monitoring Results

Twice a year, we collect groundwater samples in a 6-square-mile industrial area that parallels the railroad corridor in the cities of Yakima and Union Gap where concentrations of tetrachloroethene (PCE) continue to exceed the state Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) cleanup level.

The primary purpose of this monitoring is to evaluate the effectiveness of these cleanup actions at reducing the contaminant concentrations in the groundwater. The data may also be used to identify areas of contamination that require further action. Groundwater samples will continue to be collected semi-annually to monitor PCE concentrations in the project area.
Legal 16
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Yakima Railroad Area Bottled Water program EO Dismissal Memo 2/7/2018 Order Notice of Satisfaction/Status
Agri-Tech YSF Final PLP Ltr to Strong 6/25/2011 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Agri-Tech YSF Final PLP Ltr to Yakima Steel 6/25/2008 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Agri-Tech YSF Final PLP Ltr to Wark 6/25/2008 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Agri-Tech YSF Final PLP Ltr to Coffelt 6/25/2008 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
YRRA Working Group trust fund Dismissal of CD No. CY-96-3196-WFN 9/22/2000 Consent Decree
Yakima Railroad Order Entering Consent Decree 5/19/1999 Consent Decree
YRRA Brad Marten Group trust fund Dismissal of CD No. CY-96-3197-WFN 4/9/1998 Consent Decree
Yakima Railroad Area Working Group II trust fund CD No. CY-96-3195-RHW 4/10/1997 Consent Decree
Yakima Railroad Area Brad Marten Group trust fund CD No. CY-96-3197-FVS 12/20/1996 Consent Decree
Yakima Railroad Area Working Group trust fund CD No. CY-96-3196-RHW 12/20/1996 Consent Decree
Yakima Railroad Area Municipal Group trust fund CD No. CY-96-3194-RH 12/20/1996 Consent Decree
Yakima Railroad Area 9th Ave Water EO No. DE 95TC-C212 7/19/1995 Enforcement Order
Yakima Railroad Area Bottled Water EO No. DE 92TC-C108 Amendment 1/28/1993 Enforcement Order
Yakima Railroad Area Bottled Water EO No. DE 92TC-C108 Amendment 2/28/1992 Enforcement Order
Yakima Railroad Area Bottled Water EO No. DE 92TC-C108 2/11/1992 Enforcement Order
Public Information 4
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Yakima Railroad Area fact sheet 10/30/2008 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Cameron Yakima contributors CD fact sheet 12/4/1998 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Yakima Railroad Area Well Users Meeting 1996 2/1/1996 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Yakima Railroad Area city water hookup 1993 1/1/1993 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Technical Reports 20
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Yakima Railroad Area PCE Groundwater Quality Monitoring Data Summary 2021 5/1/2023 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Yakima Railroad Area PCE Groundwater Monitoring Data Summary 2018 - 2020 4/1/2022 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Yakima Railroad Area PCE Groundwater Monitoring Data Summary 2017 7/1/2018 Groundwater Monitoring Report
YRRA Groundwater Quality Performance Monitoring 2017 7/1/2018 Groundwater Monitoring Report
YRRA Groundwater Quality Performance Monitoring 2016 4/1/2017 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Yakima Railroad Area PCE Groundwater Monitoring Data Summary 2014 - 2015 7/1/2016 Groundwater Monitoring Report
YRRA Groundwater Quality Performance Monitoring 2014-2015 7/1/2016 Groundwater Monitoring Report
YRRA Groundwater Quality Performance Monitoring 2013 10/1/2014 Groundwater Monitoring Report
YRRA draft RI/FS - Response to Ecology Comments and revised Executive Summary 6/22/1999 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix H - Soil & Water Disposal Bills of Lading & Authorizations 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix G - Analytical Results 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix F - Monitoring Well Boring Logs 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix E - RI Monitoring Well Locations 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix D - Subfacility Monitoring Well Location Maps 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix C - Receptor Survey Report 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix B - DNR Well Logs 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS Appendix A - RI Work Plan 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA draft RI/FS 12/31/1998 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
YRRA TOC Study 3/1/1997 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Yakima Railroad - Ecology Investigation of PLPs Soil and GW Contamination 2/25/1993 Site Specific Technical Document - other
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Central Regional Office
    1250 W Alder St
    Union Gap, 98903-0009
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 1

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Solvents C C S
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.