Facility Site ID: 99187287 Cleanup Site ID: 11348

  • Site Status

  • Cleanup Started

Current Status

Site locator map showing contamination and property boundaries
Site locator map showing contamination and property boundaries

Last Updated: March 4, 2024

有關清理工作的中文信息

Cleanup continues with monitoring planned for Spring 2024

Seventh Avenue Service site is located in Seattle’s International District at 701 S Jackson Street. Ecology and 701 S Jackson Partners, LLC (South Jackson Partners) have prioritized cleanup of the site in conjunction with redevelopment of the property as a mixed-use retail and affordable housing complex. South Jackson Partners is cleaning up the site under a legal agreement, called a Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree, with Ecology. Remedial soil excavation was completed in October 2023. Performance groundwater and soil vapor monitoring is planned in spring 2024.

Construction Updates

Soil is stockpiled and sorted on site and exported to the Heidelberg Facility.
Soil is stockpiled and sorted on site and exported to the Heidelberg Facility.

March 2024 Update: All soil cleanup activities conducted during construction are documented in Ecology's approved Cleanup Action Report.

June 2023:
All buildings were demolished. A metal drum containing oil and other waste materials was removed from the former garage structure. All trees and lamp posts are protected, and the property is completely fenced off. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the end of this month. 

July 2023: Excavation at the site begins. A soils engineer will assist in the separation of the contaminated soils managed under the Contaminated Materials Management Plan for this site. Soil is being disposed of at Cadman's Everett facility under permit. Approximately 40% of the eastern part of the site is excavated to 6 feet. 

August 2023: Excavation and disposal of soil continues. The western portion of the property is excavated to around 80 ft. Further excavation is needed in the southern portion of the site to remove contaminated soil. All soil exports continue as planned in accordance with the Contaminated Material Management Plan. As the excavation continues, walls are installed on the edges of the pit to make sure soil does not fall back into the excavation. This is called shoring and lagging and is currently being installed and inspected throughout this month. 

September 2023: Shoring work is near completion, supporting the remedial action, and soil samples were collected for analysis. Shoring was finished by mid-September, allowing soil excavation to continue. The project also involves the investigation and removal of contaminated soil, with an expected completion date of September 22. Excavation and shoring will conclude by October, and excavated soils are being transported to a designated facility. Sampling confirmed the removal of petroleum-contaminated soil in the western portion of the site, while results for the eastern portion are still pending.

October 2023: As of October 2nd, the excavation of contaminated materials has been successfully completed according to plan, and all heavy equipment has been removed. Samples were taken to verify the removal of contamination, and the results confirm that the contamination has been eliminated.

Site Description

Seventh Avenue Service cleanup site. Image: Google Street View, 2022.
Seventh Avenue Service cleanup site. Image: Google Street View, 2022.
Site History
Historically, the property was used for car repair and fueling, with a gasoline service station operating from the 1930s into the 1970s. The service station stored gasoline in two underground tanks, which were removed from the property in 2010. Except for a small portion of the existing garage which is used as a storage room for a retail tea shop, the property has not had any commercial activity in the last 20 years.

Contamination
Site investigations found that soil at the site is contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, naphthalene, and BTEX - a combination of chemicals that occur naturally in crude oil including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. Investigations also showed that some imported soil used for fill contained lead and/or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) above Washington State’s cleanup standards.

The contamination at the site exists in the soil underneath the property boundaries, and also extends into the soil under a portion of the right-of-way at 7th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. 

In 1992 through 2022, both soil and groundwater at the site were tested for contamination that could harm people or the environment. The investigation confirmed that contamination from gasoline was present in the soil, at depths between 5 and 17.5 feet below ground surface in the central and western portions of the site. Groundwater tests did not show any contamination above state cleanup levels.

Site Cleanup
The ongoing cleanup work will follow Ecology’s Cleanup Action Plan to address contamination within the site. The Cleanup Action Plan includes: 
• Demolishing existing structures on the property. 
• Removing any contaminated soil within the property boundaries. 
• Preventing exposure to the remaining contamination under right-of-way by filing an environmental covenant that requires institutional and engineering controls and long-term monitoring.

A rendering of the proposed Seventh Avenue development, looking southeast. Image: Neiman Taber Architects.
A rendering of the proposed Seventh Avenue development, looking southeast. Image: Neiman Taber Architects.
Redevelopment

After site cleanup is completed, South Jackson Partners plan to construct an eight-story building with ground level retail space. Plans include 202 apartment units with rents targeted for households that make between 40% and 80% of the area’s median income. South Jackson Partners expect that demolition and excavation will begin in the Spring of 2023 and will be completed within about four months of the start date.

General Cleanup Process

Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) is Washington’s environmental cleanup law. It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic below) over a variable timeline.
Legal 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Seventh Avenue Service - Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree 11/23/2022 Consent Decree
Seventh Avenue Service - Early Notice Letter 5/3/2006 Early Notice Letter
Leaking Underground Storage Tank 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Seventh Avenue Service - Underground Storage Tank Removal and Closure Report 2/20/2024 LUST - Site Assessment Report
Seventh Avenue Service - UST Removal & Soil Testing Report 2/8/2012 LUST - Site Assessment Report
Public Information 4
Technical Reports 17
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Seventh Avenue Service - Post-Construction Groundwater Monitoring Progress Report Round 1 10/1/2024 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Seventh Avenue Service - Cleanup Status Confirmation Letter 6/25/2024 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Monitoring Well and Vapor Pin Installation 6/14/2024 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Cleanup Action Report Approval Letter 3/18/2024 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Cleanup Action Report 2/20/2024 Final Cleanup Action Report
Seventh Avenue Service - Quality Assurance Project Plan 7/28/2023 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Contaminated Media Management Plan 5/16/2023 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Cleanup Action Plan - September 2022 9/20/2022 Cleanup Action Plan
Seventh Avenue Service - Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study - September 2022 9/19/2022 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
Seventh Avenue Service - XN0009 Data Gaps Investigation Report 5/13/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - NW3315 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study/Cleanup Action Plan 4/23/2021 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - UST Checklists 2/9/2012 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Misc Ecy Docs 2/8/2012 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Haz Waste Program Follow-up for ERTS 620637 8/11/2010 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Ecology LUST Notice of Confirmed Release 5/3/2006 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Service Provider UST Forms 4/28/2006 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Seventh Avenue Service - Findings From Limited Phase II 3/15/2006 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Voluntary Cleanup Program 5
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Seventh Avenue Service - XN0009 NFA Likely Letter 5/25/2022 VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup – Other
Seventh Avenue Service - XN0009 2022 Q1 Progress Report 3/25/2022 Expedited VCP Quarterly Progress Report
Seventh Avenue Service - XN0009 2021 Q4 Progress Report 12/13/2021 Expedited VCP Quarterly Progress Report
Seventh Avenue Service - XN0009 VCP Acceptance Letter 10/22/2021 VCP Administrative Document
Seventh Avenue Service - NW3315 VCP Termination by customer 9/8/2021 VCP Administrative Document
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

  • Northwest Regional Office
    15700 Dayton Ave N
    Shoreline, 98133
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
  • Seattle Public Library - International District
    713 8th Ave S
    Seattle, 98104
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 3

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Non-Halogenated Organics - Non-Halogenated Solvents C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Benzene C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Gasoline C
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.