Richland Uptown Shopping Center Parcel 04

The Richland Uptown Shopping Center Parcel 04 site was originally part of a larger site known as the Richland Uptown Shopping Center. The Uptown Shopping Center, previously owned by the US government, was obtained by private parties in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the development of the shopping center. The City of Richland presently owns the parking lot and service alley encompassing the shopping center.

During a 1993 Phase I Site Assessment, 32 underground storage tanks (USTs) were identified in and adjacent to the service alley; the tanks reportedly stored heating oil. In addition to the USTs, past or present businesses that may have stored or used hazardous materials at the site include print shops, dry cleaners, camera shops, paint stores, and automotive supply stores. The larger site was subsequently split into separate sites based on information indicating separate releases had occurred at different parcels within the larger site.

The Richland Uptown Shopping Center Parcel 04 site reportedly removed two heating oil underground storage tanks (USTs), designated Tank #26 and #27 and located just outside the rear of the shop, in 1994. Petroleum contaminated soil above Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) cleanup levels was reported.

Ecology has determined the cleanup action performed at the site--natural attenuation after removal of the USTs--meets the substantive requirements of MTCA. The release of heating oil occurred in or prior to 1994 when the heating oil USTs were removed, so at least 24 years have passed since the release of heating oil from the USTs. The cleanup can be considered protective and permanent because current soil concentrations are less than the selected cleanup levels. The non-detect data suggests that no contamination remains. 

Ecology made a no further action determination in July 2018.