Snopac Property

​Updated February 2020

Ecology negotiated a legal agreement called an Agreed Order with 5055 Properties LLC, the Potentially Liable Party (PLP) for the Snopac Property (Site). The order requires them to investigate environmental conditions, develop a cleanup plan, and conduct an interim cleanup.

Ecology hosted a public comment period from June 10 - July 9, 2019 to get input on the Agreed Order and other documents for the Site:

 Agreed Order – requires the PLP to investigate contamination, complete a Remedial Investigation (RI), Feasibility Study (FS) and draft Cleanup Action Plan (dCAP) for the Site.
Interim Action Work Plan – describes how the PLP will conduct a partial cleanup of the contaminated soil present in the upland portion of the Site.
Public Participation Plan – describes how Ecology will inform the community about Site activities and opportunities to be involved in the cleanup process.

Ecology did not receive any comments that warranted significant changes to the documents, so they were finalized and the cleanup process is now moving forward.

Why this cleanup matters 

This site is part of Ecology’s Lower Duwamish Waterway source control efforts, because it is contributing pollution the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW) Superfund Site. The 5-mile stretch of the Duwamish River that flows north into Elliot Bay was added to the Superfund National Priorities List by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2001. The sediments (mud) in the river contain a wide range of contaminants due to decades of industrial activity and runoff from urban areas. EPA is leading efforts to clean up the river sediments. Ecology is leading efforts to control sources of contamination from the surrounding land area. The long-term goal is to minimize recontamination of the river sediment and restore water quality in the river. The 5505 E Marginal Way Site is one of several sites that will be cleaned up as part of Ecology’s Source Control Strategy – controlling sources of pollution to the river. Contaminants in the soil and groundwater around the river pose a risk to human health and the environment. They can also find their way into the river through storm runoff and other pathways. For more information, visit our Source Control page.

Site Location

The Snopac Property is located at 5055 East Marginal Way S. in Seattle. It is approximately 1.3 acres on the east bank of the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW), at the head of Slip 1.


Site History

Olympic Lighterage Company, operated there from 1935 to 1940. Pioneer Towing Company occupied the buildings and utilized underground storage tanks (USTs) from 1940 through 1970. Marine Power & Equipment utilized the warehouse for marine equipment storage and disposed of spent sandblast grit (SBG) on the Site between 1973 and 1986. Snopac Products Inc. operated a fish packing facility in the building from 1992 to 2008. In 2008 they relocated the business, leaving the property and warehouse vacant. 5055 Properties LLC purchased the property in 2012.


Contamination

​During the 1970’s and 1980’s portions of the Site were filled with SBG, which contributed to contamination in the LDW.

Soil samples at the Site contained concentrations of the following:

•metals including arsenic, copper, lead, zinc, tributyl tin (TBT)
•carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs)
•polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Groundwater samples contained metals (arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel) and PAHs 

Sediment samples at the Site contained concentrations of the following:

•metals
•PAHs
•PCBs 

A sample from groundwater entering Slip 1 on the southwest corner of the property found arsenic, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc.

 All of these contaminants were found at levels that exceed allowable standards under the state’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and therefore must be addressed.

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA; Chapter 70.105D RCW 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.