Quiet Cove

A Puget Sound Initiative Site - Reaching the goal of a healthy, sustainable Puget Sound.

Quiet Cove sits along the east end of the Guemes Channel just northwest of Fidalgo/Padilla Bays at 202 O Avenue in Anacortes. Historical site operations began as a bulk fuel terminal and storage facility as early as 1909. According to historical documents, a 280,000 gallon, a 158,000 gallon, a 56,000 gallon, a 43,000 gallon, four 20,000 gallon above ground storage tanks, and associated structures were located on the site. The oil tanks and associated structures were removed in the 1970s. From the 1970s until 2013 site operations included a storage yard for marine vessels and recreational vehicles and office and warehouse space for various marine-related sales and services. The Port of Anacortes purchased the site in July 2013.

In 2014 the Port investigated contamination on the site using funding from an Ecology Integrated Planning Grant. The Port used the results of the investigation to create and inform the long-term redevelopment plan.

In 2015 Ecology and the Port of Anacortes entered into an Agreed Order. This document named the Port of Anacortes as the responsible party for the contamination and defined what they must do to clean up the site where there has been a release or threatened release of hazardous substances.

In October 2019 an Interim Action Work Plan was developed to document the first steps of cleanup at the site and outlines requirements for the cleanup. Ecology held a public comment period in September 2019 for the Interim Action Work Plan and responded to received public comments In November 2019.

Between August and November 2020 the Port of Anacortes completed a partial cleanup of the site. This cleanup included demolishing existing building structures and paved surfaces, decommissioning existing monitoring wells and excavation and disposal of petroleum contaminated soils within the property boundary. Following this cleanup, Ecology identified four areas with data gaps related to the site. Current planning and investigation efforts are underway to address these four data gaps before completion of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study.