Facility Site ID: 19532 Cleanup Site ID: 15125

Status Update

The Reserve Silica Plant site was initially part of the Reserve Silica Reclamation site. The Plant and Reclamation sites are managed as separate sites under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) because the sources and types of contamination are distinct and the contamination areas do not overlap. The Reserve Silica Plant site is located on the north side of Black Diamond-Ravensdale Road.

Site Background

The Site was developed in 1924 to process coal from the Dale No. 1 mine and the Ravensdale No. 2 Mine/McKay Workings. Coal was received from a tramway and tipple, and then processed at the Site. Historical coal maps depict approximate locations of a washery, coal bunkers, a drying room, a briquette bunker, a machine shop, a transformer, and railway spurs. Tailings from coal processing were deposited south of the pre-existing railroad in low areas that potentially extend under the current Black-Diamond Ravensdale Road, prior to its construction in circa 1941-1942. The coal processing plant was decommissioned in 1955.

​The Site was developed in the early 1970s to process sand mined from the Reserve Silica Reclamation site, where sandstone was mined from 1968 to 2007. The sand was disaggregated and washed to remove fines. The fines from the process water were deposited in settling ponds on the west side of the Site. The sand processing plant was decommissioned in 2015.

Releases Of Contamination

The draft Remedial Investigation report for the Site identified credible evidence of releases near two former sand processing areas:

  • Petroleum hydrocarbons were detected near the 10,000-gallon diesel fuel underground storage tank.
  • Petroleum hydrocarbons were detected near former aboveground storage tanks near the hazardous materials storage area.

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Northwest Region Office
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Counties: Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom
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 nwroerts@ecy.wa.gov
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Legal 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Reserve Silica Plant - Early Notice Letter 1/22/2020 Early Notice Letter
Leaking Underground Storage Tank 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Reserve Silica Plant - Underground Storage Tank Site Assessment 11/23/2020 LUST - Site Assessment Report
Technical Reports 7
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Reserve Silica Asarco Soil Disposal - Ecology Comments 9/1/2023 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Reserve Silica Plant - Initial Investigation Field Report 12/24/2019 Initial Investigation Report
Reserve Silica Plant - Summary of Remedial Investigation Data Gaps Investigation Results: Plant Site and Lower Haul Road 5/8/2019 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Reserve Silica Plant - Preliminary Data Gaps in Remedial Investigation Report 1/30/2018 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Reserve Silica Plant - Remedial Investigation Report (Independent Draft) (Appendix C, Previous Environmental Reports of Significance, are provided on the Reserve Silica Reclamation Site website) 11/1/2017 Remedial Investigation Report
Reserve Silica Plant - Preliminary Environmental Conditions Letter Report 7/22/2015 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Reserve Silica Plant - Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report 12/3/2014 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

  • Solid Waste Program - Northwest Regional Office
    15700 Dayton Ave N
    Shoreline, 98133
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 11

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals - Other B B
Halogenated Organics - Polychlorinated biPhenyls (PCB) S S
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C S S S
Metals - Arsenic C C S S
Metals - Lead B B
Metals - Mercury B B
Non-Halogenated Organics - Benzene B B S
Non-Halogenated Organics - Other Non-Halogenated Organics B B S
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel C B S S
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Gasoline B
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Other C B S S 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.