A Avenue Landfill

Last Updated: June 2024

Información en español

2024: Fact Sheet  |  Blog  |  Response to Comments

Ecology held a 30-day comment period (March 25 - April 23, 2024) and a public meeting (April 15, 2024) to review a legal agreement called an Agreed Order with the City of Anacortes (City), the Potentially Liable Person, for the  A Avenue Landfill site (Site) in Anacortes, WA. The Agreed Order requires the City to address contamination at the Site. 

Ecology has reviewed and considered the public comments received on the legal agreement and public participation plan. Based on Ecology's evaluation of the comments, no changes to the documents were necessary, and they are being finalized.

• Agreed Order: legal document that requires the City to investigate environmental conditions, complete a Remedial Investigation, and if determined necessary after completion of the investigation, to prepare a Feasibility Study and a draft Cleanup Action Plan.
• Public Participation Plan: describes how Ecology will inform the community about site activities and ways to become involved. 

Next Steps
The City will proceed with the Remedial Investigation. If necessary after completion of the investigation, a Feasibility Study and Draft Cleanup Action Plan will be prepared.

Each of those steps will require a public comment period. The graphic below shows these different stages of cleanup. Sometimes multiple stages occur in one public comment period.

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) over a variable timeline.

• March 25 - April 23:  Held public comment period
• April 15: Hosted public meeting (Download presentation PDF)
• Later 2024: Reviewed comments and responded accordingly (Download Response Summary PDF); finalized documents; City can proceed with remedial investigation work.

Current A Avenue Landfill site Public Participation Plan 

This plan includes information for the public regarding opportunities to get involved in the Site cleanup process. The outreach activities and mechanisms presented reflect Ecology’s current plans for keeping the public informed and for receiving information and comments from the public. 

Site background
The A Avenue Landfill Site is generally located in the vicinity of A Avenue and 37th Street in Anacortes, WA. The City of Anacortes owns the approximately 6-acre property (Property) within the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL). The former landfill is managed by the Anacortes City Parks and Recreation Department in coordination with the Skagit County Public Health Department (SCPH). Access to the main portion of the Property is currently restricted.

The City has worked with SCPH and Ecology since 2003 to properly close the former landfill and perform routine post-closure monitoring and maintenance.

Landfill operations and use
The A Avenue Landfill was constructed in the mid-1940s and operated as a solid waste landfill through the 1960s. From the 1960s to approximately 1970, the landfill accepted municipal solid waste that was burned on-site. From the 1970s to 2006, the City of Anacortes used the landfill for storage and disposal of public works materials (e.g., concrete, yard waste, wood waste, street sweepings, etc.). All operations ceased in 2006 when the City formally closed the A Avenue Landfill under SCPH oversight.

Landfill closure, monitoring, and maintenance
From 2003-2006, prior to closure, SCPH conducted an Initial Investigation of the Site, and Ecology placed it on the “Confirmed and Suspected Contaminated Sites List.” In 2008, SPCH’s landfill closure actions were completed including placing a clean soil cap, creating stormwater controls, and installing fencing, vegetation and signage.

Remedial investigation focus
Soil and groundwater seep sampling has been performed at the Site. Petroleum contamination was identified in a shallow soil sample during the SCPH’s 2003 Initial Investigation.  Additional contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, may be present in soil and groundwater based on the available Site history.

The former landfill extends approximately 6 acres northwest from a gravel road. A fence runs parallel to the gravel road. Surface debris extends west of the former landfill footprint in a vegetated area. Concrete drying beds formerly used to dry out sewage sludge are located east of the former landfill. SCPH’s two groundwater seep sampling locations are located downgradient of the landfill (see figure). Forested wetlands are present along the western perimeter of the landfill. 

In August 2019, community members sent a letter to SCPH with questions about a proposed addition of a bike skills park to the capped area of the former landfill. Ecology received a copy of this letter and re-evaluated the available Site information in November 2019. Ecology concluded that additional sampling was needed to fully characterize the Site.

In January 2020, Ecology withdrew the previous No Further Action determination and placed the Site on what is referred to now as Ecology’s Contaminated Sites List for further evaluation under the state cleanup regulations, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).

En español 

El Departamento de Ecología le invita a comentar sobre documentos para el sitio que está contaminado A Avenue Landfill en Anacortes. 

Para recibir este documento en español, por favor llame a 425-324-5901 y espere que un intérprete se una a la llamada o envíe un correo electrónico a preguntas@ecy.wa.gov. Traducciones de avisos públicos para este sitio de limpieza se preparan bajo solicitud.