Facility Site ID: 93453337 Cleanup Site ID: 1937

Oct. 9
12:00 am
Nov. 8
11:50 pm

Public Comment Period

Ecology invites you to review and comment on the draft Periodic Review report for the Robys Services site.

Comments will be accepted October 9, 2024 through November 8, 2024.  

You may submit your comments online or by mail to Frank Winslow, Periodic Reviewer, at Ecology's Central Regional Office.

We complete a periodic review about every five years cleanup construction is complete at a site when institutional controls are part of the cleanup. The purpose of the review is to make sure the controls remain effective and the cleanup still protects human health and the environment.

We will review comments received during the comment period and make recommendations for suggested changes. The periodic review will become final if no significant changes are made. An additional public comment period will be held if significant changes are made.

Site Description

Service Bay - August 2011
Service Bay - August 2011
Roby’s Services (Roby's) is the location of a former service station. In 1993, workers digging near the streets to install new sewer lines found petroleum contamination in the soil. In 1997, Ecology conducted an initial investigation, which showed petroleum contamination above state cleanup levels for both soil and groundwater. The contamination is believed to have come from leaking underground storage tanks (LUSTs) at Roby’s.

Roby’s was on Ecology’s Hazardous Sites List with a ranking of “3”. Sites on the Hazardous Sites List were a priority for Ecology, and had completed a Site Hazard Assessment (SHA). A SHA provided information about the environmental risk of the site. Risk is based on the amount of contaminants, how toxic they are, and how easily they can come in contact with people and the environment. Sites were ranked relative to each other on a scale of “1” to “5”; with a rank of “5” being the lowest.

What Was Done

Site after final cleanup
Site after final cleanup
Roby’s Services operated as a gas station and auto repair facility in Buena from the 1950s until approximately 2003. During a sewer system upgrade for the town in 1993, petroleum contamination was discovered at several sites within Buena, including Roby’s Services. Ecology conducted soil and groundwater studies that included soil testing and the installation of 12 monitoring wells throughout the town of Buena to test groundwater. Five underground storage tanks (USTs) and their associated piping were dug up and removed by Ecology in 2001. Contaminated soils were found in the excavated tank pit. 
 
In 2011, Ecology removed many site structures and concrete, and pumped out a waste oil tank. Laboratory tests of the waste oil showed the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead. In 2012, the empty waste oil tank and the surrounding contaminated soil were dug up and removed from the site, and the pit was backfilled with clean fill.
 
About 2,500 tons of soil and 122 tons of concrete debris were removed from the site and disposed of properly. Any remaining contaminated soil was addressed by adding a compound that helps enhance breakdown of the remaining petroleum contamination. Testing showed any residual soil contamination was not impacting groundwater beneath the site. A barrier of native soil and vegetation limits people’s exposure to any potential contamination.

Cleanup Complete

Based upon cleanup activities and the recording of the environmental covenant, Ecology determined the site is no longer a threat to human health and the environment. Ecology issued a No Further Action determination and the site was removed from the Hazardous Sites List in August 2016.

Periodic Review

Ecology conducts periodic reviews every 5 years at sites that have institutional controls. The review is intended to examine the effectiveness of cleanup activities and to assure the continued protection of human health and the environment.

Periodic review results

The cleanup actions completed at the site are protective of human health and the environment.

Soil cleanup levels have not been met at the site; however, the cleanup action is determined to comply with cleanup standards under WAC 173-340-740(6)(f), since the long-term integrity of the containment system is ensured and the requirements for containment technologies have been met.

The environmental covenant for the site is in place and will be effective in protecting public health and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances and protecting the integrity of the cleanup action.

Based on the five-year review, Ecology has determined that the requirements of the environmental covenant are being followed. No additional remedial actions are required by the property owner. It is the property owner’s responsibility to continue to inspect the site to assure that the integrity of the cap is maintained.

Other Csi Sites In Buena

Site use restrictions called institutional controls are in effect

Institutional controls can be fences, signs, or restrictions on how the property is used. For instance, an institutional control may prohibit installing drinking water wells or disturbing a protective cap that isolates contamination. These restrictions keep the contamination contained and keep people from being exposed to the contamination. The controls are usually listed in environmental covenants recorded with the county.

Periodic reviews are required when institutional controls are required at a site. Ecology conducts reviews to make sure the controls remain effective and the cleanup still protects human health and the environment. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years.

Environmental Covenant

County Recording #: 7901322
County Recording Date: 3/1/2016

Restrictions/Requirements

  • Prohibit Soil Disturbance

Restricted Media

  • Soil
Legal 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Robys Services Environmental Covenant 3/1/2016 Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism
Robys Services combined ENL and 30-day notice of potential liability 8/5/2014 Early Notice Letter
Leaking Underground Storage Tank 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Site Characterization Report - Buena LUSTs 10/21/2010 LUST Site Characterization Report
Public Information 6
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Robys Services Fact Sheet English/Spanish 6/1/2016 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Robys Services Public Participation Plan 12/9/2013 Public Participation Plan
Robys Services Interim Action Plan fact sheet Spanish 3/1/2012 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Robys Services Interim Action Plan fact sheet 3/1/2012 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Buena Site Investigations Fact Sheet Spanish 9/8/2011 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Buena Site Investigation Fact Sheet 9/6/2011 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
State Environmental Policy Act 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Buena Site Investigations SEPA DNS 9/8/2011 SEPA Documents
Buena Site Investigations SEPA checklist 8/8/2011 SEPA Documents
Technical Reports 7
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Robys Services - Notice of Periodic Review July 2022 Letter 10/4/2024 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Robys Services - Periodic Review July 2022 7/1/2022 Periodic Review (5 Year)
Robys Services Groundwater Monitoring Report Fourth Quarter 2013 6/18/2014 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Robys Services Groundwater Well Installation and Monitoring Report 6/4/2013 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Robys Services - Site Hazard Assessment 6/18/2012 Site Hazard Assessment Report
Robys Services Interim Action Work Plan 1/11/2012 Interim Action Documents
Robys Services Interim Action (Data Gap Investigation) Work Plan 11/23/2011 Interim Action Documents
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

  • Central Regional Office
    1250 W Alder St
    Union Gap, 98903-0009
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 1

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Gasoline RA RB
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.