Barbee Mill Company

Location
The Site is at 4101 Lake Washington Boulevard North, Renton, WA. The approximately 37-acre Site includes the former Barbee Mill property and a portion that overlaps with the adjacent Quendall Terminals property (Quendall Property), and a portion of state-owned aquatic land located in Lake Washington immediately next to the Barbee Mill Property and the Quendall Property.

Background
From the 1920’s to the early 2000s, the Site was used for various lumber mill operations including a sawmill, a wood treatment facility, and log rafting.  These past industrial activities resulted in contamination of soil, groundwater and sediment on the Barbee Mill Property, overlapping on a portion of the Quendall Property to the north, and on state-owned aquatic lands of Lake Washington to the west. Contaminants included metals (arsenic and zinc), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (diesel- and oil-range hydrocarbons).

Multiple cleanup actions completed between 1999 and 2011 largely addressed contaminated soil and groundwater on the Barbee Mill Site and completely addressed contaminated sediment.  Arsenic-contaminated soil and groundwater remain. 

Learn more about the Quendall Terminals Superfund Site overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by visiting the site’s webpage.

As detailed in the RI/FS and summarized below, previous cleanup actions have largely addressed contaminated soil and groundwater on the Barbee Mill Site, and completely addressed contaminated sediment.  Arsenic-contaminated soil and groundwater remain on the Barbee Mill and Quendall Properties. 

Between 2006 and 2023 multiple cleanup actions occurred:

Upland Soil Removal: Removal of approximately 34,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil

Upland Groundwater Treatment and Monitoring: 

• Installation of an amended soil zone containing finely divided iron particles which act to bind the arsenic in groundwater as it travels towards Lake Washington.
• Installation of a pump and treat system that removed about 16 million gallons of arsenic-contaminated groundwater containing about 37 pounds of arsenic. 
• Monitoring to assess arsenic concentration reductions over time.
  Environmental Covenants: Recording of deed restrictions on each lot within the Site to protect the cleanup action, provide access for monitoring and maintenance, and prevent groundwater from being used.

Sediment Area Dredging: In 1999 and in 2002, cleanup actions removed about 26,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and wood debris.  Remaining sediment within the Sediment Area meets cleanup requirements. No further cleanup is necessary. 

To address remaining arsenic contamination, the RI/FS evaluates five cleanup options and proposes an option. Based on the information in the RI/FS, Ecology has selected the proposed option as the cleanup action for the site.  This cleanup action is described in the Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) and includes:

• In Situ Passive Attenuation Zone (PAZ): continued use of the existing permeable wall of reactive material in the aquifer that removes contaminants from groundwater flowing through the wall.
• Groundwater Monitoring: Monitor groundwater to assess anticipated continued reductions in arsenic concentrations overtime. 
• Environmental Covenants: Retain the existing environmental covenants on the Barbee Mill Company Site (including the Quendall Property) that restrict groundwater use, disturbance of contaminated soil, interference with remedial elements including the PAZ, extraction wells, and monitoring wells, and maintaining the integrity of the pond liner.

Remaining arsenic-contaminated soil is isolated under clean soil on the Barbee Mill Property. Although this arsenic-contaminated soil is impacting groundwater, arsenic concentrations in groundwater decrease to below cleanup levels prior to reaching the lake.

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 is responsible for administering MTCA, including oversight of cleanups. The MTCA cleanup process is completed in steps over a variable timeline. 

Next steps
Since most of the Barbee Mill site has already been cleaned up and for efficiency, we have combined public review of the RI/FS and CAP. The timeline for remaining cleanup work is outlined below:

• August 25 – October 8, 2025: Public comment period
• 2025: Review comments and finalize Cleanup Action Plan
• 2025-2045:Compliance monitoring of groundwater conditions

Staying informed
Subscribe to this site using the blue button at the top of this webpage. You’ll receive a weekly email if we change the site’s status, add documents to the site’s webpage, or open a comment period.

Join our email list to receive updates about the Barbee Mill cleanup site. Email Meredith Waldref, Public Involvement Coordinator to be added to the list.

Need help or have questions? We offer translation and interpretation services at no cost. To request these services, email meredith.waldref@ecy.wa.gov or call 425-229-3683. If you call, ask for an interpreter to be connected with one.

¿Necesita ayuda o tiene preguntas? Ofrecemos servicios de traducción e interpretación sin costo. Si necesita estos servicios, envíe un correo electrónico a meredith.waldref@ecy.wa.gov o llame al 425-229-3683. Si llama, pida que le conecten con un intérprete.

需要帮助或有疑问？我们免费提供翻译和口译服务。如果您需要这些服务，请发送电子邮件至 meredith.waldref@ecy.wa.gov 或致电 425-229-3683。如果您致电要求，我们将为你联系口译员。