Hexcel Corp Structures
What's New?
We are continuing to monitor the impacted groundwater and cleanup treatments at the facility.
Hexcel and Ecology are in the process of completing the Consent Decree, draft Cleanup Action Plan, Focused Feasibility Study report, Focused Remedial Investigation report, and State Environmental Policy Act Determination of Non-significance proposal. Once these documents are complete, they will go out for public comment.
Site Background
BSB Diversified (BSB) is the name of a cleanup site with three separate properties: BSB; J.H. Carr & Sons, Inc.; and, Hexcel Corporation Kent-Plant. This comment period is for cleanup activities for the Hexcel property only.
Hexcel is an industrial facility. Historically, a metal finishing and electroplating plant operated at the site. We require Hexcel to monitor groundwater to ensure that the current cleanup method is working.
Contamination on the property varies by location, and includes a chlorinated solvent called vinyl chloride.
Site Contamination
The groundwater under parts of Hexcel is contaminated with volatile organic compounds from the breakdown of a solvent degreaser called trichloroethene (TCE), The breakdown products include vinyl chloride. TCE was used in the maintenance and operation of a former metal plating operation at the Hexel facility.
Groundwater contamination
The major groundwater contamination likely originated from the TCE spilled or leaked at the BSB site. A soil-bentonite slurry wall that surrounds the BSB property and keeps the contaminated groundwater from leaving the BSB site. Historically, there were low concentrations TCE were detected at the Hexcel site. Today only volatile organic compounds that are breakdown products of TCE are detected at the Hexcel site.
Groundwater Contamination And Current Cleanup Actiities
• Trichloroethylene (also known as trichloroethene or TCE)
• Volatile organic compounds from the breakdown of TCE, including vinyl chloride
The contaminated groundwater is currently contained behind a clay-soil barrier within the entire perimeter of the BSB property. This barrier keeps the contaminated groundwater from leaving the BSB site. Historically, low concentrations of TCE were detected at the Hexcel site. Today only volatile organic compounds that are breakdown products of TCE are detected at the Hexcel site.
Hexcel monitors groundwater to ensure that the contaminants are breaking down through a cleanup method called enhanced in-situ (in place) bioremediation. To speed up that process, Hexcel is injecting a non-toxic food with the same bacteria that naturally lives at the site. This food feeds the bacteria and enables the population of bacteria to grow. The bacteria slowly breaks down the chemical contamination in the groundwater. We oversee and review the results of these cleanup activities to ensure they are working.
Documents 21
Legal 4
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| Draft Consent Decree, Hexcel Corporation | 8/26/2024 | Consent Decree |
| Hexcel Draft Environmental Covenant | 1/3/2022 | Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism |
| Hexcel Corp Structures Enforcement Order | 11/4/2005 | Enforcement Order |
| Hexcel Corp Structures Agreed Order | 1/24/2003 | Agreed Order |
Public Information 2
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| Hexcel Corporation Public Participation Plan | 8/26/2024 | Public Participation Plan |
| EJScreen Report | 6/16/2018 | Public Participation Plan |
State Environmental Policy Act 3
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| State Environmental Policy Act, Determination of Nonsignificance | 8/26/2024 | SEPA Documents |
| Hexcel Draft SEPA Determination of Non-Significance | 1/3/2022 | SEPA Documents |
| Hexcel Draft SEPA Checklist | 1/3/2022 | SEPA Documents |
Technical Reports 12
Contaminants 2
| Contaminant Type | Soil |
Groundwater |
Surface Water |
Air |
Sediment |
Bedrock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Organics | C | C | ||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified | S | S |
- S
- Suspected
- C
- Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
- B
- Below Cleanup Levels
- RA
- Remediated-Above
- RB
- Remediated-Below
- R
- Remediated
Public Comment Period
We want to hear from you!
Ecology invites you to review and comment on the following documents for the Hexcel Corporation, located at 19819 84th Ave S., Kent, WA, 98032.
Draft Focused Remedial Investigation (FRI)/Focused Feasibility Study (FFS): The FRI is a study of the site conditions and contamination. The FFS compares cleanup actions.
Draft Cleanup Action Plan (dCAP): The dCAP describes the planned cleanup actions and sets the standards that the cleanup must meet.
Draft Consent Decree (CD): This is the legal agreement Ecology has with Hexcel to complete this cleanup according to state law.
Draft State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and Determination of Non-Significance (DNS): Ecology uses SEPA during site cleanups to find and evaluate negative environmental impacts that could result from a proposed action. Hexcel’s draft SEPA resulted in a determination of non-significance, meaning this work will not have large negative environmental impacts.
Draft Public Participation Plan (PPP): The PPP encourages comment and involvement in cleanup decisions from the community.
Use the links at the left under 'site details' to view or download these documents.
The public comment period starts at 12 a.m. on August 26, 2024, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on September 27, 2024.
Submit Comments:
ecology.wa.gov/HexcelComment
Need help?
Contact Val Cramer, Site Manager, at 425-301-6454 or email Valerie.Cramer@ecy.wa.gov.