Spic N Span Cleaners

​Last Updated: March 13, 2024

中文信息 | Tiếng Việt

We held a comment period from February - March 2024 on a Draft Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree and Public Participation Plan.

View comment response here.

Documents available for review and comment during the most recent comment period:

• Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree (PPCD): a legal agreement that directs the purchaser(s) to implement cleanup at the site and provides the purchaser(s) a settlement of liability.
• Public Participation Plan (PPP): a document that explains how people can participate in the cleanup process.

Download the fact sheet here to read a summary of the latest information about this cleanup site.

The Spic N Span Cleaners site is in Seattle’s International District at 652 South Dearborn St., Seattle WA. Ecology and the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) have prioritized cleanup of the site in conjunction with redevelopment of the property as a mixed-use community space and affordable housing complex. SCIDpda is cleaning up the site under a legal agreement, called a Prospective Purchaser Consent Decree, with Ecology.

This site cleanup is made possible in part by funding from Ecology’s Affordable Housing Planning Grants. SCIDpda intends to apply to Ecology for an Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant in early 2024. Washington is in dire need of affordable housing across the state. Contamination, or even the suspicion of contamination, drives up the costs of housing development. The large cost leaves little incentive for developers to build affordable housing. In addition to the usual risks of redevelopment, cleaning up contaminated sites can be a complex process with considerable risk. The cost and time associated with cleaning up a site is often poorly understood; as a result, many sites are left vacant or underused for years, even decades. Supporting cleanups for affordable housing helps make sure the cleanup gets done, protecting the community’s health and the environment. Ecology developed the Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program (AHCGP) to help advance environmental cleanups for affordable housing developments. These grants can cover remedial action costs, including planning, investigative, and technical work needed to clean up contaminated sites. The purpose of the AHCGP is to expedite the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites into affordable housing use and lessen the impact of cleanup costs.

Ecology has considered all comments received and will now finalize the PPCD and Public Participation Plan, which will begin the formal cleanup. A Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study will then be completed. Results from the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study will lead to a Cleanup Action Plan. Drafts of the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study as well as the Cleanup Action Plan will be available for public review and comment.

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 below) over a variable timeline.