Emerald Kalama Chemical

Currently owned by LANXESS, Emerald Kalama Chemical (Emerald) is an organic chemical plant that has operated along the Columbia River in Kalama since 1962. The facility processes toluene into chemical products used as flavorings and preservatives in foods and beverages and as additives in pharmaceuticals, fragrances, surfactants, plasticizers, and other consumer products. The manufacturing plant consists of 40 acres and the remaining 125 acres of the site is wetland.

Current contaminants of concern include benzene, toluene, biphenyl, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, and diphenyl oxide.

There have been a number of historical releases at the facility. Site investigations found releases of hazardous substances to the soil and groundwater under the plant.

• Releases in the west area next to the Columbia River came from the former tar residue area, transfer sump, and west tank farm.
• Releases in the central area were from the facility's sewer system.
• Contamination in the groundwater flows north toward the wetland and west toward the river.

In the 1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the facility entered into an Agreed Order under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requiring the facility to complete a RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI), a corrective measures study, and an interim corrective measures evaluation to address the contamination.

In the RFI, the facility was divided into different areas where interim corrective measures (ICMs) were designed to address releases of contaminants into groundwater. These included two interceptor trenches, a soil vapor extraction system, and a recovery well network to prevent contamination from reaching the wetland and Columbia River.

Under a 2008 Consent Decree with Ecology, Emerald also installed an oxygen diffusion system to enhance biodegradation of contamination in groundwater.

While still operating, Emerald continues to perform cleanup remedies and groundwater monitoring. Because contamination remains at the facility, an environmental covenant prohibits activities that may interfere with the cleanup action or monitoring.