Jorgensen Forge Corp

Updated June 2022

Información en español	Información del Sitio
Thông tin bằng tiếng Việt	Thông Tin Địa Điểm

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) hosted a public comment period from March 14 – April 26, 2022 to get input on cleanup documents for the Site.  This comment period is now closed. We have responded to the comments received and posted a responsiveness summary below. 

Responsiveness Summary - Spring 2022

The following documents were available for comment:

Agreed Order – requires the PLP to complete an interim action for the site.

Interim Action Work Plan – describes how the PLP will remove regulated underground storage tanks (USTs), contaminated pavement, and contaminated soil at the  site so parts of the facility’s structures can be closed and demolished.

Public Participation Plan – describes how Ecology will inform the community about site activities and ways to be involved in the cleanup process.


Online public meeting

On April 21, 2022, Ecology held a public meeting to provide more information and answer questions.  You can view the presentation slides here.


For more information about this project, view our factsheet

Why this cleanup matters

This site is part of Ecology’s Lower Duwamish Waterway source control efforts, because it is contributing pollution the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW) Superfund Site. Source control means finding and stopping or reducing sources of pollution to the river.

The 5-mile stretch of the Duwamish River that flows north into Elliot Bay was added to the Superfund National Priorities List by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2001.

Contaminants in the soil and groundwater around the river pose a risk to human health and the environment. They can also find their way into the river through storm runoff and other pathways. The sediments (mud) in the river contain a wide range of contaminants due to decades of industrial activity and runoff from urban areas. EPA is leading efforts to clean up the river sediments.

Ecology is leading efforts to control sources of contamination from the surrounding land area. The long-term goal is to minimize recontamination of the river sediment and restore water quality in the river. The Jorgensen Forge Site is one of several sites that will be cleaned up as part of Ecology’s Source Control Strategy. For more information, visit our Source Control page.

Site Location

The Jorgensen Forge Site is approximately 21.6 acres, located in an industrial area along the east bank of the Lower Duwamish Waterway. The site is bordered to the north by the Boeing Plant 2 cleanup site, and to the south by the Boeing Isaacson property. It is bordered to the west by the Lower Duwamish Waterway, and to the east by East Marginal Way South and the King County Regional Airport.

Final site boundaries will be defined by the extent of contamination determined during the remedial investigation. 

The Lower Duwamish Waterway drainage basin is divided into source control areas. This site is located within the Boeing Plant 2/ Jorgensen Forge Early Action Area (river mile 2.8-3.7) source control area along the east bank of the river.


Site history

The property was used from 1942-1965 for fabrication of structural steel, tractor and road equipment. Operations at the site included forging and heat-treating by Isaacson Iron Works, which operated as a U.S. naval vessel manufacturer. 

The property was owned and operated by Earle M. Jorgensen Company from 1965 until 1992, when it was purchased by the plant management group and became the Jorgensen Forge Corporation.  Jorgensen manufactures specialized large-scale metal parts for the aircraft and marine industries, including open die steel forgings and rolled aluminum rings. They also process nickel, titanium, and specialized alloys. 


Contamination

Contamination at the site is the result of heavy industrial use since the 1940’s, and contaminated groundwater migrating onto the property from off-site sources.

In the soil, contaminants of concern are:

•Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
•Petroleum hydrocarbonsVolatile organic compounds (VOCs)
•Halogenated volatile organic compounds (HVOCs)
•Metals (including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead)

In the groundwater, contaminants of concern are:

•Petroleum hydrocarbons
•Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
•Halogenated volatile organic compounds (HVOCs) - vinyl chloride
•Metals


Previous cleanup work

Three underground gasoline storage tanks near the front gate were removed in 1991, and the soil was treated to remove contamination.

An Agreed Order signed in 2007 required Jorgensen Forge Corporation to investigate sources of contamination moving from the site into the Lower Duwamish Waterway. In 2013, Ecology and Jorgensen Forge amended the 2007 existing Agreed Order to require an interim cleanup action. Jorgensen removed contaminated soil from an access road area to prevent the spread of contamination during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nearby cleanup activities. In 2014 Jorgenson Forge Corporation had satisfied all the requirements of this Agreed Order.

In 2015, Ecology issued an Enforcement Order requiring Jorgensen Forge Corporation to investigate and develop a cleanup action plan for the site. Jorgensen Forge declared bankruptcy in 2016.

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA; Chapter 70.105D RCW 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.