Facility Site ID: 75128579 Cleanup Site ID: 3704

May 1
8:00 am
June 2
11:59 pm

2025 Public Comment Period And Open House

This cleanup site was previously cleaned up from 2007-2012. However, the site is re-entering the cleanup process after West Bay Development Group (West Bay) found more contamination in 2021.

Two documents are available for your review and comment. The fact sheet summarizes important information about the cleanup site and this comment opportunity.     

  1. Agreed Order DE 21726
  2. Public Participation Plan

You’re invited to our open house at the Olympia Timberland Library on May 12, 2025, from 3:00 – 5:30. Come meet our staff, look at posters about the site, and ask any questions you may have about cleanup.

Submit your comment between May 1st at 8:00 AM and June 2nd at 11:59 PM, 2025.

Questions? Please reach out to steve.teel@ecy.wa.gov.

Site Description

Aerial photos of the cleanup site from May 1992 (left) and July 2016 (right).
Aerial photos of the cleanup site from May 1992 (left) and July 2016 (right).

This cleanup site in Olympia has been used for wood milling since the late 1800s. Hardel Mutual Plywood (Hardel) operated at this site from 1951 to 1996. Wood milling released hazardous substances into the environment.

Hardel signed a legal agreement with Ecology in 2007 and cleaned up the site in 2010. In 2012, Ecology listed the cleanup as complete.

West Bay Development Group (West Bay) bought the property from Hardel in 2021. West Bay discovered areas of contamination in soil and groundwater that were not found in the earlier cleanup work.

Therefore, this site needs more cleanup to protect human health and the environment.

Site Location

A map showing the location of the cleanup site in Olympia.
A map showing the location of the cleanup site in Olympia.
The Hardel Mutual Plywood site is on the western shore of Budd Inlet. The Site is generally located at 1210 West Bay Drive NW. Recent Thurston County records show the Site was divided into five parcels. The addresses of the five parcels are 1410, 1420, 1430, 1510, and 1520 West Bay Drive NW.

Current Cleanup (2021–)

West Bay bought the property from Hardel Mutual Plywood in 2021. West Bay conducted environmental sampling prior to purchase and identified several additional areas of contamination that were not found in an earlier cleanup.

West Bay was accepted into Ecology’s Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) in 2021. Because sediment investigation and cleanup are also needed, Ecology decided that the site should enter the formal cleanup process.

So, Ecology negotiated a legal agreement, Agreed Order DE 21726, with West Bay. The agreement requires West Bay to:

  • Study the site to understand what kind of contamination is at the site, and where it is.
  • Use that information to compare different options for how to clean up the site.
  • Suggest a cleanup option to Ecology.

Ecology also created a Public Participation Plan describing how we will contact the public about this site, and opportunities for public input.

Ecology will accept public comments on Agreed Order DE 21726 and the Public Participation Plan from May 1 - June 2, 2025. Ecology will finalize the documents after considering public input.

Initial Cleanup (2007–2012)

A figure showing 2010 cleanup work.
A figure showing 2010 cleanup work.

In 2004, sampling found petroleum products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at the site. Diesel, gasoline, and oil are types of petroleum products at the site.

In 2007, Ecology and Hardel signed a legal agreement to start the cleanup process at this site.

2010 cleanup work included:

  • Removing concrete building foundations, saving clean concrete.
  • Removing petroleum floating on groundwater.
  • Removing about 23,331 tons of contaminated soil and debris. Hardel used clean soil to fill those areas.
  • Pumping and treating groundwater from areas where soil was removed. Hardel discharged about 1,250,600 gallons of treated water to the sanitary sewer system.
  • Covering part of the site with one foot of crushed concrete. Hardel reused clean concrete from the building foundations.

In August 2012, after a year of monitoring, Ecology listed the cleanup as complete. Read more in the delisting fact sheet

Legal 3
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Agreed Order DE 21726 4/15/2025 Agreed Order
Hardel Mutual Plywood Satisfaction Letter 8/22/2012 Order Notice of Satisfaction/Status
Hardel Mutual Plywood Agreed Order 4108 2007 4/30/2007 Agreed Order
Map 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Methane Sample Location Map 9/13/2022 Map
Outreach Information 12
State Environmental Policy Act 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Hardel Mutual Plywood SEPA DNS 12/21/2009 SEPA Documents
Technical Reports 26
Document Title Document Date Document Type
SHARP 3/31/2025 SHARP Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Final Determination of Liability for Release of Hazardous Substances 4/17/2023 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Hardel Mutual Plywood - PLP notice 3/16/2023 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Workplan to Address Ecology's RI Data Gaps 10/25/2022 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Suggested Methane Sample Locations 9/13/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hardel Mutual Plywood - RI Data Gap Report - Addendum 1 - Hardel Mutual Plywood Corporation Site 3/31/2022 Remedial Investigation Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Summary of Recent Methane Investigation 2/14/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Minor Updates/Clarifications to the March 2021 RI Data Gaps Investigation Work Plan for Methane Soil Vapor Sampling 9/28/2021 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Remedial Investigation Data Gap Report 8/31/2021 Remedial Investigation Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood - RI DG Appendices 8/29/2021 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hardel Mutual Plywood - RI Data Gaps Investigation Work Plan 3/31/2021 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hardel Mutual Plywood Final Cleanup Action Plan 4/30/2012 Cleanup Action Plan
Hardel Draft Cleanup Action Plan 2/29/2012 Cleanup Action Plan
Hardel Mutual Plywood Post-Construction Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Summary of Four Quarters 11/28/2011 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood Post-Construction Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Report 9/22/2011 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood Post-Construction Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Report 6/3/2011 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood Post-Construction Quarterly Groundwater Monitoring Report 3/23/2011 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood Compliance Well Installation & First Round of Groundwater Monitoring 2/17/2011 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood Interim Action Closure Report 12/15/2010 Interim Action Documents
Hardel Mutual Plywood Interim Action Work Plan 12/3/2009 Interim Action Documents
Hardel Mutual Plywood Supplemental Subsurface Investigation 11/4/2009 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hardel Mutual Plywood Feasibility Study 5/8/2009 Feasibility Study
Hardel Mutual Plywood Remedial Investigation Report 12/17/2007 Remedial Investigation Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood Site Hazard Assessment 2/1/2005 Site Hazard Assessment Report
Hardel Mutual Plywood Phase II ESA 7/26/2004 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hardel Mutual Plywood Phase I ESA 7/1/1999 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Voluntary Cleanup Program 7
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Hardel Mutual Plywood - VCP Termination - West Bay Dev Group LLC 3/7/2023 VCP Administrative Document
Hardel Mutual Plywood - VCP Termination 2/14/2023 VCP Administrative Document
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Nicole Floyd - West Bay Yards Email 6/17/2022 VCP Technical Assistance
Hardel Mutual Plywood - SW1757 - VCP Acceptance 9/30/2021 VCP Administrative Document
Hardel Mutual Plywood - SW1757 - VCP Agreement 9/21/2021 VCP Administrative Document
Hardel Mutual Plywood - SW1757 - VCP Application 8/31/2021 VCP Administrative Document
Hardel Mutual Plywood - Rescission of No Further Action (NFA) Status 8/17/2021 VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup – Other
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Southwest Regional Office
    300 Desmond Dr SE
    Lacey, 98503-1274
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 10

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals - Other C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified C C RB
Halogenated Organics - Dioxins/Furans S C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C C RB C
Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Solvents S C
Metals - Arsenic C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Benzene C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Other Non-Halogenated Organics C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Gasoline C C
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.