Hardel Mutual Plywood
Site Description
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
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)
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.
Documents 50
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
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 |
Places to see print documents
-
Southwest Regional Office300 Desmond Dr SELacey, 98503-1274Please 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
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.
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.