Crest Linen

Crest Linen is a part of the Yakima Railroad Area (YRRA). The Yakima Railroad Area is approximately six square miles in size and includes parts of the cities of Yakima and Union Gap. The Yakima Railroad Area groundwater is contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (PCE or PERC) from past industrial use, and is centered around the railroad/industrial corridor of the greater Yakima area.

PCE is a manufactured chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals and is used in some consumer products.

Exposure to PCE can be from the air, chemical use, soil, or water. PCE can affect the kidneys, liver, nervous system, and reproductive system, as well as unborn children. There is also an increased risk of certain types of cancer.

More information about potential sources of PCE and associated health risks can be found on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) website.

The Crest Linen site was used as a dry cleaning facility for decades. Between 1959 and 1985, PCE was used on-site as a dry cleaning solvent. 

In 1987, Yakima County purchased the property and used it as a storage facility for stolen goods.

In 1992, the site was added to Ecology’s Hazardous Sites List with a ranking of “1”. Sites on the Hazardous Sites List are a priority for Ecology, and have completed a Site Hazard Assessment (SHA). An SHA provides information about the environmental risk of the site. Risk is based on the amount of contaminants, how toxic they are, and how easily they can come in contact with people and the environment. Sites are ranked relative to each other on a scale of “1” to “5”; with a rank of “5” being the lowest.

In 1990, Yakima County completed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA). The assessment identified a gasoline service station and a laundry business as former property uses.  
 
A Phase II ESA was conducted in 1991. Soil borings showed elevated concentrations of PCE in groundwater and soil. In addition to PCE, elevated levels of chloroform, toluene, xylene, and dichloromethane were discovered.

Ecology and Yakima County entered into a de minimus Consent Decree in 1994.

Ecology determined the site is no longer a threat to human health and the environment and removed it from the Hazardous Sites List in 2000.