Emerald Recycling
Current Status
Last updated, April 2018
Northwest EnviroService (NWES), now Emerald Recycling, voluntarily completed closure work for above ground structures and the surrounding areas. They did the closure before getting a closure plan approved as required by Washington State’s dangerous waste regulations. Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which oversees the federal law for closures, required NWES to submit a revised closure plan for work they completed.
Currently, the site is operated by Emerald Services as a used oil recycling facility.
Cleanup And Closure For Hazardous Waste
Ecology held a public comment period in 2016 on a closure plan for the above ground hazardous waste treatment units and surrounding areas on this facility, formerly known as Northwest EnviroService (NWES). Ecology approved the plan after the comment period.
A Hazardous Waste Treatment facility like NWES must cleanup, close, monitor and maintain the site in accordance with the Federal (RCRA) and Washington state laws when it stops receiving waste. The closure plan outlines how the facility will implement those activities including:
- Removing waste on site
- Decontaminating regulated areas and related equipment
- Disposing of contaminated materials
- Sampling to certify that the closure process is complete
Contamination
NWES received and treated the following wastes:
- Wastewater
- Used oil and oily waste
- Antifreeze
- Metals
- Corrosive materials
- Solvents
- Pesticides
- Paints and related wastes
Background
In 1979, Northwest EnviroService (NWES) started business at this site. The NWES facility provided industrial, commercial, and residential waste treatment service for the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and western United States.
In 1980, all hazardous waste management facilities were required to have a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since that time, this facility operated as a RCRA interim status dangerous waste treatment facility. All facilities with a RCRA interim status permit must have an approved plan for closure of treatment units and surrounding areas.
Site use restrictions called institutional controls are in effect
Institutional controls can be fences, signs, or restrictions on how the property is used. For instance, an institutional control may prohibit installing drinking water wells or disturbing a protective cap that isolates contamination. These restrictions keep the contamination contained and keep people from being exposed to the contamination. The controls are usually listed in environmental covenants recorded with the county.
Periodic reviews are required when institutional controls are required at a site. Ecology conducts reviews to make sure the controls remain effective and the cleanup still protects human health and the environment. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years.
Institutional Controls 2
Environmental Covenant
Restrictions/Requirements
- Ongoing Maintenance of Remedy
- Prohibit Removal or Alteration of Existing Buildings
- Prohibit Soil Disturbance
- Restrict All Ground Water Extraction/Well Installation
- Restrict Land Use
Restricted Media
- Groundwater
- Soil
Environmental Covenant
Restrictions/Requirements
- Ongoing Maintenance of Remedy
- Prohibit Removal or Alteration of Existing Buildings
- Prohibit Soil Disturbance
- Restrict All Ground Water Extraction/Well Installation
- Restrict Land Use
Restricted Media
- Groundwater
- Soil
Documents 7
Legal 2
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| Western Tank (NWES) Environment Covenant | 12/27/2017 | Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism |
| Western Blower (NWES) Environmental Covenant | 12/27/2017 | Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism |
Outreach Information 1
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| Public Comment Notice for Northwest EnviroService | 6/24/2016 | Fact Sheet\Public Notices |
Technical Reports 4
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| Environmental Covenant | 8/12/2024 | Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence) |
| NWES RCRA Interim Status Closure Plan 1500 Airport Way South Facility | 5/19/2016 | Site Specific Technical Document - Other |
| RCRA Interim Status Closure Plan | 5/1/2016 | Site Specific Technical Document - Other |
| Emerald Services Diesel Release Summary | 7/19/2012 | Site Specific Technical Document - Other |
Contaminants 4
| Contaminant Type | Soil |
Groundwater |
Surface Water |
Air |
Sediment |
Bedrock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Organics | S | S | ||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel | C | C | ||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Gasoline | C | |||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Other | C |
- S
- Suspected
- C
- Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
- B
- Below Cleanup Levels
- RA
- Remediated-Above
- RB
- Remediated-Below
- R
- Remediated