Facility Site ID: 12832256 Cleanup Site ID: 4257

  • Site Status

  • Cleanup Started

Public Comment Period March 08, 2023-April 07, 2023

Ecology is providing an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the Draft Cleanup Action Plan, associated SEPA documents, and the draft Consent Decree for the Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. (Smith Kem) site located at 200 South Railroad Avenue in Ellensburg.

Review the documents

     • Draft Cleanup Action Plan

     • SEPA Environmental Checklist and SEPA Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS)

     • Draft Consent Decree

Submit your comments to John Mefford, Site Manager by April 7, 2023, 11:59 p.m.

Email:  John.Mefford@ecy.wa.gov
Mail:    1250 West Alder Street, Union Gap, WA 98903
Online: Comment form

Next Steps

After the public comment period ends, Ecology will review and respond to comments received and will hold a public meeting if 10 or more people request one. If no significant changes are necessary, the Draft Cleanup Action Plan and Draft Consent Decree will become final.

Site Description

The current Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. (Smith Kem) site operated as a bulk fuel facility by Shell Oil Company from approximately 1923 until the early 1970s. From 1948 until early 1973, Shell leased a portion of the site to Smith Kem, an agricultural chemical business, which operated a dealership of Shell-branded agricultural products. The chemicals offered by Smith Kem included anhydrous ammonia, fertilizers, petroleum, and pesticides. These chemicals were handled, stored and distributed by Smith Kem.

Whats Been Done So Far?

Site investigations began in 2007 and continued in 2013-2020. Sampling results showed groundwater contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, nitrates, ammonia, chlorinated pesticides and herbicides.

In early 2016, Ecology entered into an Agreed Order with two of the potentially liable persons (PLPs). A PLP is any person who Ecology finds, based on credible evidence, is liable under State cleanup laws. An Agreed Order is a legal agreement between Ecology and PLPs outlining the expectations, process, and schedule for site cleanup. The Agreed Order requires the completion of an RI/FS. A Remedial Investigation (RI) uses data on what contamination is present and how far it has spread. A Feasibility Study (FS) outlines options, costs, and how long it will take to clean up the contamination.

The organic chemicals known to be present at the site include petroleum hydrocarbons, herbicides, and pesticides. Petroleum hydrocarbons contain many chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment. Herbicides and pesticides are persistent organic pollutants and a release of these chemicals pose a risk to human health and the environment.
Legal 7
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - Draft Consent Decree 3/8/2023 Consent Decree
Smith KEM RI/FS Agreed Order No. DE 12908 2/29/2016 Agreed Order
Smith Kem Ellensburg Final PLP ltr - Shell 2/25/2015 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Smith Kem Ellensburg Final PLP ltr - Smith-Kem and Ad Gro 2/25/2015 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Smith Kem Ellensburg Final PLP ltr - Smith-Kem and Ad Gro 5/10/2013 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Smith Kem Ellensburg PLP ltr - Shell 12/7/2012 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Smith Kem ENL 6/2/2008 Early Notice Letter
Public Information 5
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - DCAP, CD, SEPA DNS, SEPA Environmental Checklist - Fact Sheet 3/8/2023 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc - Draft RI/FS Fact Sheet 12/17/2021 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - Public Participation Plan 10/1/2020 Public Participation Plan
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc-AO No. DE 12908 Responsiveness Summary 4/22/2016 Responsiveness Summary
Smith KEM RI/FS Agreed Order Fact Sheet 3/4/2016 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
State Environmental Policy Act 3
Technical Reports 30
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - Draft Cleanup Action Plan 8/1/2022 Cleanup Action Plan
Smith Kem Ellensburg - Request for Consent Decree Negotiations 4/12/2022 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - Approval of RI/FS 1/21/2022 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc - Extension Denial 10/20/2021 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc - Draft RI/FS 10/1/2021 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - Ecology Comments on Draft RI/FS 9/10/2021 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc - ECY Approval of Draft RI/FS Extension 4/21/2021 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellenssburg Inc - Data Gap Evaluation Technical Memo 11/6/2020 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - Ecology Approves Memorandums for Public Comment 11/6/2020 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc. - Schedule Amendment for RI/FS Deliverables 10/26/2020 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc - Letter to adjacent property owner 5/12/2020 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg - Ecology approves RIWP Addendum 10/21/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg - Ecology Comments on SRI 2019 WP Addendum 9/16/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg - ECY Response to 6/11/2019 Floyd Snider Letter 7/3/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg - PQL Issue 5/31/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith-Kem - ECY 2nd Response to Draft RI Report 5/8/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith-Kem Ellensburg - ECY Comments on PQLs in Draft Report 4/9/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg - Proposed Sampling Plan for VI Assessment (Revised 5/10/2019) 3/12/2019 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith-Kem Ellensburg Inc Ecology comments on Floyd Snider VI Memo 11/19/2018 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc ECY objection to Floyd Snider Memo 11/2/2018 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Inc Approval of Extension for Submittal of Draft RI/FS 11/2/2018 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith KEM Ellensburg 30Day Notice of Potential Liability 9/25/2017 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem RI Work Plan 7/1/2016 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
Smith Kem April 2015 GW Sampling and Analysis 7/8/2015 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Smith Kem Ellensburg 30-day notice of potential liability - Ad Gro 10/31/2014 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg 30-day notice of potential liability - Smith Kem 10/31/2014 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg 30-day notice of potential liability - Shell Oil 10/31/2014 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Smith Kem Ellensburg Subsurface Investigation Report 9/1/2014 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Smith Kem Ellensburg - Site Hazard Assessment 8/13/2008 Site Hazard Assessment Report
Smith Kem Ltd Site Characterization Rpt 7/26/2007 Site Specific Technical Document - 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

  • Central Regional Office
    1250 W Alder St
    Union Gap, 98903-0009
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
  • Ellensburg Public Library
    209 N Ruby St
    Ellensburg, 98926
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 5

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants S S
Pesticides - Halogenated Pesticides C C
Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Inorganic C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel C C
Pesticides - Non-Halogenated Pesticides B B
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.