Facility Site ID: 2786 Cleanup Site ID: 4340

Background

Buse Timber & Sales
Buse Timber & Sales

The Buse Timber & Sales site is located at 3812 28th Place Northeast in Everett, Washington. This site has confirmed contamination that could potentially harm people and the environment. It is in the state cleanup process under the Model Toxics Control Act.

The site is located on Smith Island in the Snohomish River floodplain and is bordered to the north by Union Sough, the east by Interstate 5 and to the west and south by commercial and/or industrial businesses. A lumber mill started operations at this location in the 1940s and is still in use.

The Buse Timber & Sales property is comprised of roughly 60 acres and features a sawmill facility, a log float beach ramp on Union Slough, log storage, a hog fuel (used oil and sawdust) mixing area, dip tanks to control sap stain with a soluble fungicide, and 11 buildings used for storage and maintenance. In addition, historical operations at the facility have also included a log pond (from 1950’s until the mid-1960’s), an underground storage tank system (1960’s to 1990’s), and a former dip tank location which used pentachlorophenol to treat wood (1940’s to 1980’s).

Concentrations of potentially hazardous chemicals above cleanup levels established by the State of Washington have been documented in previous sampling of soil, groundwater, and sediment conducted at the Buse Timber & Sales site. Previous sampling at the site has identified the following chemicals above cleanup levels:
       
Soil – arsenic and non-halogenated petroleum/diesel,
Groundwater – arsenic, halogenated organics, non-halogenated petroleum/diesel, and
Sediment – Dioxins/Furans and mercury

The substances described above are hazardous chemicals and some, like dioxins, are carcinogenic (potentially cancer causing). These substances pose a potential threat to human health and the environment. Cleaning them up lessens the risk of their spreading and contaminating other areas or becoming more difficult to clean up later.

Status

Ecology is in the process of entering into an Agreed Order with the Potentially Liable Party (PLP), Everett Partners. This is a formal agreement between Ecology and Everett Partners for cleanup actions needed at the site. The agreement requires Everett Partners to complete a Remedial Investigation (RI), Interim Actions (if required), Feasibility Study (FS), ensure SEPA Compliance, and complete a draft Cleanup Action Plan (dCAP). These phases of work will be made available for public comment.

Ecology works to clean up contaminated properties throughout the state. Cleanups are construction projects that remove, treat, or contain potentially harmful substances.
Legal 5
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Buse Timber & Sales - Final Agreed Order 6/22/2023 Agreed Order
Buse Timber & Sales - Final PLP Status Letter 11/29/2022 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Buse Timber & Sales - Early Notice Letter & Rescission of NFA Status 6/7/2022 Early Notice Letter
Buse Timber & Sales - NFA after SHA (Rescinded 5/2/22) 10/19/1992 NFA Letter – non-VCP
Buse Timber & Sales - Early Notice Letter 3/13/1992 Early Notice Letter
Public Information 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Buse Timber & Sales Factsheet 5/4/2023 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Buse Timber & Sales Public Participation Plan 5/4/2023 Public Participation Plan
Technical Reports 10
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Buse Timber & Sales - RI Work Plan 3/5/2024 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
Buse Timber & Sales - Preliminary Determination of Liability 11/15/2022 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Buse Timber & Sales - Cleanup Discussion Letter 5/12/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Buse Timber & Sales - Initial Investigation Field Report 4/27/2022 Initial Investigation Report
Buse Timber & Sales - Phase II Environmental Site Investigation 12/9/2021 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Buse Timber & Sales - Phase I Environmental Site Assessment 9/15/2021 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Buse Timber & Sales - Notification of Apparent Release 4/21/2020 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Buse Timber & Sales - Limited Subsurface Investigation 9/17/2018 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Buse Timber & Sales - Screening Site Inspection Report 8/19/1994 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Buse Timber & Sales - Ecology Preliminary Assessment 10/1/1990 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

  • Headquarters
    300 Desmond Dr SE
    Lacey, 98503
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 8

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Other Contaminant - Base/Neutral/Acid Organics S
Halogenated Organics - Dioxins/Furans C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons S
Metals - Arsenic C C
Metals - Mercury C
Halogenated Organics - Other Halogenated Organics C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Other 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.