Briar Dev Co

This site 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.

Briar Development Company owns multiple parcels located on the southeast corner of South First Street and East Washington Avenue in Yakima.

In 1988 a Phase I assessment was completed and found there was potential for soil and groundwater contamination. A Phase II assessment was then completed to determine what chemicals, if any, existed on the site.
 
Maximum concentrations of PCE were detected in groundwater, and low levels of chloroform, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, toluene, and trichloroethene, and zinc were also present in groundwater. Soil samples showed low levels of beryllium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc. 

In 1991, the site was added to Ecology’s Hazardous Sites List with a ranking of “2”. 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 December 1992, Ecology and Briar entered into a de minimus Consent Decree. Briar payed Ecology for remediation, investigation and other expenses incurred or to be incurred by Ecology in the Yakima Railroad Area.

Briar was fully released from liability with the entry of the Consent Decree. Ecology credited Briar's costs incurred from the bottled water program toward the settled amount. The site was removed from the Hazardous Sites List in 1993.