Newmans Chevron

The Newman's Chevron site is an old gas station whose historic underground tanks leaked and caused contamination on the property. The following is a history of the business on the property and the cleanup process stages it has gone through:  

• 1920s - 1961: Gas station operations 
• 1961: The current buildings on the property were constructed while the gas station operations continued.
• 1990: The site was reported to Ecology and was placed on the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) List (ID #7972). Six underground storage tanks and a small amount of petroleum-contaminated soil (PCS) were removed from the site and replaced with new underground storage tanks. A large quantity of PCS was left onsite due to stability concerns with the removal of the PCS.
• February 2000: Ecology performed Site Hazard Assessment.  The Site was ranked a 5 where “1” represents the highest risk and “5” represents the lowest risk.
• March 2001: The liable party entered into the Ecology Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) VCP ID No NW0620. This site was removed from the VCP in October 2003 due to non-response from applicant and inactivity.
• 2008: Gas station operations ended, and the Site became vacant.
• February 2018: The site was moved to the formal cleanup process and entered into a legal agreement called an Agreed Order with Ecology. The Agreed Order required the potential liable parties to complete a Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study, and a Cleanup Action Plan. Read the Newman's Chevron Agreed Order.
• August 2020: Remedial Investigation Field Activities began.
• December 1, 2025 - January 7, 2026: We will holding a public comment period for the draft RI, FS, and CAP. Once the comment period is completed we will respond to all comments and may make adjustments to the documents. If significant changes are made, we may hold another comment period. 

When will the cleanup begin?
Before cleanup construction can begin at the Site, a new legal agreement called a consent decree will be negotiated between Ecology and the PLPs. The consent decree will go through the public comment process and then the cleanup work will begin.

The remedial investigation is the stage in the cleanup process where Ecology studies the types and locations of contamination. The investigation showed that a former gas station facility caused contamination at the Site. The contamination is in the soil and soil vapor. Soil vapor contamination occurs when contamination in the soil evaporates. These gases can move through the soil and sometimes get into air in buildings. Investigation on nearby properties found that Site contamination is not affecting their soil and indoor air above state cleanup levels. 

The Site includes the following contaminants of concern: 

• Soil: Gasoline-range organics (GRO), diesel-range organics (DRO), heavy-range organics (HRO), benzene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and naphthalene. 
• Soil vapor: Naphthalene.

These contaminants were found at levels above what is allowed by the state’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), and require cleanup activities.

Read the Remedial Investigation. 

The feasibility study is the stage in the cleanup process where Ecology evaluates different ways to clean up the site. Cleanup options are evaluated based on how well they protect human health and the environment, comply with regulations, and the time frame in which they can be completed. 

Ecology evaluated five cleanup options, called alternatives, at this Site. Some of the methods included a combination of leaving soil in place under a protective asphalt cap (containment), allowing contamination to slowly break down over time on its own through natural processes (monitored natural attenuation), removing contaminated soil and underground storage tanks, and controls on how the Site can be used in the future (institutional controls). All five alternatives are explained in detail on page 22 of the Feasibility Study.  After evaluating the alternatives, Alternative 4 was selected and is explained in the next section.

• Alternative 1: Containment, Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA), and Institutional Controls
• Alternative 2: Abandoned UST Closure and Soil Excavation, Containment, MNA,
  and Institutional Controls
• Alternative 3: Abandoned UST Closure and Soil Excavation, Soil Vapor Extraction, Containment, MNA, and Institutional Controls
• Alternative 4: Abandoned and Regulated UST System Closure and Soil Excavation,
  and Institutional Controls
• Alternative 5: Abandoned and Regulated UST System Closure and Soil Excavation

The Cleanup Action Plan describes the selected cleanup option (chosen in the Feasibility Study). For this Site, the selected cleanup option includes: 

• Remove the remaining six underground storage tanks (USTs) and fuel dispensers on the Property. If any USTs cannot be removed without risking damage to nearby structures, they will be “closed in-place” (cleaned and filled with a stable material).
• Remove all areas of contaminated soil above state cleanup levels in the top 15 feet of the Site.
• Re-sample soil vapor in the eastern Site area. If soil vapor sampling shows remaining contamination which may be a risk to the indoor air of current or future buildings, institutional controls (through a legal agreement called an environmental covenant) will be used to limit how the Site can be used in the future.

Progress at this site was supported by funds set aside for assessing Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) sites across the state. Selected sites receive Ecology funding with the goal of reducing the state’s LUST backlog.

What's In My Neighborhood shows contamination cleanup sites in Washington state. Learn more and subscribe to other cleanup sites. Ecology encourages cleanup of these sites to protect the health of people, plants, and animals. Cleanups are projects that remove, treat, or contain potentially harmful substances. 

To report an environmental problem or concern, any time, day or night, use the online reporting form.

Counties: Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom
Email: nwroerts@ecy.wa.gov
Phone: 206-594-0000