Bruce Titus Chevrolet

The Bruce Titus Chevrolet cleanup site is located at 633 Division Avenue in Tacoma, WA. The site is now a retail shopping center.

Soil, groundwater, and air sampling between 1994 and 2016 identified what contaminants are at the site and where they are. The site was accepted into the Voluntary Cleanup Program in 2017.  Ecology issued a No Further Action determination for the property in 2018.

The cleanup site includes the South Gas Station and former Paint Booth investigation areas.

South Gas Station area

Seven underground storage tanks (USTs), pump islands, and associated piping were removed in 1994. 100 tons of contaminated soil was excavated and removed in 2016, reaching 15 or more feet below the ground surface. A vapor barrier below the building was also installed in 2016 to prevent hazardous vapors from entering it.

Former Paint Booth area

Drains, cleanouts and one heating oil underground storage tank were cleaned in 1994. The rinse water and contents were disposed offsite. Then, the drains, cleanouts, and underground storage tank were filled with concrete to close them in place.

Some contaminated soil could not be removed from the site. Contact with or swallowing this soil could be harmful.

An environmental covenant is a list of restrictions to protect human health and the environment by limiting exposure to any contamination that was left behind. An environmental covenant was issued on January 9, 2018, requiring:

1. Limitations on extraction of groundwater
2. Maintenance of the paved sidewalk and road which act as a cap for contaminants that were left behind in soil
3. Inspection of the pavement cap outside of the building periodically
4. Long-term monitoring of groundwater in well MW-11, located in the Stadium Thriftway store

Ecology inspected the site on December 15, 2023. No additional cleanup actions by the property owner are required at this time. The results of the inspection are detailed in the periodic review report.

The pavement cap was in good condition and does not require any maintenance or repair. One marker of the Environmental Covenant area was missing and must be reinstalled if it is not found during the next inspection.

Landscaped areas south of the building near the paved patio area were also inspected. They do not harm the cleanup solution. Ecology will monitor future groundwater reports to ensure that no chemicals are leaching into groundwater from soil in this area.

Ecology analyzed groundwater sample results from October 15, 2019, February 23, 2021, and December 15, 2023. Gasoline, diesel, oil, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes were not detected in any of these samples. TCE and chloroform were detected: likely from the neighboring Morrells Dry Cleaners cleanup site. Ecology may request additional sampling in the future.

The property owner is responsible for continuing to inspect the site and monitor groundwater. Ecology will schedule the next periodic review in five years.

This site is in our Voluntary Cleanup Program, which provides technical help to owners of contaminated sites.

Voluntary Cleanup Program customers pay fees to cover our costs for technical help and reviewing cleanup reports. Sites in this program must meet the same cleanup standards as sites Ecology manages under legal orders.