Facility Site ID: 73338176 Cleanup Site ID: 6584

Site Status - April 2020

Ecology negotiated a legal agreement called an Agreed Order with Prologis-Exchange 3301 South Norfolk LLC (Prologis), the Potentially Liable Person (PLP), for the Emerald Gateway Site (Site). The order requires them to investigate environmental conditions, develop a cleanup plan, and conduct an interim cleanup.  In the meantime, they will be conducting an interim cleanup (Interim Action) for part of the Site.

In 2019 Ecology hosted a public comment period for this Agreed Order and related documents. Ecology received no comments that warranted changes to these documents, and they were made final following the comment period.

Agreed Order requires the PLP to investigate contamination, complete a Remedial Investigation (RI), Feasibility Study (FS) and draft Cleanup Action Plan (dCAP) for the Site.

Interim Action Work Plan describes how the PLP will conduct a partial cleanup of the contaminated soil at the Site.

Public Participation Plan describes how Ecology will inform the community about Site activities and opportunities to be involved in the cleanup process.

On April 6, 2020, Ecology approved and Interim Action Design Report. This report builds on the Interim Action Work Plan, adding details on how to implement it and remediation levels that must be met.

Prologis plans to implement the Interim Action Work Plan in 2020, with Ecology oversight.

Why this cleanup matters 

This site is part of Ecology’s Lower Duwamish Waterway source control efforts, because it is contributing pollution the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW) Superfund Site. The 5-mile stretch of the Duwamish River that flows north into Elliot Bay was added to the Superfund National Priorities List by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2001. The sediments (mud) in the river contain a wide range of contaminants due to decades of industrial activity and runoff from urban areas. EPA is leading efforts to clean up the river sediments. Ecology is leading efforts to control sources of contamination from the surrounding land area. The long-term goal is to minimize recontamination of the river sediment and restore water quality in the river. The Site is one of several sites that will be cleaned up as part of Ecology’s Source Control Strategy – controlling sources of pollution to the river. Contaminants in the soil and groundwater around the river pose a risk to human health and the environment. They can also find their way into the river through storm runoff and other pathways. For more information, visit our Source Control page.

Site Information

Site location and history

The Emerald Gateway Site is located on a property that consists of 29 King County parcels over approximately 63 acres of land at two addresses:

• 3301 South Norfolk Street, Seattle – historically used for commercial warehousing of food products by Unified/Associated Grocers or predecessors, and included truck maintenance and repair operations, truck refueling facilities, and associated underground storage tanks. Additional historical operations included automobile service stations and a dry cleaner.

• 10230 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila – historically used for automobile wrecking and parts salvaging by Northwest Auto Wrecking, Inc. and is currently vacant.

Prologis purchased the property in 2016 and is planning to redevelop it as a warehouse and distribution center. They plan to conduct the Interim Action concurrently with the property redevelopment. Some investigations and cleanup work have been conducted in different parts of the Site since 1989.


Contamination

Investigations found the following contaminants in soil and groundwater:

• petroleum hydrocarbon constituents
• metals
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

All of these contaminants were found at levels that exceed allowable standards under the state’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), and therefore must be cleaned up. Previous property owners conducted some cleanup actions under Ecology’s Voluntary Cleanup Program. Those actions included excavating contaminated soil and groundwater and removing underground storage tanks (USTs).

General Cleanup Process

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA; Chapter 70.105D RCW is Washington’s environmental cleanup law). It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic below) over a variable timeline.
Legal 4
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Amendment of Exhibit C - Schedule of Deliverables 11/18/2020 Agreed Order Amendment
Emerald Gateway - Final Agreed Order and Exhibits - January 2020 1/15/2020 Agreed Order
Final PLP Status Letter - Emerald Gateway 5/2/2019 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Preliminary PLP Status Letter - Emerald Gateway 4/18/2019 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Public Information 4
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Emerald Gateway - Public Participation Plan 10/21/2019 Public Participation Plan
Emerald Gateway - Factsheet-Espanol - October 2019 10/21/2019 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Emerald Gateway - Factsheet-Viet - October 2019 10/21/2019 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Emerald Gateway - Factsheet - October 2019 10/21/2019 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Technical Reports 53
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report May 2023 6/15/2023 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report April 2023 5/15/2023 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report March 2023 4/14/2023 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report February 2023 3/13/2023 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report January 2023 2/15/2023 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report December 2022 1/16/2023 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report November 2022 12/9/2022 Progress Report
Interim Action Progress Report 11/18/2022 Interim Action Documents
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report October 2022 11/15/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report September 2022 10/15/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report August 2022 9/15/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report July 2022 8/11/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report June 2022 7/15/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report May 2022 6/15/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report April 2022 5/16/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report March 2022 4/18/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report February 2022 3/16/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report January 2022 2/15/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report December 2021 1/14/2022 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report November 2021 12/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report October 2021 11/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report September 2021 10/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report August 2021 9/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report July 2021 8/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report June 2021 7/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report May 2021 6/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report April 2021 5/12/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report March 2021 4/14/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report February 2021 3/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report January 2021 2/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report December 2020 1/15/2021 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report November 2020 12/7/2020 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report October 2020 11/16/2020 Progress Report
Request Letter for Extension of Submittal of RI Work Plan 11/4/2020 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report September 2020 10/9/2020 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report August 2020 9/15/2020 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report July 2020 8/14/2020 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report June 2020 7/15/2020 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report May 2020 6/9/2020 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report April 2020 5/15/2020 Progress Report
Construction Stormwater General Permit and Administrative Order 4/27/2020 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report March 2020 4/13/2020 Progress Report
Interim Action Design Report 4/3/2020 Interim Action Documents
Emerald Gateway Monthly Progress Report February 2020 3/15/2020 Progress Report
Emerald Gateway - Final Interim Action Workplan - October 2019 10/18/2019 Interim Action Documents
State DAHP Concurrence Letter on Archaeology Survey; Monitoring and Inadvertent Discovery Plan 7/11/2019 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Emerald Gateway Sampling and Analysis Plan, Pre-Interim Action Design Investigation 6/21/2019 Sampling and Analysis Plan
Emerald Gateway Development RI, FS, and CAP 1/29/2019 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Unified Grocers Norfolk - SHA Rank Letter 2/12/2018 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Unified Grocers Norfolk - Site Hazard Assessment 12/15/2017 Site Hazard Assessment Report
Cultural Resources Assessment Report 7/24/2017 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Unified Grocers Norfolk - SHA Notification Letter 1/10/2017 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Unified Grocers Norfolk - VCP Termination Letter NW1807 10/13/2015 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Voluntary Cleanup Program 3
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Unified Grocers Norfolk - VCP Status Request Letter NW1807 7/21/2014 Voluntary Cleanup Program Opinion – Other
Unified Grocers VCP NW1807 Opinion Letter 1/24/2011 Voluntary Cleanup Program Opinion – Other
Emerald Gateway - VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup - Further Action 6/30/2009 VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup – 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

  • Northwest Regional Office
    15700 Dayton Ave N
    Shoreline, 98133
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 4

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Organics S C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Non-Halogenated Solvents C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Gasoline 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.