Texaco 211577 Monterey

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has negotiated a
legal agreement called an agreed order (AO) with Roystone on Queen Anne, LLC
(Roystone) and Chevron Environmental Management Company (CEMC) to conduct Site
cleanup. The AO requires Roystone to conduct an interim cleanup action to remove
contamination on the former Texaco property (Property) located at 631 Queen Anne Avenue North in Seattle. CEMC will continue the off-Property investigations and develop plans for cleanup of remaining contamination.

View the AO by following the link below:

In March 2020, Roystone started the interim action to remove petroleum-contaminated soil and groundwater on Property. The interim action is conducted in conjunction with redeveloping the Property into a multi-story building with one level of underground parking. The Property redevelopment is scheduled to complete in March 2021.


March 21, 2020 - May 8, 2020:
(Note: Due to COVID-19, work stopped from April 6 -  April 24, 2020)
• Removed the existing above ground structures.
• Removed the existing asphalt pavement.
• Discovered and removed multiple underground improvements, including a derelict pump island and associated product piping, an oil water separator, a section of former sewer line, and former monitoring wells.
• Conducted limited excavation of clean overburden and contaminated soil in known contaminated areas.

May 11, 2020 - June 12, 2020:
• Discovered and removed three underground storage tanks that contained diesel and waste oil.
• Continued excavating clean overburden and contaminated soil in known contaminated areas.
• Installed shoring piles along Property perimeter.
• Installed support beams to support a utility pole at the northeast corner of the Property. 
• Began installing wood lagging.

June 15, 2020 – July 17, 2020:
• Continued installing wood lagging and tiebacks along the property boundaries.
• Continued excavation of clean overburden and contaminated soil in known contaminated areas.  The entire Property has been excavated to approximately 17 feet below grade.

July 20, 2020 – August 24, 2020:
• Completed installing wood lagging and tiebacks along the property boundaries.
• Installed dewatering wells along the property boundaries.
• Started operating dewatering system on July 24, 2020.
• Completed excavation of contaminated soil across the property. All soil containing concentrations of contaminants above allowable MTCA soil cleanup levels has been removed from within the Property boundaries.
• The eastern half of the property was excavated to a maximum depth of 19 feet below grade. The western half of the property was excavated to a maximum depth of 30 feet below grade.
• A total of approximately 16,235 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, 62 tons of soil containing solvents, and 1.47 tons of soil containing waste oil were removed and disposed off property.
• Performed utility work on Queen Ann Avenue North on August 1 and 2,
2020.


August 25 – September 30 2020:
• The first phase of monitoring well installation was completed. Six monitoring wells were installed on 9/15 and 9/16. These monitoring wells will be completed in late October after slab is poured.
• The eastern half of the site is backfilled up to footing elevation.
• Below grade vapor barrier/ waterproofing was installed on the eastern portion of the property.
• Rebar is being installed at the elevator pit on the central portion of the property.



October 2020:
• Complete monitoring well installation.
• Continue backfilling on the western portion of the property. The entire property is backfilled up to the bottom of footing elevation.
• Continue below grade vapor barrier/ waterproofing installation.
• Complete the mat footing on the eastern half of the property.

November 2020:
• Complete first round of groundwater sampling from monitoring wells.
• Complete the remaining perimeter and internal footings at the western half of the property.
• Prepare the east perimeter walls for shotcrete.
• Install under-slab plumbing and utilities.
• Currently targeting late November/early December to pour slab on grade.



Note: Weekend work is scheduled for November 7 and November 14. No night work is currently scheduled.

CEMC has submitted an off-Property survey and groundwater monitoring work plan on March 18, 2020. Ecology has approved the work plan.

CEMC conducted the off-Property survey and groundwater monitoring in the week of August 10, 2020. CEMC will prepare a Remedial Investigation work plan based on the off-Property survey and groundwater monitoring results

The Site includes the former Texaco property located at 631 Queen Anne Avenue North in Seattle (Property). The Site also includes the nearby Del Roy, Monterey, Bungalows, Queen Anne Arms, U-Park, and Bank of America properties, and property under West Roy Street, Queen Anne Avenue North, and 1st Avenue West.

From 1927 to 1993, gas stations operated at the Property. Then from 1993 to 2017 the Manhattan Express Deli operated there. The Property currently consists of the vacant building and a parking lot.

In 1986, Ecology responded to complaints of gasoline odors at the adjacent Monterey Apartments, and found up to 2 feet of petroleum (gasoline and diesel) in groundwater beneath the Monterey Apartments and the Property. From 1986 to 1990, Ecology installed groundwater monitoring wells and collected soil gas samples to investigate the contamination. The investigation identified the former Texaco gas station as the likely source of petroleum. Ecology installed two recovery wells to remove petroleum in groundwater.

When the gas station closed in 1993, Ecology removed seven fuel underground storage tanks and found petroleum soil contamination. Ecology installed and operated a soil vapor extraction (SVE) and groundwater recovery system until 1997. In 2002 CEMC initiated independent interim actions, which included upgrading the SVE system, replacing the SVE with a dual-phase extraction system, and continuing investigations. Contaminated soil and groundwater still exist at the Site.