Port of Longview TPH

A public comment period on an Agreed Order and Interim Action Work Plan was held for the Port of Longview TPH site between November 25 and December 26, 2018. A fact sheet summarizes these documents.

We received one comment and responded to it. The comment did not change the proposed language of the Agreed Order or alter the scope of the work.

The site is located in Longview, Washington, on a portion of the Port of Longview property zoned as Heavy Industrial. It is bordered by the Columbia River, the Lewis and Clark Bridge, an active lumber facility, and an active bulk fuel facility. The Port and BNSF Railway have active rail lines within and across the site. Currently, the Port uses several buildings for port operations and storage of vehicles and heavy machinery. They use two shipping berths for the import and export of bulk products.

Since the early 1900s, the site has served for storage or distribution of petroleum products by the Port, Calloway Ross, Inc., United States Army, Longview Fibre Company, Standard Oil Company of California, Crown Zellerbach, and Wilson Oil Inc. No petroleum products have been stored or distributed at the site since 1996.  

Practices associated with the handling of petroleum and leaks from storage tanks and underground pipelines have contaminated soil and groundwater. Ecology is entering into an Agreed Order with multiple parties to clean up the site.  Contaminants identified so far include:

• Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the gasoline and diesel carbon ranges
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene)
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

After long-term exposure, these chemicals can be harmful to the health of people and the environment.