J Marcel Building

Environmental cleanup is complete at the site and the periodic review in 2019 shows that cleanup work remains effective in protecting the health of people and the environment.

After cleanup, concentrations of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs) in soil remained above state cleanup levels at the site. To prevent possible exposure to that contamination, an environmental covenant was filed for the site in 2008. The covenant restricts property use and prohibits the owner from conducting any activity on the property that may interfere with the cleanup action or that could result in the release or exposure of contaminated soil to the environment.

When an environmental covenant exists for a cleanup site, Ecology reviews site conditions about every five years to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the cleanup action. 

Ecology inspected the site on May 15, 2019, and investigated the current condition of the concrete floor in the basement that covers the contaminated soil. Conditions at the site continue to eliminate possible exposure of people and the environment to contaminated soil.

From September 26 to October 27, 2019, Ecology held a comment period to give the public an opportunity to comment on conditions at the site. No comments were received and Ecology finalized the periodic review report.

Periodic Review Report-Final

The J Marcel Building is at 2320 Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. The site is a two-story commercial building with a partial basement. Several businesses occupy the site. The site is located about 1,100 feet from the Thea Foss Waterway.

In the past, the building was heated using a Bunker C heating oil furnace. The underground storage tank (UST) used for the heating system is located below the concrete floor in the building’s basement. In 1999, the UST was taken out of service.

Studies in 2000 showed petroleum pollution in the city stormwater system coming from the site’s old UST. City workers created a berm to contain the oil and capped damaged pipes to keep any more oil from entering the sewer. The property owner pumped and disposed of about 3,000 gallons of Bunker C oil and water from the tank.  After emptying the tank, it was filled with a concrete-like slurry, capped, and closed in place under the concrete floor of the basement.

In 2006 and 2007, tests showed cPAHs in soil were above state cleanup levels. Diesel and oil-range petroleum hydrocarbons in soil were below cleanup levels. The soil contaminated with cPAHs is located about 20 feet below the basement's concrete slab floor.

In groundwater, petroleum hydrocarbons were not detected and cPAHs concentrations were below cleanup levels. 

The owner did six rounds of groundwater monitoring as part of the cleanup. Monitoring results showed that cPAHs concentration in groundwater were not detected above laboratory detection limits during all monitoring rounds. 

Because cPAHs remained in the soil, the property owner recorded an environmental covenant (EC) for the site in 2008. The EC restricts the owner from altering the building's basement or structure that may result in the release or exposure of polluted soil to people or the environment. The property owner has to continue to inspect the site to make sure the surface cover is maintained in good condition.

Ecology reviewed the cleanup process and issued a NFA (no further action) decision in 2008.

For the first five year periodic review, Ecology held a public comment period from June to July, 2014, and received no comments.

Ecology held a public comment period for the second periodic review from September to October, 2019, and received no comments during the comment period.