Stevens Pass Ski Resort Vehicle Maintenance Facility

The Stevens Pass Ski Area operates on two areas of U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) land (a total of 2,463 acres), pursuant to a special use permit issued by the Forest Service as well as on a 32-acre privately held parcel referred to as Yodelin.

An April 2010 Phase I environmental site assessment and May 2010 a Phase II assessment reported contamination in two areas, the Stevens Pass Mini Mart Station site (former) and Stevens Pass Ski Resort Vehicle Maintenance Facility site.

The Stevens Pass Ski Resort Vehicle Maintenance Facility site currently operates as a vehicle maintenance facility and was constructed in 1980. The facility is located south of Highway 2, near the bottom of a ski run. Vehicle fueling occurs at the facility and at the time of the remedial action, two underground storage tanks (USTs) were in use—a 10,000-gallon UST that contained diesel and a 4,000-gallon UST that contained unleaded gasoline. The USTs were installed in 1988, replacing the two USTs that had been originally installed in 1980. Several aboveground storage tanks are located at the site to support maintenance activities.

A remedial action was conducted at this site from August through November 2011. About 3,000 tons of soil were removed from both the southern and northern excavations. Over 15,000 gallons of groundwater within the excavation were hauled to the treatment system at the former mini mart location and treated using carbon adsorption and reinfiltrated. Contaminated soil remains at a locations adjacent to and underneath a structure at the site; this location has been capped with 8” concrete.

Groundwater monitoring was performed from November 2011 through August 2012 to confirm cleanup. An environmental covenant has been placed on the property identifying locations on the property impacted with total petroleum hydrocarbons above cleanup levels.

Based upon cleanup activities and the placing of the environmental covenant, Ecology has determined the site is no longer a threat to human health and the environment.  Ecology made a no further action determination in March 2013.

Periodic reviews are conducted every 5 years by Ecology for sites that have Institutional controls. The review is intended to examine the effectiveness of cleanup activities and to assure the continued protection of human health and the environment.

Periodic review results

Based on the site visit conducted in June 2018, no repair, maintenance or contingency actions have been required at the site. The excavation conducted during the interim action eliminated the human exposure (ingestion, contact) to contaminated soils. The gravel and concrete caps at the site continue to prevent direct contact with the contaminated soils.

The cleanup action completed at the Site is protective of human health and the environment.

Soil cleanup levels have not been met at the site; however, the cleanup action is determined to comply with cleanup standards under WAC 173-340-740(6)(f), since the long-term integrity of the containment system is ensured and the requirements for containment technologies have been met.

The use permit for the site has been fully implemented and is effective in the short term protecting public health and the environment from exposure to hazardous substances and protecting the integrity of the cleanup action.

Based on this five-year review, Ecology has determined that the requirements of the use permit is being followed at the site. No additional remedial actions are required by the  property owner. It is the property owner’s responsibility to continue to inspect the site to assure that the integrity of the surface cap is maintained.