Wasser Winters

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 metals in soils and dissolved metals in groundwater remained at the site. To prevent possible exposure to that contamination, an environmental covenant was filed for the site in 1994.  The covenant restricts property use and requires the owner to maintain an asphalt cap over the contaminated area and a stormwater collection system at the site.

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 April 3, 2019, and investigated current conditions of the asphalt cap and stormwater system, which continue to eliminate possible exposure to the contaminant.

From August 1 to September 1, 2019, Ecology held a comment period to give the public an opportunity to comment on conditions at the site as a part of the second periodic review. No comments were received and Ecology finalized the periodic review report.

Periodic Review Report-Final

Wasser Winters is a 12.5-acre, former log sorting yard. It is located along the Hylebos Waterway and in the Commencement Bay Nearshore/Tidelands Superfund site.

From 1972 to 1984, Wasser Winters leased the property from the Port of Tacoma. From 1977 to 1980, rock, gravel, and ASARCO slag were placed on the site as ballast material to build a stable ground for running heavy machinery and storing logs. Log sorting operations ended in late 1984.

Currently, the northeastern portion (5.1 acres) of the site is occupied by Calbag Metals Company, a scrap metal recycling facility.  The southwestern portion (3.7 acres) of the site is unoccupied.  There is a 100-foot wide stream buffer at the edge of the site along Hylebos Creek.

Surface water investigations at the site in the 1980s indicated elevated levels of metals, including arsenic, copper, lead, and zinc above industrial cleanup levels. Petroleum hydrocarbons were identified in a limited area of the southern portion of the site.  The petroleum contamination was addressed in a separate independent cleanup action.

In 1993 the port installed a stormwater collection system and wells to monitor groundwater.  A low permeability asphalt cap was constructed to cover contaminated soil that remained at the site.  As required by the City of Tacoma's Critical Area Ordinance, a 100-foot wide stream buffer was left between the asphalt cap and Hylebos Creek for wildlife habitat. By the end of 1993 the cleanup actions were completed. In 1994, an environmental covenant was put in place that limits use for most of the site for industrial purposes.

As a result of sampling and monitoring done from 1993 through 2000, Ecology determined the site required no further cleanup. Ecology removed the site from the Hazardous Sites List in 2001.

From 1994 to 2011, groundwater monitoring was done every 18 months. Since 2011, the port has been testing the groundwater and monitoring the asphalt cap every 30 months.

Dissolved copper, lead, and zinc in groundwater have decreased over time and in 2011 Ecology stopped requiring testing for these metals.  Since June 2011, only dissolved arsenic is monitored in the groundwater.  Arsenic concentrations remain slightly above cleanup levels and groundwater monitoring will continue every 30 months. Recently, the port has agreed to install three new groundwater monitoring wells.

The low-permeable asphalt cap is inspected every 30 months. In 2017, the port repaired the 3.4 acres of the southern portion of the site by installing geotextile fabric and replacing asphalt.

The environmental covenant restricts the site for industrial purposes and prohibits any activity that may interfere or reduce the effectiveness of the cleanup actions.  The owner must maintain the cap and the stormwater collection system.

Ecology held a public comment period for the first periodic review from April to May, 2014, and received no comments during the comment period.

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