Anacortes Port Log Yard

718 4th St Anacortes, Skagit County
Facility Site ID: 21898438
Cleanup Site ID: 3604

  • Site Status

  • Cleanup Started

Related Information

More about cleanup

A Puget Sound Initiative site - Reaching the goal of a healthy, sustainable Puget Sound

Background

The Anacortes Port Log Yard Site is owned by the Port of Anacortes. It was used for log handling from the mid-1960s to about 2004. Operations included log rafting and transferring logs from water to upland sorting and handling areas on Pier 2. From 1978 to 1979 the Port leased the area to Forest Sales, Inc. for similar uses.

Current Status

After the facility closed in 2004, the port led an investigation to assess impacts from decades of log handling activities. Further investigations from 2008 to 2010 found that sediment samples failed to meet Ecology’s regulatory levels.

These environmental studies found:

  • Surface sediments are up to 75 percent wood debris by volume within a matrix of silt and fine sand.
  • Total organic carbon and total volatile solids exceed recommended levels for wood waste in sediments.
  • Sediment samples failed to meet Ecology’s acceptable Sediment Cleanup Objectives and Cleanup Screening Levels criteria for benthic (i.e., living in or near marine sediments) invertebrate community health.
  • The site may contain dioxins / furans at levels that exceed human health risk based sediment cleanup levels.
2014: Ecology entered into an Agreed Order (AO) with the Port to conduct a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and develop a draft Cleanup Action Plan (DCAP).

2015: The Port conducted sampling in accordance with an Ecology-approved work plan. Analysis of this data was used to develop a draft RI/FS, which was submitted in May 2018.

2020-2023: Ecology determined further sediment sampling was necessary to more adequately determine the nature and extent of contamination at the site, and to inform development of cleanup alternatives. This sampling was conducted in November 2021 and January 2023. As a result of this analysis, the site was expanded to include the entirety of the embayment.

The various investigations have found marine sediments contaminated with metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenols, dioxins and furans, as well as high levels of wood waste.

2024: City of Anacortes installed a buried wastewater treatment plant outfall through the eastern portion of the site. Ecology required the City to conduct sediment sampling prior to, and following, installation. The intent of this sampling was to better characterize contamination within the area to be dredged, as well as to determine the impact of the installation construction on the site. The results of this analysis will also be incorporated into a revised RI/FS.

The Cleanup Process

Washington's cleanup process
Washington's cleanup process
Learn more about Washington's cleanup process. 
Places to see print documents
Legal 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Anacortes Port Log Yard Final Agreed Order 11/3/2014 Agreed Order
Outreach Information 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Anacortes Port Log Yard Public Participation Plan RI/FS and DCAP 9/1/2014 Public Participation Plan
Anacortes Port Log Yard FACT SHEET for draft AO & draft PPP 8/26/2014 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Technical Reports 32
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Anacortes Port Log Yard - SHA Rank Letter 8/31/2017 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
Anacortes Port Log Yard - Site Hazard Assessment 4/13/2017 Site Hazard Assessment Report
Anacortes Port Log Yard - Ecology SHA Notification Letter 3/10/2017 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
Final Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Work Plan 8/11/2015 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
DOC 6, Letter of Cancellation of Operating Agreement between Port of Anacortes and Frontier Industries, INC., May 1997 5/15/1997 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
Folder B, DOC 4, Third Amendment to Non-Preferential Revocable Lease Agreement, November 1995 11/9/1995 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 2, Port of Anacortes Lease Agreement, September 1995 9/28/1995 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 5, Second Amendment to Operating Agreement Between Port of Anacortes and Frontier Industries, INC., August 1990 8/28/1990 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Port of Anacortes Lease, June 1990 6/29/1990 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 4, First Amendment to Operating Agreement Between Port of Anacortes and Frontier Industries, INC., September 1989 9/13/1989 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 2, Letter from Port of Anacortes regarding paving a portion of Pier 2 log storage yard, May 1989 5/30/1989 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Letter from Port of Anacortes to Frontier Industries, March 1989 3/22/1989 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 3, Operating Agreement, Port of Anacortes/Frontier Industries, INC., March 1989 3/16/1989 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 3, Maintenance Agreement between Port of Anacortes and Frontier Industries, March 1989 3/1/1989 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
Folder B, DOC 3, Second Amendment Non-Preferential Revocable Lease Agreement, September 1987 9/10/1987 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 2, FIrst Amendment to Operating Agreement Between Port of Anacortes and Frontier Industries, INC. February 1987 2/20/1987 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Operating Agreement Frontier Industries, INC. August 1986 8/21/1986 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC2, First Amendment to Maintenance Agreement Between Port of Anacortes and Frontier Industries, August 1986 8/21/1986 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
Folder B DOC 2, Exhibit 2, First Amendment, Non-Preferential Revocable Lease Agreement, July 1986 7/16/1986 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
Folder B DOC 1, Exhibit 1 Non-Preferential Revocable Lease Agreement, April 4/1/1986 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Maintenance Agreement Between Port of Anacortes and Frontier Industries, November 1985 11/1/1985 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Port of Anacortes letter Agreement, November 1984 11/1/1984 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 3 Lease of Shop Area - Log Yard, March 1984 3/30/1984 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 2, Port of Anacortes Lease, July 1983 7/14/1983 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Port of Anacortes Lease, April 1978 4/1/1978 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC. 5, Letter regarding vouchers 9-1 through 9-74 and Resolution 495, October 1976 10/14/1976 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 2, Letter regarding regular meeting with presented vouchers 5-1 through 5-62 and Resolution 471, June 1975 6/17/1975 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Letter regarding a regular meeting of the Anacortes Port Commission, January 1968 1/11/1968 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 4, Letter regarding a regular meeting of the Port Commission, May 1967 5/11/1967 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 3, Letter regarding acceptance of a bid and Resolution No. 276, July 1966 7/7/1966 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 2, Letter regarding meeting of the Port Commission, December 1965 12/16/1965 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
DOC 1, Resolution No. 336, 337, and 338, October 1964 10/8/1964 Site Specific Administrative Document - Other (Administrative Correspondence)
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Headquarters
    300 Desmond Dr SE
    Lacey, 98503
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 8

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants C
Metals - Metals - Other C
Halogenated Organics - Polychlorinated biPhenyls (PCB) C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Phenolic Compounds C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C
Other Contaminant - Bioassay Benthic Failures C
Other Contaminant - Other Deleterious Substances C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Other Non-Halogenated Organics C
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.