McFarland Cascade Pole & Lumber Co

Last Updated July 30, 2018

Ecology held a comment period for a draft Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) and Consent Decree (CD) for the McFarland Cascade Pole Site. The comment period ended on April 27, 2016 and we did not receive any comments on these documents. 
 
The CD is a legal agreement between Ecology and the McFarland Cascade Pole facility to protect human health and the environment. Actions outlined in the CD and CAP include: 

• Continued operation of the groundwater recovery system.
• Long term monitoring and oversight.
• Applying a deed restriction to the property to make sure the facility will not be used for residential land use in the future. If periodic review of the site shows a risk to human health or the environment, additional actions could be required by Ecology.

Join the Commencement Bay Cleanup email list
Interested in learning about other Ecology-led cleanups and other actions in the Commencement Bay and Tacoma Tideflats area? We will share news about public comment periods, public meetings, and other cleanup-related information for the cleanup sites we manage in the area. Subscribe to Commencement Bay Cleanup List.

The Cascade Pole & Lumber site is located on the industrial tideflats in Tacoma, Washington. The 43-acre facility has manufactured treated wood products, including  lumber used for decking and fencing, utility poles, and similar products since 1974.

In December 1989, Ecology issued an Agreed Order to perform a site investigation and correct operational and reporting practices that did not follow the Washington State Dangerous Waste Regulations. The site investigation found that soil and groundwater at the site contain chemicals and associated compounds used in treating wood.

• Arsenic, copper, and chromium (including trivalent and hexavalent chromium)
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• Pentachlorophenol
• Semi-volatile organic compounds
• Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes
• Petroleum hydrocarbons

The results of the site investigation also prompted Ecology to issue a new Agreed Order in 1993. That order required an Interim Action Plan, Remedial Investigation, and Feasibility Study.

Between 1994 and 2004, the following cleanup actions were completed: 

• Pavement barrier across the site.
• Excavation and disposal of contaminated soil.
• Drip pad construction.
• Horizontal recovery well installation.
• Transfer table pit upgrade.
• Phased closure of a drip pad.

Soil contaminant concentrations now meet the industrial land use cleanup standards. Ongoing groundwater monitoring indicates contaminant concentrations are stable or decreasing and the area of contamination is getting smaller. The migration of contaminated groundwater is controlled by the recovery well and no contaminants migrate beyond the property boundary.