Chelan Chevron

The Chelan Chevron site is located at 232 East Woodin Avenue, although contamination from diesel and gasoline extends to the west and southwest.

A gasoline station has continuously been present at the Chelan Chevron property since 1931. Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (formerly Standard Oil) owned or leased the station from the early 1950s through 1988. In 1987, a gasoline vent line was discovered to be leaking.

The site is currently on Ecology’s Hazardous Sites List with a ranking of “3”. The Hazardous Sites List is a statewide list of contaminated properties. A rank of "1" is the highest level of concern compared to other sites on the list, and a rank of "5" is the lowest. Sites on the Hazardous Sites List are a priority for Ecology, and have completed a Site Hazard Assessment (SHA). An SHA provides information about the environmental risk of the site. Risk is based on the amount of contaminants, how toxic they are, and how easily they can come in contact with people and the environment.

The leaking vent line, discovered in 1987, prompted environmental investigations and cleanup, including removal of contaminated soil at the Chevron station property. Both soil and groundwater are contaminated with petroleum products.

As of 2014, the diesel and gasoline has contaminated the shallow groundwater over approximately two acres, covering portions of two city blocks in downtown Chelan and potentially affecting 17 or more properties.

In 2015, vapor intrusion (VI) sampling occurred in a number of buildings that are located along E. Woodin Avenue. Vapor intrusion occurs when volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as diesel and gasoline, can evaporate and move through the soil as a gas. Under certain conditions, these vapors can make their way indoors, affecting air quality in buildings above ground. Results showed no air quality issues from VI. In 2016, a more focused investigation took place for areas of more significant contamination.

In 2018, a geophysical survey was completed to locate any additional underground storage tanks (USTs) on the west part of the site. More groundwater monitoring wells were also installed and sampled.