City Parcel

The City Parcel site covers just over half an acre and included a 19,000 square foot building. Spokane Transformer, Inc. repaired and recycled transformers at the site from 1961 through 1979. In 1979, the site was sold to City Parcel, Inc., a package delivery service.

The site was investigated multiple times by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ecology, and environmental contractors from 1976 to 1997. Each time, soil samples contained PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) contamination at concentrations exceeding both residential and industrial standards.
 
Spokane Transformer, Inc. and City Parcel, Inc. are responsible for cleaning up the site.

The owners of City Parcel, Inc., proposed a cleanup plan in 1998. Ecology reviewed and approved the plan, requiring some actions be taken within 30 days:

• Install a temporary cover over PCB-contaminated soil in the parking lot and alley
• Cover a PCB-contaminated pile of soil and arrange for its treatment and disposal
• Inform all workers and other site visitors of the contamination

In 2001, Ecology’s efforts to negotiate an Agreed Order to complete a site remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) with City Parcel and Spokane Transformer ended due to a lack of reasonable progress. Ecology moved forward with a state-funded process and produced the feasibility study in 2004.
 
The cleanup action plan (2004) included removing the building, contaminated soil, all drain lines and dry wells and an underground storage tank.
 
In 2009, the building was demolished, and contaminated debris were removed. Contaminated soil was also excavated and disposed off-site at this time. Soil samples taken following this revealed PCB contamination along the northern and western fence lines surrounding the property.
 
In 2014 the fence on the northern edge was removed, PCB-contaminated soil was excavated and backfilled with clean soil. Similar work to clean up the contamination on the western boundary of the property was completed in 2015. Because portions of the site were cleaned up to industrial standards, restrictive covenants have been placed on the property. An additional covenant will be filed for the western boundary of the site to complete the cleanup.
 

Periodic reviews

We visited the site September 29, 2023, for the first periodic review and found the cleanup remains effective. The site is a storage lot for equipment and vehicles. The fence surrounding the property is in very good condition, and the gate is locked when the lot is not in use by the property owner or other authorized persons to restrict public access. The gravel cap was in good condition.