BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil Site
Cleanup Complete
Ecology has removed the BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil site from the Hazardous Sites List (HSL) that compiles contaminated properties that have been ranked by their level of potential hazard and their cleanup status. The site was ranked a 1 on the list in 2003 due to lead contamination in soil. 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.
We didn't receive any comments during the public comment period we held April 1-30, 2019, before removing the site from the HSL. You can learn more in the notice that was sent to residents and businesses near the site.
Related documents
- No further action letter explaining why cleanup is complete.
- An environmental covenant has been recorded with Spokane County that restricts how the property may be used due to the remaining contamination and requires monitoring of the cap over the containment area.
Site History
BNSF Railway completed cleanup between 2008 and 2010. Contaminated soil was excavated and stockpiled. Samples were collected from the excavation to verify all contaminated soil was removed. Soil with lead concentrations greater than 2,500 milligrams per kilogram were treated and placed into a containment area after being tested to confirm treatment was successful.
After the treated and other contaminated soil was placed in the containment area, it was capped with a low-permeability, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner and at least 2 feet of soil. The containment area was graded to allow precipitation to drain toward an infiltration basin and fenced with a chain-link fence. Excavated areas outside the fenced area were backfilled with soil removed during containment area construction. The disturbed areas of the site were hydroseeded with a mixture of native grasses.
Petroleum-contaminated soil (PCS) and construction debris (wood, concrete, and steel) were found in some areas during excavation activities. PCS, construction debris, and limited amounts of lead-contaminated soil that didn’t make it into the containment area before capping were disposed at an appropriate landfill.
Voluntary Cleanup Program
This site was cleaned up under our Voluntary Cleanup Program, which provides technical help to owners of contaminated sites.
Voluntary Cleanup Program customers pay fees to cover our costs for technical help and reviewing cleanup reports. Sites in this program must meet the same cleanup standards as the sites Ecology manages under legal orders.
Site use restrictions called institutional controls are in effect
Institutional controls can be fences, signs, or restrictions on how the property is used. For instance, an institutional control may prohibit installing drinking water wells or disturbing a protective cap that isolates contamination. These restrictions keep the contamination contained and keep people from being exposed to the contamination. The controls are usually listed in environmental covenants recorded with the county.
Periodic reviews are required when institutional controls are required at a site. Ecology conducts reviews to make sure the controls remain effective and the cleanup still protects human health and the environment. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years.
Institutional Controls 1
Environmental Covenant
Restrictions/Requirements
- Prohibit Soil Disturbance
- Restrict Land Use
- Restrict Sediment Cap Disturbance
Restricted Media
- Soil
Documents 7
Legal 1
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil Site- Environmental Covenant | 2/28/2019 | Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism |
Public Information 1
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| Ecology proposes to remove from HSL: BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil Site | 3/25/2019 | Fact Sheet\Public Notices |
Technical Reports 4
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil Site- 2024 Cap Inspection and Repair | 7/23/2024 | Site Specific Technical Document - other |
| BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil Site- 2023 Cap Inspection and Repair | 10/12/2023 | Site Specific Technical Document - other |
| BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil Site- 2021 Cap Inspection and Repair | 1/12/2022 | Site Specific Technical Document - other |
| Soil Management Plan- Hillyard Rail Lead Site | 6/28/2019 | Performance/Confirmational Monitoring Plan or Report |
Voluntary Cleanup Program 1
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| BNSF Hillyard Lead Soil Site- VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup- No Further Action | 7/23/2020 | VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup – NFA |
Places to see print documents
-
Eastern Regional OfficeN 4601 Monroe StSpokane, 99205-1265Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
Contaminants 4
| Contaminant Type | Soil |
Groundwater |
Surface Water |
Air |
Sediment |
Bedrock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants | RA | |||||
| Halogenated Organics - Polychlorinated biPhenyls (PCB) | RA | |||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified | RA | |||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons | RA |
- S
- Suspected
- C
- Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
- B
- Below Cleanup Levels
- RA
- Remediated-Above
- RB
- Remediated-Below
- R
- Remediated