Naval Reserve Center Tacoma

Cleanup is complete at the Naval Reserve Center and the site has been removed from the Hazardous Sites List.

Ecology's Hazardous Sites List is a statewide list of contaminated sites. Ecology may remove a site from the list after determining that cleanup actions at the site meet state cleanup standards. 

Ecology held a public comment period to receive comments on the proposal to remove the site from the Hazardous Sites List. The comment period ran from December 21, 2017, to March 8, 2018. There was a public hearing on March 1, 2018.  We received 28 written comments and one verbal comment. The Responsiveness Summary provides our response to comments.

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The Naval Reserve Center Tacoma is about 10 acres in size and located in the tideflats. The property is owned by the Port of Tacoma (Port). The property is leased to Puget Sound Energy.

From the early 1900s to the end of World War II, the property was used for shipbuilding and woodworking plants. Between the end of the war and 1996, there were various tenants and uses that included a joint-use facility for the military, a fueling pier, and for operation and repair of an oily waste barge. Over time, buildings and structures were constructed and demolished.

In 1993, the Naval Reserve Center was decommissioned and six underground fuel storage tanks (USTs) were removed. Petroleum contamination was found in soil and removed. In 1996, petroleum contamination was found in the soil during removal of two above-ground storage tanks (ASTs). The contaminated soil was excavated following removal of the ASTs. Ecology included the site on the state's Hazardous Sites List due to petroleum contamination. 

In 2014, soil and groundwater investigation showed that the previously identified contamination was successfully cleaned up to meet cleanup standards. 

The property owners worked with Ecology under the Voluntary Cleanup Program to remove the contaminated soil and treat and monitor the groundwater. Cleanup activities at the site included:

• Excavation of about 166 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil following UST removal.
• Excavation of about 70 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil following AST removal. 
• After removal of contaminated soil, tests of soil and groundwater confirmed no contamination was present above state cleanup standards. 

In 2017, Ecology determined the site was cleaned up and issued a No Further Action letter to the Port. In 2018, Ecology removed the site from the Hazardous Sites List.