PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AUGUST 27, 2020-SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
New Agreed Order and Public Participation Plan Revision for the Cadet/Swan part of the Site
Ecology invites your comment on the draft Agreed Order (AO) No. DE 18152 and the Public Participation Plan revision for the Cadet/Swan part of the Port of Vancouver, Cadet/Swan, NuStar, Kinder Morgan Site. The Port of Vancouver (port) is the only potentially liable person (PLP) subject to this draft AO.
These are the documents for your review and comment:
A fact sheet briefly summarizes information about the site.
After the comment period, we will review the comments. If there are no significant changes, the AO will be finalized.
For tips on submitting comments, visit our commenting tips webpage.
If you wish to view the electronic documents related to this Site, click on the "View Electronic Documents" link on the right under "Site Information".
Check our website for updates on the status of our offices.
Road map shows the location of the Swan (yellow), Cadet (orange), NuStar (red), and KMBT (blue) areas of the Site. |
SITE DESCRIPTION
Cadet/Swan part of the Site
In 1956, the Swan Manufacturing Co. (Swan) started making electrical heaters in a leased building located at the corner of W 4th Plain Blvd and St Frances Lane. In 1964, they moved to 2500 W 4th Plain Blvd. In 1972, the Cadet Manufacturing Co. (Cadet) purchased Swan. Cadet continued to make heaters. The port purchased the former Swan site in 1982. In 2006, the port acquired the Cadet property.
Trichloroethylene (TCE) and other chlorinated solvents were released to soil and groundwater at the Cadet and Swan facilities. Cadet and Swan used the solvents as degreasers to clean sheet metal parts. The areas of solvent contamination in groundwater are called plumes.
Port of Vancouver Cadet/Swan, NuStar, and Kinder Morgan Site
The NuStar Terminals Services, Inc. (NuStar) and Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals, LLC (KMBT) operations are located next to each other on the Columbia River and near the Swan/Cadet locations. NuStar and KMBT are tenants of the port. NuStar handles bulk fertilizer and other bulk products. KMBT moves copper ore and other bulk products from rail cars to ships for export.
Chlorinated solvents, such as perchlorethylene (PCE) and TCE, polluted soil and groundwater at the GATX Terminals Corporation, the former operator of the NuStar terminal. The solvents were bulk materials handled for distribution. A goundwater plume of chlorinated solvents is located under the NuStar and KMBT operational areas.
Other contaminants are also present at the NuStar and KMBT part of the Site. These include nitrate, ammonia, copper, and other metals. NuStar, KMBT, and the port are in the process of conducting a supplemental remedial investigation to assess that contamination.
Contamination at the Site has not adversely affected city or port public drinking water supply wells. Even so, cleanup of the groundwater plume and other contaminants is important because exposure to these substances can be harmful to human health and the environment.
Black dashed line shows the maximum extent of solvent contamination. The maximum extent of the plume was identified in 2009. |
AREA CONSIDERED FOR PARTIAL CLEANUP OF THE SITE
In 2009, the maximum extent of the solvent plume at the Site became known, which is outlined by a black dashed line. Until recently, Ecology considered the solvent plume from the Swan/Cadet location and NuStar source areas to be one area wide plume.
The yellow shaded area within the Site outline is the area considered in draft AO DE 18152 for cleanup by the port. The NuStar and KMBT Site area not shaded yellow is not included in draft AO DE 18152.
The port has been cleaning up the Cadet/Swan area since 1998. Interim cleanups have greatly reduced solvent concentrations in soil and groundwater. Since 2009, the port has used a pump and treat system at the Swan source area to continue solvent removal from the groundwater.
Partial Site Cleanup
Washington's cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), allows the port to draft a feasibility study and preliminary draft cleanup action plan for a partial Site cleanup within the Port/NuStar/KMBT Site.
The draft AO DE 18152 requires the port to develop cleanup alternatives specifically for cleanup of the solvents that remain in soil and groundwater in the yellow shaded area.
After Ecology finalizes AO DE 18152, the port will complete evaluation of the partial Site cleanup. The investigation and cleanup evaluation of the Port/NuStar/KMBT part of the Site will continue at the same time. Ecology's objective is a complete and timely cleanup of the whole Site, while protecting the health of people and the environment.
NEXT STEPS
Ecology will consider your comments before finalizing AO DE 18152. Ecology will respond to comments in a responsiveness summary after the comment period is over. The summary will be available at this webpage.
There will be more opportunities for public comment. For the process of the Cadet/Swan partial cleanup of the Site, the draft feasibility study and the draft Cleanup Action Plan, and a new legal agreement to put the plan into effect will be available for public comment.
For the whole Port/NuStar/KMBT Site, the public will be able to review and comment on the Supplemental Remedial Investigation report, Feasibility Study, and the draft Cleanup Action Plan.
SITE HISTORY
The cleanup process at the Site has been ongoing for a long time. Below are links to fact sheets about the Site and the year the fact sheet was released. Fact sheets and other electronic reports about the Site are also available by clicking on the link to "View Electronic Documents" on the right.
