Bee Jay Scales

The Bee Jay Scales Site and adjacent properties have been the location of agricultural warehouses, lumber yards, coal storage, and railroad transportation activities since approximately 1906. 
 
An agricultural distribution facility operated at the Site from the 1960s through at least 1986.  This facility consisted of buildings and aboveground storage tanks.  A lagoon was constructed in the early 1980s to collect water from the washdown of farm chemical applicator vehicles.

Site investigations have shown that past operations have contaminated soil on the property and groundwater within the vicinity.  The primary contaminants are nitrate and ammonia in soil and groundwater. 

Ecology was informed of contamination in the soil and groundwater beneath the Site in February 1992.  After a Site Hazard Assessment conducted in 1992, the Site was ranked a “1” on the Hazardous Sites List. The Hazardous Sites List is a statewide list of contaminated properties.  Sites can be ranked from a “1” to “5”.  A rank of “1” is the highest level of environmental concern compared to other sites on the List, and a rank of “5” is the lowest.

A Remedial Investigation report and Feasibility Study have been prepared for the Site.  The purpose of a Remedial Investigation is to determine the nature and extent of the release of hazardous substances at the Site and to gather necessary data to support the Feasibility Study.  The purpose of the Feasibility Study is to develop and evaluate cleanup action alternatives for the Site.

The results of the investigations at the Site have shown high levels of nitrate and ammonia in soil and groundwater.  Soil contamination is only found within the property boundaries; however, groundwater contamination extends beyond the property boundaries.

A draft Cleanup Action Plan has been developed for the site.  A Cleanup Action Plan provides different scenarios, called alternatives, detailing what will be done to clean up the contamination.  Several cleanup alternatives were evaluated for the site including:
•         Permeable Reactive Barrier, Groundwater Monitoring, Natural Attenuation and Capping of Soil, and Institutional Controls.
•         In Situ Bioremediation, Groundwater Monitoring, and Soil Excavation with Off-site Disposal.
 
Ecology evaluated the alternatives based on several factors, including protection of human health and the environment, effectiveness, time to complete, potential for implementation, cost, compliance with all applicable laws, and long-term monitoring.
 
Ecology has selected the following alternative for cleanup of the Site:  A combination of shallow soil removal, in situ bioremediation injection wells/borings (for delivery of a sodium acetate solution or calcium acetate), institutional controls, natural attenuation, and construction of vertical barrier wall treatment system(s) or other Ecology approved treatment method for the off-property groundwater plume. 
 
The active portion of the cleanup, including soil excavation, injection wells, and barrier wall for groundwater treatment, will take place over the next three years.  The soil removal is anticipated to be completed by spring 2014 and groundwater treatment systems installed by late 2015.  Groundwater monitoring will continue thereafter.