BMT Northwest aka Reliable Steel

Facility Site ID: 69923242 Cleanup Site ID: 4076

Site Description

The Reliable Steel site is on the west side of Budd Inlet. It extends east of West Bay Drive into the water, including part of the inlet. The site was originally developed as a lumber mill. From 1941–2009, it was used for boat building, steel fabrication, or welding.

From 2010–2013, Ecology and the former owner investigated the site. Contaminants  found above state cleanup levels include:

Current Status

Work on revising the draft Cleanup Action Plan is on hold until a new Agreed Order is issued. However, Agreed Order negotiations are not occurring as of September 2023, nor is there a known date for when these negotiations will begin because there is currently no PLP who wishes to begin these negotiations. 

The plan for an Ecology-funded upland interim action was never implemented due to a 2016 hold on capital project work.

Site Background

In 1993, Ecology found arsenic and copper above state standards for marine sediments. Ecology asked the owners to remove welding slag and debris on or near the shoreline of Budd Inlet.

In 2006, BOJO Investments (BOJO), the owner at that time, reported finding heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater. The owners entered the Voluntary Cleanup Program, which assists parties doing independent cleanups with some Ecology oversight or assistance. 

Reliable Steel was later removed from the Voluntary Cleanup Program due to inactivity and entered into the formal MTCA cleanup program. In 2008, Ecology and BOJO entered into an agreed order (legal agreement) for BOJO to investigate the site and study cleanup options.

In 2010, a fire badly damaged buildings on the site. The new owner, West Bay Reliable, tore down two of the buildings in 2011. In 2012, BOJO dissolved their corporation and ceased to exist.

In 2013, Ecology finished drafting the site investigation reports and cleanup plan. Ecology held a public comment period on draft site reports and a cleanup plan from July 26 - August 26, 2013.

Based on the comments and questions we received, we will work with the new property owner or other potentially liable persons (PLPs) to revise and finish the cleanup plan once future use is known. In early 2014, Thurston County sold the property to a new owner. You can read the 2013 draft reports by using the links below.

Legal 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
BMT Northwest- Final PLP 5/12/2014 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Reliable Steel Agreed Order Remedial Action by BOJO Investments 1/28/2008 Agreed Order
Public Information 7
State Environmental Policy Act 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Reliable Steel Interim Action SEPA Checklist and Determination 6/17/2014 SEPA Documents
Technical Reports 5
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Reliable Steel Draft Interim Action Work Plan 6/17/2014 Interim Action Documents
Reliable Steel Draft Cleanup Action Plan 7/18/2013 Cleanup Action Plan
Reliable Steel Draft Final Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report 7/18/2013 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
BOJO Investments, LLC Partial Rejection of Claim 4/18/2011 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Final Work Plan, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, Reliable Steel, 1218 West Bay Drive NW, Olympia, WA 8/21/2009 Remedial Investigation Work Plan
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Southwest Regional Office
    300 Desmond Dr SE
    Lacey, 98503-1274
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
  • Timberland Olympia Library
    313 8th Avenue SE
    Olympia, 98501-9300
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 3

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified C C
Metals - Arsenic S S
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.