WHAT IS THE YAKIMA RAILROAD AREA?

Cameron Yakima Inc. is a part of the Yakima Railroad Area (YRRA). The Yakima Railroad Area is approximately six square miles in size and includes parts of the cities of Yakima and Union Gap. The Yakima Railroad Area groundwater is contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (PCE or PERC) from past industrial use, and is centered around the railroad/industrial corridor of the greater Yakima area.

PCE is a manufactured chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals and is used in some consumer products.

Exposure to PCE can be from the air, chemical use, soil, or water.  PCE can affect the kidneys, liver, nervous system, and reproductive system, as well as unborn children. There is also an increased risk of certain types of cancer.

More information about potential sources of PCE and associated health risks can be found on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) website.

SITE DESCRIPTION

The Cameron Yakima facility was one of approximately 15 facilities in the United States which regenerated spent carbon. The carbon contained various hazardous wastes, which are removed through thermal (heat) treatment. 

A wide variety of industries send their hazardous wastes to Cameron-Yakima to be treated or disposed of such as auto manufacturers, electronics, aircraft, photography, dry cleaning, photo copying, and other manufacturers. The businesses, known as "generators" shipped contaminated carbon filters to the Cameron-Yakima facility to be cleaned. 

Under state regulations, any business that uses or produces hazardous materials is responsible for those materials from "cradle to grave", which covers the life of the materials.  

Soil sampling completed at the Cameron-Yakima facility found PCE in the soil in concentrations up to 720,000 parts per billion, the highest levels to date found at any site within the Yakima Railroad Area; 500 ppb in soil is the level that is safe for human health. Contamination from approximately 20 other hazardous substances was also found.

After a Site Hazard Assessment, 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.

WHAT'S BEEN DONE?

in 1994, Ecology issued an Enforcement Order requiring a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS). 

In 2000, Ecology supervised remedial actions at the site to remove contaminated soils. 

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?

Groundwater monitoring continues at the site as part of the Yakima Railroad Area groundwater monitoring project.

RELATED CLEANUP SITES

• Yakima Railroad Area  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Acronyms used by the Toxics Cleanup Program
• Cleanup Process: Major Steps & Definitions
• Data Submittal Requirements for All Cleanup Sites
• Toxics Cleanup publications