Irondale Iron & Steel Plant

The completion of cleanup and restoration work at the former Irondale Iron and Steel site was marked on January 24. Jefferson County officials as well as state agency representatives, members of environmental organizations and local volunteers gathered to celebrate the re-opening of the Irondale Beach County Park.

The event marked the end of cleanup and restoration activities coordinated by Ecology beginning in 2007. The final push began in summer 2012, with all work completed at the end of December. When the work was finished approximately 1.29 acres of new intertidal habitat and 1.65 acres of new backshore habitat had been created. 
 
In addition, the cleanup honored the site as part of the Irondale Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and Washington Heritage Register. Ecology worked with state and federal agencies and tribes to identify and protect structures of historical significance. As much as possible, larger trees were preserved. Ecology also left in place historic elements such as building foundations and the charcoal-fired kilns that show the character of the iron-and-steel producing operations of a hundred years ago.
 
The cleanup of the Irondale site has significance beyond the project’s local impact. The Irondale cleanup and restoration was funded by the Puget Sound Initiative, a region-wide effort to restore the health of Sound by 2020. The Irondale story shows how federal, state, and local governments, encouraged and assisted by environmental agencies and volunteers, are making this vision to recover the Sound a reality.

The Former Irondale Iron and Steel site is located 526 Moore Street in Irondale. From 1881 to 1919, iron and steel were produced intermittently at the site by various owners. Steel plant operation during this time contaminated soil, sediment and groundwater.

In 1919, the plant closed and equipment was removed from the site. The site was not cleaned up after closing, and slag and other debris are still present. Some building foundations and the concrete walls of an above-ground fuel tank remain on site.

From 1919 until 2001, the site was owned by several different companies but no additional waste was produced. Most recently, the site was used as a log storage yard by a nearby chipping facility.

Jefferson County purchased the site in 2001 to be used as a recreation area. An initial investigation revealed evidence of hazardous materials. Samples taken then during a site hazard investigation indicated that contamination was not present at a level above cleanup standards for total petroleum hydrocarbons and metals.

In November 2005, a park visitor notified the Department of Ecology (Ecology) about an oily residue on the beach at the site. Investigations from 2007-09 revealed evidence of soil, sediment and groundwater contamination. Contamination was found at locations of former buildings and industrial activities. The Governor's Puget Sound Initiative, an effort to restore the Sound by 2020, funded the site cleanup.