Facility Site ID: 502 Cleanup Site ID: 4927

What Is The Yakima Railroad Area?

Hahn Motor Company 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

Hahn Motor Company was constructed in 1948. The maintenance area of the Hahn building had two undergound storage tanks (USTs) that store used oil. There were two waste water floor sumps inside the building. Surface run-off the auto repair area drained into the sumps which drained into the city sewer system. 

A study of potential for soil and groundwater contamination was completed into 1989. Three soil borings and two hand auger holes were drilled and sampled for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The report documented PCE contamination in the soil. Groundwater sampling showed no PCE above cleanup levels.

After a Site Hazard Assessment conducted in 1991, the Site was ranked a “3” 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 2007, the waste oil tanks were removed from the site.

What's Happening Now?

In February 2002, a subsurface investigation was conducted at the site, confirming contamination in the soil and groundwater.

Voluntary Cleanup Program

This site is in our Voluntary Cleanup Program, which provides technical help to owners of contaminated sites.

Voluntary Cleanup Program customers pay fees to cover our costs for technical help and reviewing cleanup reports. Sites in this program must meet the same cleanup standards as sites Ecology manages under legal orders.

Legal 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Hahn Motor PLP ltr 2/28/1992 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Technical Reports 11
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Hahn Motor Co - December 2023 Groundwater Sampling Event 1/29/2024 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hahn Motor Co - September 2023 Groundwater Sampling Event 10/5/2023 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hahn Motor Company - June 2023 Groundwater Sampling Event 7/10/2023 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hahn Motor Co - December 2022 Groundwater Sampling Event 1/27/2023 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Hahn Motor Co - Additional Subsurface Investigation Report 10/17/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hahn Motor Co - Drywell Decommissioning and Contaminated Soil Removal 7/28/2022 Remedial Action Report
Hahn Motor Subsurface Investigation Report 3/4/2022 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hahn Motor UST Decom & Site Assessment 2/1/2008 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hahn Motor landfarmed soil rpt 6/29/1992 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Hahn Motor Company - Site Hazard Assessment 3/12/1991 Site Hazard Assessment Report
Hahn Motor & Fifth Wheel UST Integrity Assessment 10/25/1989 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Voluntary Cleanup Program 7
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Hahn Motor Company - Further Action 1/12/2024 VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup – Other
Hahn Motor Co - VCP Request for Opinion 10/6/2023 VCP Administrative Document
Hahn Motor Company - Opinion on Proposed Cleanup - VCP CE0529 3/14/2023 VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup – Other
Hahn Motor - New VCP Agreement Accepted 11/12/2021 VCP Administrative Document
Hahn Motor - VCP Agreement 9/21/2021 VCP Administrative Document
Hahn Motor - VCP Application Accepted 9/21/2021 VCP Administrative Document
Hahn Motor - VCP Further Action Letter 2/23/2016 VCP Opinion on Site Cleanup – Other
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

  • Central Regional Office
    1250 W Alder St
    Union Gap, 98903-0009
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 2

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Solvents C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel C C
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.