WA DOC Washington State Penitentiary

Facility Site ID: 779 Cleanup Site ID: 4971

Site History

The 540-acre Washington Department of Corrections (WA DOC) Washington State Penitentiary (Site) opened as a prison in 1887. Various manufacturing and facility support activities have taken place since then, including jute manufacturing, metal fabrication, license plate production, garment production, furniture refinishing and upholstery, welding, vehicle repair and maintenance, medical and dental laboratories, photo processing, dry cleaning, road sign production, and facility power production.

Many of these activities involved the use of petroleum products and chemicals. In some cases, hazardous substances were not disposed of properly, leading to environmental contamination. The penitentiary currently manages and disposes of all chemicals in a legally compliant manner.

In 1992, Ecology received an anonymous complaint that chemicals from penitentiary activities may have been disposed of in a now-closed, eight-acre landfill outside the penitentiary fences.

Based on this, Ecology began investigating whether chemicals that could be harmful to human health and the environment had moved into soil or groundwater in and near the landfill. The City of Walla Walla tests the public drinking water supply regularly and has not found these chemicals.

Contamination

Volatile organic compounds and metals were found in soil and groundwater around the penitentiary landfill and a former dry cleaning facility.

Cleanup

In 2009, Ecology entered into an Agreed Order with WA DOC to conduct a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study at the site. The remedial investigation gathered information to determine where and how much contamination is in soil and groundwater. The feasibility study evaluated various methods to clean up contamination.

The remedial investigation found volatile organic compounds and metals in soil and groundwater around the landfill and a former dry cleaning facility. The feasibility study evaluated three alternatives for cleaning up these areas:

  • Alternative 1: Monitoring contaminants as they degrade naturally, prohibiting disturbance of contaminated soil through land use controls, improving the existing permeable soil landfill cover, maintaining the gravel cover around the former dry cleaning facility, and decommissioning an unused irrigation well.
  • Alternative 2: All elements of Alternative 1 with the addition of a low permeability landfill cap instead of a soil and gravel cover and an asphalt cap over contaminated soil around the former dry cleaning facility.
  • Alternative 3: Take no action.
Learn more about the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study
Cleanup Action Plan

Using information from the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study, Ecology developed a draft Cleanup Action Plan, which was available for public review and comment April 14 through May 16, 2016. We received two comments to which we responded before finalizing the document without making further changes.

WA DOC will take the following actions to complete the final cleanup remedy:

  • Analyze groundwater samples four times a year until contamination is below levels of concern 
  • Prohibit disturbance of contaminated soil at the closed landfill and former dry cleaning facility with land use controls 
  • Improve the existing permeable soil landfill cover 
  • Install an asphalt cap over soil around the former dry cleaning facility 
  • Decommission an unused irrigation well

 

Site use restrictions called institutional controls are in effect

Institutional controls can be fences, signs, or restrictions on how the property is used. For instance, an institutional control may prohibit installing drinking water wells or disturbing a protective cap that isolates contamination. These restrictions keep the contamination contained and keep people from being exposed to the contamination. The controls are usually listed in environmental covenants recorded with the county.

Periodic reviews are required when institutional controls are required at a site. Ecology conducts reviews to make sure the controls remain effective and the cleanup still protects human health and the environment. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years.

Environmental Covenant

County Recording #: 2024-01448
County Recording Date: 3/26/2024

Restrictions/Requirements

  • Control Stormwater
  • Maintain/Protect Monitoring System
  • Ongoing Maintenance of Remedy
  • Prevent the Reuse or Relocation of Site Soil
  • Prohibit New Building Construction
  • Prohibit Removal or Alteration of Existing Buildings
  • Prohibit Soil Disturbance
  • Restrict All Ground Water Extraction/Well Installation
  • Restrict Land Use

Restricted Media

  • Groundwater
  • Soil
Legal 3
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Environmental Covenant: WA State Penitentiary 3/26/2024 Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism
Agreed Order for Cleanup Action Plan: WA State Penitentiary 3/31/2016 Agreed Order
Agreed Order: WA State Penitentiary 1/7/2009 Agreed Order
Public Information 9
Document Title Document Date Document Type
CAP Response to Comments: WA State Penitentiary 6/23/2016 Responsiveness Summary
CAP Public Comment English-Spanish: WA State Penitentiary 4/13/2016 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Amended Public Participation Plan: WA State Penitentiary 3/31/2016 Public Participation Plan
Responsiveness Summary RI/FS: WA State Penitentiary 1/30/2013 Responsiveness Summary
RI/FS Fact Sheet: WA State Penitentiary 11/30/2012 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Responsiveness Summary AO: WA State Penitentiary 1/12/2009 Responsiveness Summary
AO Public Invitation for Comment Russian: WA State Penitentiary 11/1/2008 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
AO Public Invitation for Comment Spanish: WA State Penitentiary 11/1/2008 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
AO Public Invitation for Comment: WA State Penitentiary 11/1/2008 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
State Environmental Policy Act 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
SEPA Checklist for Cleanup Action Plan: WA State Penitentiary 3/31/2016 SEPA Documents
Technical Reports 8
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Remedial Action Report: WA State Penitentiary 10/30/2024 Remedial Action Report
GW Monitoring Report Fall 2024: WA State Penitentiary 10/8/2024 Groundwater Monitoring Report
GW Monitoring Report Spring 2024: WA State Penitentiary 5/10/2024 Groundwater Monitoring Report
GW Monitoring Report Fall 2023: WA State Penitentiary 3/12/2024 Groundwater Monitoring Report
GW Monitoring Report Spring 2023: WA State Penitentiary 11/29/2023 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Engineering Design: WA State Penitentiary 5/30/2017 Engineering Design Report
RI/FS Appendix H: WA State Penitentiary 11/30/2012 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
RI/FS: WA State Penitentiary 11/30/2012 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
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

  • Eastern Regional Office
    N 4601 Monroe St
    Spokane, 99205-1265
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
  • Walla Walla Public Library
    238 E Alder Street
    Walla Walla, 99362
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 8

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals - Other C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified B
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C
Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Solvents C C
Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Inorganic C
Metals - Lead C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Diesel C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Other B
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.