A Puget Sound Initiative site - Reaching the goal of a healthy, sustainable Puget Sound.

BACKGROUND

The ExxonMobil ADC Site was a former petroleum bulk storage and distribution facility located south of and adjacent to the former K-C Worldwide mill. The predecessors of ExxonMobil Oil Corporation owned the entire site from 1927 to 1974. Mobil Oil continued to operate the southern portion of the Site until 1987, but sold the northern portion to A.P. Miller for use by American Distributing Company (ADC). ADC conducted bulk petroleum operations on the northern portion from 1974 to 1990. 
 
An investigation in 1998 resulted in building an interceptor trench for petroleum recovery and paving of the Site to prevent the spread of contamination. Petroleum gauging and oil recovery in on-site wells occurs on a monthly basis and the Site’s groundwater is monitored semi-annually. An investigation to define the nature and extent of contamination in soil and groundwater at the Site and its potential influence on adjacent water is complete. Investigation results have found the following contaminants above state cleanup levels in soil and/or groundwater at the Site: total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs), lead, benzene, ethylbenzene and xylene.

STATUS

Site cleanup has been partially addressed under two prior Orders:

• 1996 Order – Actions in 1996 included cleanup of petroleum releases at the City of Everett's CSO line into Port Gardner. Actions also included pilot testing of petroleum recovery technologies. As a result, direct discharge of petroleum into Port Gardner via the CSO was eliminated and about 23,000 gallons of petroleum contamination was recovered.
• 1998 Order – Actions in 1998 included preparing a Remedial Investigation/ Focused Feasibility Study (RI/FFS) report (data from 1988 to 1996 were compiled and evaluated) and performing an interim action to contain petroleum contamination on the Site. Interim actions performed (between 1998 and 2000) included demolition of Site structures, construction of an interceptor trench (for petroleum recovery), and construction of a Site cover to minimize infiltration of surface water into subsurface soil. Since 2000, groundwater monitoring and petroleum recovery activities are on-going at the Site. As a result of this Order, the ExxonMobil and A.P. Miller properties were converted into a parking lot, to allow for possible future remediation activities at the Site.
   
  More study is needed to fully characterize the contamination at the ExxonMobil ADC Site. Ecology and the potential liable persons (PLPs) have negotiated a 3rd Agreed Order to evaluate the extent of petroleum contamination and develop cleanup options for the Site. The draft 3rd Agreed Order and attached Focused Feasibility Study (FFS) work plan went out for public comment on 11/2/09.  The comment period ended on 12/4/09 and the Agreed Order was finalized and executed on 3/16/10.

The cleanup investigation under the 3rd Agreed Order has included:

• February 2010: the PLPs collected soil profile samples along the City of Everett’s proposed new combined sewer outfall (CSO) alignment. The proposed alignment runs adjacent to the Site.
• June 2010: The PLPs found and removed corroded piping that led to the former bulk storage tanks during soil profile work. Initial FFS field work commenced with the collection of soil and groundwater data.
• November 2010: Additional FFS soil and groundwater data were collected along with a shallow test pit where oil was surfacing through cracks in the asphalt.
• February 2011: A tidal study was conducted to investigate potential tidal influence on Site groundwater.
• April 2011: An FFS Data Gaps Report detailing the results of the initial investigation including the tidal study was completed. The data gaps report was reviewed and used to identify additional data needs to define the full nature and extent of contamination at the Site.
• December 2011: the PLPs conducted an excavation in the northeast portion of the Site to remove liquid phase petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater.  The excavation was conducted in support of the City of Everett to address contamination that may be encountered during construction of the city’s Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project located near the Site.

Currently, a focused set of cleanup options for the Site is being developed. Cleanup is anticipated for 2018.

SITE DOCUMENTS

• ExxonMobil ADC Fact Sheet October 2009
• ExxonMobil ADC Final Agreed Order March 2010
• ExxonMobil ADC Focused Feasibility Study Work Plan February 2010
• ExxonMobil Public Participation Plan November 2008

RELATED INFORMATION

• Photo Gallery  
• Watershed Information for WRIA 7  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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