Facility Site ID: 28575673 Cleanup Site ID: 5818

Site Description

Facing toward the south from the north side of the building
Facing toward the south from the north side of the building
Gold Nugget Market is located at the intersection of Buena Road and the Yakima Valley Highway in the town of Buena. A gas station and convenience store operated at the site from 1950 until 1998.

In 1993, workers digging near the streets to install new sewer lines found petroleum contamination in the soil. In 1997, Ecology conducted an initial investigation, which showed petroleum contamination above state cleanup levels for both soil and groundwater. The contamination is believed to have come from leaking underground storage tanks at the site.

The site is currently on Ecology’s Hazardous Sites List with a ranking of “3”. Sites on the Hazardous Sites List are a priority for Ecology, and have completed a Site Hazard Assessment (SHA). A SHA provides information about the environmental risk of the site. Risk is based on the amount of contaminants, how toxic they are, and how easily they can come in contact with people and the environment. Sites are ranked relative to each other on a scale of “1” to “5”; with a rank of “5” being the lowest.

What's Been Done So Far?

In April 1997, Ecology conducted an initial investigation which included the installation of wells to monitor groundwater contamination throughout Buena. 

In 1998, two underground storage tanks were removed from the property. 

In September 2000, about 400 tons of soil contaminated with petroleum products was excavated and removed from the Site for treatment.

In 2010, Ecology installed two additional wells to monitor groundwater and collected soil samples. Petroleum contamination above state cleanup levels was found in both soil and groundwater. 

In 2013, a remedial air sparging system was installed to introduce oxygen to the groundwater. This will speed up the naturally occurring remediation of the groundwater that was stalled due to lack of oxygen in the groundwater. 

Ecology has monitored the groundwater throughout Buena for petroleum contamination since 1998. Contamination has been consistently above state cleanup levels.

What's Next?

In 2014, a soil vapor extraction system was installed to mitigate petroleum vapors that are entering the building. Quarterly groundwater monitoring will continue.

Other Clean Sites Initiative Sites In Buena

Legal 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Gold Nugget Market Siekawitch PLP ltr 7/11/2012 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Gold Nugget Market Choi PLP ltr 7/11/2012 Final Potentially Liable Person Status Letter
Leaking Underground Storage Tank 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Site Characterization Report - Buena LUSTs 10/21/2010 LUST Site Characterization Report
Map 1
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Gold Nugget Market Site Plan 11/23/2011 Map
Public Information 5
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Gold Nugget Market Public Participation Plan 12/9/2013 Public Participation Plan
Gold Nugget Market Interim Action fact sheet Spanish 1/31/2013 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Gold Nugget Market Interim Action Fact Sheet 1/31/2013 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Buena Site Investigations Fact Sheet Spanish 9/8/2011 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Buena Site Investigation Fact Sheet 9/6/2011 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
State Environmental Policy Act 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Buena Site Investigations SEPA DNS 9/8/2011 SEPA Documents
Buena Site Investigations SEPA checklist 8/8/2011 SEPA Documents
Technical Reports 5
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Groundwater Assessment-Gold Nugget Market 6/29/2019 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Gold Nugget Market Interim Action Plan 1/1/2013 Interim Action Documents
Gold Nugget Market Intermin Action Plan 11/16/2012 Interim Action Documents
Gold Nugget Market 30-day notice of potential liability - Siekawitch 10/6/2011 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Gold Nugget Market 30-day notice of potential liability - Choi 10/6/2011 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
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 1

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum-Gasoline 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.