Metro Transit South Dearborn

The former Metro Transit South Dearborn Facilities Site has completed their cleanup tasks and has satisfied the state cleanup requirements.  The cleanup action was conducted under a legal agreement, called a Consent Decree with the Cleanup Action Plan.  Now Ecology is proposing to close the Consent Decree and to delist this Site from Ecology’s Hazardous Sites List.

Ecology conducted a 30-day public comment period from October 16 through November 16, 2015.  The site documents for site closure are:

• Soil Cleanup Report titled “Final Report –Contaminated Soil Remediation at Metro South Dearborn Site” by Enviros, Inc. dated 6/07/1996.  This report describes cleanup tasks conducted at this Site.
• Groundwater Compliance Cleanup Report titled “Groundwater Sampling Work Order No. 17” by CDM Smith, Inc. dated 4/06/2012.  This report describes groundwater cleanup in 1996-2012.
• Ecology proposal to Close the Consent Decree with the Cleanup Action Plan & delist the Site from the state Hazardous Sites List dated 7/08/2015.

You may view these documents at Seattle Central Library, Seattle International District Branch Library, IDEA Space at Bush Asia Center, and Ecology’s Northwest Regional Office in Bellevue.  These addresses and telephone numbers are listed on the Fact Sheet see column on the right.

The Consent Decree was signed in 1994 and the Site soil cleanup treatment occurred from 1994-1996. Ecology issued a Noticed of Completion for soil remediation on June 28, 1996 with required groundwater monitoring to continue. The Site was restored for beneficial use to the community, and groundwater monitoring was completed in 2012. The 2012 results show the groundwater was cleaned up and was below state cleanup requirements for seven or more consecutive monitoring events.  Metro has satisfied the cleanup requirements under the Consent Decree and state cleanup regulations.

The former Metro Transit South Dearborn Facilities Site has completed their cleanup actions and a legal agreement called the Consent Decree 94-2-29616-7SEA. The Site was located at 802 S. Dearborn Street and contains two parcels, one east and one west of Eighth Avenue South, Seattle, WA. The Site was later purchased by Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Developmental Authority.

Metro Transit entered into a Consent Decree with Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) in November 1994 to clean up petroleum contamination at the Site. Contamination was discovered when petroleum underground storage tanks were decommissioned and removed from the East parcel in 1990.

The Remedial Investigation showed the presence of gasoline, diesel, and petroleum substances in soil and groundwater. The cleanup actions included:

• Demolition and removal of the structures.
• Excavation and removal of petroleum contaminated soils.
• Cleanup treatment of deeper soils and groundwater using three cleanup treatment methods.
• Monitored natural attenuation.

Site cleanup treatment occurred from 1994-1996. Ecology issued a Noticed of Completion for soil remediation on June 28, 1996 with required groundwater compliance monitoring to continue. Groundwater monitoring continued from 1996-2012. The 2012 results report by consultants - CDM Smith dated April 6, 2012 - showed groundwater was cleaned up and was below state cleanup requirements for seven or more consecutive events. The Site Consent Decree and state cleanup requirements have been successfully completed. 

Ecology conducted a 30-day public comment period in 2015 for your review and comments on two proposals.  One, Ecology is proposing to close this Consent Decree, the legal agreement for the cleanup action.  Second, Ecology is proposing to delist this Site from the state hazardous sites listing, and your review and comments are encouraged.