L & L Exxon

The L & L Exxon site is operated as a gas station from about the late 1950s until 1999.

A release of petroleum products was discovered during the removal of several underground storage tanks (USTs).

L & L Exxon is currently on Ecology’s Hazardous Sites List with a ranking of “2”. 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.

In 1999, a total of five USTs, fuel dispensers, and associated piping were removed from the site. Sampling results showed petroleum contamination in soil above state regulated cleanup levels.

According the property owner, the following further actions were performed to reduce contamination levels: installation of wells to monitor groundwater, excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, application of a bioremediation treatment that breaks down petroleum into less harmful chemicals, and air was blown into the soil to help the bioremediation treatment work more effectively. Documents pertaining to these activities have not been provided to Ecology.

In October 2012, Ecology’s contractor installed wells to monitor groundwater contamination and conducted soil and groundwater sampling to determine what type of contamination was present and where it was located. Sampling results showed petroleum contamination above state cleanup levels in both soil and groundwater. 

In spring 2013, Ecology installed two additional wells to monitor groundwater contamination, and dug test pits to determine the extent of remaining soil contamination. 

In March 2014, Ecology’s contractor prepared a focused feasibility study to discuss the potential cleanup options based on the current understanding of the extent of contamination at the site.

Ecology conducted a partial cleanup, also known as an interim action, for petroleum contaminated soil and groundwater at the site in the summer of 2015. This cleanup included the installation of infiltration galleries and injection wells, which will be used to inject chemical oxidation and bioremediation products and remove contamination. The cleanup system will be utilized for at least one year to achieve cleanup goals. Groundwater monitoring wells will continue to be sampled to measure the effectiveness of the cleanup.