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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 1998
98-122
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Officer, (509) 458-0839; pager, (509) 622-1289
QUINCY - Cenex Supply and Marketing, Inc. (Cenex) and the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) have entered into a formal agreement to guide how a pesticide/fumigant cleanup will be handled at the Cenex facility in Quincy.
The public will have a chance to learn more about the status of the cleanup at the Cenex site when representatives of the state Department of Health, Ecology and Cenex will hold an open house. The event will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, at Quincy Community Center, 115 "F" St., Quincy, followed by brief presentations at 7 p.m., with time for questions and answers.
Cenex has been working voluntarily with Ecology and state and local health agencies to clean contamination near a former rinsate pond and fumigant-storage facility in Quincy.
Studies show that soil below the surface at the former storage facility contains some residual fumigants, mainly 1,2-Dichloropropane. Additionally, a narrow plume of contamination in ground water containing similar chemicals extends southeast from the site.
The agreement, which is guided by the state's Model Toxics Control Act, calls for installing a "soil vapor extraction system" to remove fumigant residues from the soil. This system recovers the fumigants as vapors from beneath the soil surface and runs them through a treatment process that makes them safe to dispose permanently. The soils will then be sampled to make sure the treatment has been effective.
Another part of the agreement calls for testing two technologies to identify the extent of the chemical contamination in the ground water. Cenex will evaluate both technologies to determine which is most effective on the site.
One technology helps break down the contaminants by pumping air into the ground water under low pressure. The other method involves pumping ground water directly from the ground and treating it in a central treatment system.
Results of these tests will be incorporated into a "feasibility study," the next step in the cleanup process outlined under the Model Toxics Control Act. Ecology and Cenex will use the feasibility study to determine the best ways to clean the soil and ground water.
The public is invited to review and comment on this agreement and associated cleanup documents before they are completed. Public comments must be received by Aug. 21. These documents are available for review at the Quincy City Hall and the Grant County Health District.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
