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Department of Ecology News Release - Dec. 28, 2000
00-246
SPOKANE - The cleanup of toxic chemicals is complete at a site on Spotted Road near the Spokane International Airport, according to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), and the department is ready to remove it from the state's hazardous-sites list.
The Geiger Field housing area was contaminated with petroleum products that leaked from underground storage tanks installed in the 1950s. After an extensive cleanup and monitoring process, Ecology believes the site is no longer a threat to the health of nearby neighbors or to the environment.
The public has until Jan. 18, 2001, to review and submit comments about Ecology's proposal to remove the site from the hazardous-sites list.
Being taken off the list means that the cleanup activities that occurred at the site have satisfied the requirements of the state's Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).
MTCA is an initiative that was approved by voters in 1988 to require that cleanup costs be borne by those who are responsible for the pollution. That law obliges responsible parties to clean up contaminated sites in a timely manner and to comply with specific standards.
The Geiger Field housing area was built on land leased from the Spokane International Airport by the Department of Defense during World War II. The land was developed in the 1950s to provide housing for Air Force personnel. Underground, 500-gallon diesel-oil tanks supplied fuel for the 43 housing units. Several of the tanks had leaked over the years.
A total of 43 tanks were removed from the site in 1999. More than 3,000 tons of polluted soil were removed and disposed. Monitoring wells indicated that the underground water beneath the site did not require cleanup.
Members of the public can look at the final cleanup reports and the proposal to remove the site from the hazardous-sites list at Ecology's Spokane office. Call 509-456-2751 for details.
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Manager, 509-456-4464; pager, 509-622-1289
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
