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Department of Ecology News Release - Sept. 3, 2003
03-176
BELLEVUE - Unocal Corporation has completed the first part of a two-stage cleanup at its former bulk-fuel facility in Edmonds, under the terms of an agreement with the Department of Ecology (Ecology).
The company has removed soil contaminated with petroleum, arsenic and lead from the upper portion of the closed facility. The area housed 23 above-ground bulk-fuel storage tanks. The site will soon be graded for residential development.
Ecology is proposing to approve a report on the cleanup project and to issue a letter certifying that cleanup of soil in the upper portion of the site is complete.
"Unocal went beyond the standards that we require," said David South, who oversees the cleanup for Ecology. "We've received excellent cooperation and are very pleased to see this property's transformation."
Written comments on the proposed cleanup certification will be accepted from today through Oct. 4, 2003. Comments may be sent to David South at Department of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, Wash., 98008, or by e-mail to dsou461@ecy.wa.gov.
"We appreciate the partnership among citizen groups, the city, Ecology and our company that made this cleanup successful," said Unocal spokesman Mark Brearley. "It is gratifying to see this former terminal site take on a new productive use that is compatible with nearby neighborhoods."
"We develop many brownfield parcels, and it is rare to find a land owner willing to go above the required residential cleanup levels," said Ross Woods, executive vice president for Point Edwards LLC, the developer of the site. "This property will soon be transformed into an amenity to share with the city and surrounding areas."
The company plans to construct 297 condominium homes on the hillside overlooking the Edmonds waterfront with mountain and sound views.
"This positive milestone demonstrates to our community that Unocal stands by its commitment to clean up the property," said Stephen Clifton, community services director for the City of Edmonds. "The city looks forward to the day when the lower yard also is fully clean and can accommodate the future Edmonds Crossing multimodal project."
Ecology expects to propose a cleanup plan for the lower portion of the 47-acre property in early 2005, with work expected to begin that summer.
Documents and other information on the cleanup project are available on the Internet at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/unocal_edmonds/unocal_edmonds.html.
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Contact: Larry Altose, Ecology public information, 425-649-7009; pager 206-663-1785
For more information:
Ecology fact sheet:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0309057.pdf
Unocal information:
http://www.unocaledmonds.com/
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
