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Department of Ecology News Release - February 15, 2008
08-041
Following several months of work with the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), Alcoa submitted its formal request to the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for permission to dredge portions of the Columbia River starting this fall. The dredging project will remove river sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic byproducts of more than 40 years of industrial activity on the property.
When approved, the Joint Aquatic Resource Permit Application (JARPA) will allow Alcoa to remove thousands of cubic yards of contaminated sediments from the Columbia River. The permit also includes provisions to restrict access to the clam beds adjacent to the site and eventually remove the clams from the environment.
The project is slated to begin at the earliest date possible for in-river work – November 2008.
“Alcoa continues to be pleased with the progress and has made available all the necessary resources to meet our accelerated schedule,” said Alcoa’s director of asset management, Mark Stiffler.
“Alcoa and Ecology have been working intensely to prepare this application, and Ecology is pleased the company beat the accelerated timeline by nearly two weeks,” said Carol Kraege, manager of Ecology’s team overseeing Alcoa’s cleanup. “This gives everyone more time to focus on the big work ahead.”
The cleanup of industrial contamination at Alcoa has been underway for many years, with $42 million spent to date. Approximately $34 million has been focused on controlling the sources of PCBs and stopping the flow of contaminants to the Columbia River.
Next steps for this site include Ecology requesting public comment on the draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study, documents which detail the extent and nature of contamination on the site and the cleanup options. Ecology will announce the public review period and a public meeting as soon as the documents are ready.
Alcoa is in the process of hiring a contractor to remove the last PCB-laden building on its property. That work should be underway in March. This is the final step in making sure the source of toxic contamination in the river has been shut off at its source.
The river cleanup will also involve the removal of freshwater clams along Alcoa’s beach.
Health information released last spring indicated high levels of PCBs in clam tissue taken from many places along the Columbia River shoreline. Alcoa is monitoring river levels to determine when it may be necessary to put a protective boom in place to limit access to the clam beds from anyone attempting to illegally harvest clams at Alcoa’s property.
Visit http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/industrial/alum_alcoavan.htm to access a copy of the JARPA and for progress reports about the Alcoa cleanup.
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Media Contacts: Kim Schmanke, Ecology media relations, 360-407-6239 (desk)
For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/industrial/alum_alcoavan.htm
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
