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Little Squalicum Park
Little Squalicum Park
 SITE DESCRIPTION
The Little Squalicum Park site (Site) is located at 604 Marine View Drive and
is currently undeveloped open space with trails providing public access. The
Site has multiple owners including the City of Bellingham (City) and Whatcom
County. The portion of the Site owned by Whatcom County has been leased to the
City for improvement and management as a park. Little Squalicum Creek runs
through the Site and is fed by springs and storm water runoff from adjacent
properties.
The Site is located next to both residential neighborhoods and heavy industrial
facilities including the Oeser Company, an active wood-treating facility. The
Oeser Company is a designated federal Superfund site and historic and on-going
contamination issues at this facility are currently being addressed by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (For more information about the status of
EPA’s activities at the Oeser Company Superfund site which is located adjacent
to the Little Squalicum Park site, contact
Mary Jane Nearman at 206-553-6642.
Environmental investigations of the surface water, ground water, soil and
sediments at the Little Squalicum Park site have confirmed the presence of
hazardous substances including pentachlorophenol, dioxin, copper, zinc and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (“PAH”) compounds. As a result, the Site is
subject to the investigation and cleanup requirements of the Washington State
Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). In March 2005, the Washington Department of
Ecology (Ecology) and the City signed an agreed order requiring the City to
complete an environmental study (called a remedial investigation/feasibility
study or RI/FS) of the Site.
In September 2005, Ecology and the City finalized Work Plans which provided an
overall description and schedule for completing an RI/FS at the Site. In
November 2005, field investigations began at the site. At that time, several new
areas of contamination were found and it was determined that more sampling and
testing would be necessary (in addition to the planned investigation). A
discussion of the additional work needed to characterize the nature and extent
of this contamination is presented in the November 2005 and January 2006 Work
Plan Addendums.
One area of contamination discovered in November 2005 includes petroleum related
substances in an exposed section of the creek bank. During certain water levels
these substances were found floating downstream in the form of an oily film on
the water surface. These substances pose a potential health risk if people or
pets come in direct contact with them. The City has installed signs at park
entrances and along the creek, warning people to stay out of the creek, stay off
its banks, and keep dogs and other pets from drinking or entering creek waters.
Ongoing sampling and analysis will occur in order to complete the RI/FS. This
work will provide information to specialists and the public about the type and
extent of environmental contamination discovered at the site, its potential
impacts on human health, and alternative cleanup technologies.
The City has been granted an extension of the schedule for delivery of the
Little Squalicum Park draft RI in order to fully characterize the nature and
extent of the additional contamination found on site. Under the extension,
delivery of the draft RI must occur no later than January 5, 2007. For more
information, please contact Mary O’Herron, Site Manager, at Ecology’s Bellingham
Field Office, 1204 Railroad Avenue, Ste. 200, Bellingham, 98225 or by email at
mohe461@ecy.wa.gov.
Site Documents
Related Information
Additional Resources
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SITE INFORMATION
Facility Site ID:
#7551533
Location:
Bellingham, Whatcom County
Contact:
Mary O'Herron, Site Manager
360/738-6246Shannon
Sullivan
Public Involvement Coordinator
360/738-6247
Status: Ranked, Awaiting Remedial Action
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