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East Waterway  

A PUGET SOUND INITIATIVE site – Reaching the goal of a healthy, sustainable Puget Sound now and forever

SITE BACKGROUND

Importance: The East Waterway, which is located in an industrial area along Everett’s waterfront, was transformed into a deepwater port by dredging and filling in the early part of the last century and has provided shipping and processing facilities for timber, pulp and alumina.  This East Waterway is primarily used for the U.S. Navy base and port-related deep water shipping operations. The East Waterway is also used by Kimberly Clark for barging of wood chips and hog fuel.  A number of active and historic sources of contamination, including industrial and municipal discharges, have contributed to sediment contamination in the East Waterway.  Many areas of the East Waterway have been used for log rafting, so high levels of organic carbon and wood debris has often been found in the sediment.  Cleanup of this site will protect the environment and improve habitat for marine animals.

Status:  During Ecology’s 2008 baywide sediment study within Port Gardner Bay, sediments within portions of the East Waterway were sampled to confirm contamination that has been documented in previous studies. The purpose of the baywide study is to characterize sediment concerns throughout Port Gardner and to inform the prioritization of cleanup and restoration actions under the Puget Sound Initiative. Ecology and PLPs identified for the East Waterway will work toward entering cleanup agreements to address contamination in the East Waterway.

Related Information

• Watershed Information (WRIA 7)

Additional Resources

• Acronyms used by the Toxic Cleanup Program
• Cleanup Process: Major Steps & Definitions
• Data Submittal Requirements for All Cleanup Sites
• Facility/Site Atlas
• Toxics Cleanup publications