Everett Smelter Cleanup
Lowland Cleanup
Background
The Everett Smelter Cleanup site is divided into two cleanup areas, the
Upland Area and the Lowland Area. The Lowland Area is primarily an
industrial area. The Upland area is a mix of business and residential
areas but is mostly residential. Ecology is managing the Upland
and the Lowland cleanup areas separately although they are both funded
through the ASARCO settlement. For information about the Upland
Cleanup Area,
visit here. Cleanup of the Lowland Area Everett smelter-related
contamination is just beginning.
History
During the smelter operation the Lowland Area was an undeveloped flood
plain/tide flats area. In 1914 after the closure of the smelter
facility, Weyerhaeuser acquired most of the land within the Lowland
Area, and over the years constructed and operated a large wood products
manufacturing complex . Currently, the property in the Lowland Area has
approximately 50 different owners including the Port of Everett, BNSF
Railroad and Shadow Development LLC.
A good deal of environmental data has been collected related to the
Lowland Area due to decommissioning of Weyerhaeuser timber industry
operations between about 1914 and the 1990s. Contamination from the
timber operation has been and continues to be addressed on the three
former Weyerhaeuser properties: Weyerhaeuser Everett West, Weyerhaeuser
Everett East, and Weyerhaeuser-Mill E. The cleanup activities for
the Everett Smelter Site Cleanup will address only the contamination
from the smelter operation which is metals contamination, mainly arsenic
and lead.
Metals data from completed environmental studies is being summarized and
recommendations for additional data collection needs are being generated
for the Lowland Area.
Next Steps
Once enough data is collected to determine the full nature and extent of
contamination, we will begin looking at options for cleanup and
management of contamination above state cleanup levels. A
Feasibility Study will examine all possible cleanup alternatives.
Ecology will draft Cleanup Action Plans detailing the selected cleanup
activities for areas where cleanup is necessary. This process may
take several years. Ecology will invite public review and comment
on selected documents as part of the cleanup process.
Please
contact Sandra Matthews, Lowland Site manager at
Sandra.Matthews@ecy.wa.gov or 425-649-7206 if you have questions about this cleanup.
