LEGAL NOTICE
Soil Removal Interim Action and a SEPA Determination of Non-Significance
EPHRATA LANDFILL SITE
Soil Removal Interim Action
and a
SEPA Determination of Non-Significance
Public Comment Period:
October 23, 2012 through November 22, 2012.
The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) invites you to comment on draft documents about removal of contaminated soil at the Ephrata Landfill. Documents include an amendment to a 2007 Agreed Order (AO), an Interim Remedial Action Plan (IRAP), and a Determination of Non- Significance.
The site currently covers 125 acres and includes an active landfill. Operations at the landfill site began in about 1942 and the facility continues to receive municipal and industrial solid waste. Several chemicals are found in groundwater in aquifers that lie under and extend beyond the landfill. Chemicals include organic compounds, metals, petroleum products, and others. The concentration of some of these chemicals exceeds the state groundwater standards. A detailed list of the chemicals is available at the facility website at the internet address below.
Ecology determined that Grant County and the City of Ephrata are potentially liable persons (PLPs) for the site. In 2007, an AO was signed between the PLPs and Ecology to initiate a Remedial Investigation (RI) to evaluate the nature and extent of contamination and to complete a Feasibility Study (FS) to examine cleanup options. The draft RI was completed in 2010 and amended in August 2012. The draft FS was completed in August 2012. The AO also included interim actions to reduce the immediate threat of additional spreading of the contamination. The interim actions included the removal of 2300 buried industrial waste drums (2008), capping the original landfill (2008), and extraction of contaminated groundwater (2008 through 2011). During the RI, a small area of contaminated soil was discovered in the northwest portion of the landfill in addition to the contaminated groundwater.
A Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) will be developed by Ecology and the PLPs will continue cleanup activities under a new legal agreement. Implementation of the CAP is planned for 2013. The PLPs decided to remove some of the contaminated soil as soon as possible to facilitate other landfill activities, so the soil removal will proceed as an additional interim action under the AO.
The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requires government agencies to consider potential impacts of a project before the project is implemented. After review of an environmental checklist and other site-specific information, Ecology determined the removal of the contaminated soil will not have a probable adverse impact on the environment. This action will benefit the environment by reducing the release of toxic chemicals from the site. Therefore, Ecology issued a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS).
You may review the Agreed Order Amendment, Interim Remedial Action Plan, and
SEPA Documents at the following locations:
• Ephrata City Library, 45 Alder Street N.W., Ephrata, WA 98823
• Department of Ecology, 4601 N. Monroe Street, Spokane, WA 99105.
• Ecology’s website for the Ephrata Landfill at the following internet address:
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/Sitepage.aspx?csid=1692
Comments and questions may be submitted to Cole H. Carter, Site Manager, at the
Ecology address listed above or at (509) 329-3609 or e-mail cole.carter@ecy.wa.gov.
Para asistencia en Español
Richelle Perez
Phone: (360) 407-7528
For Assistance in Russian
Larissa Braaten
Phone: (509) 710-7552
#10075/2680375
Pub.: October 22, 2012