The Department of Ecology (Ecology) seeks public comment on an agreed order with the city of Bothell outlining plans to investigate and clean up soil and groundwater contamination at a property acquired by the city for its Bothell Crossroads SR 522 Realignment project.

A public comment period on the agreed order and public participation plan will open April 4 through May 4. Comments may be sent to Jerome Cruz, Site Manager, Dept. of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue WA 98008 or jerome,cruz@ecy.wa.gov. For more information and background on this proposal, see Ecology’s fact sheet.

The site, formerly a Hertz rental office, also known as AA Rentals, is generally located at 18030 Bothell Way N.E.

The property, purchased by Bothell in 2009, has housed various businesses, including automobile repair and dealerships, fueling and equipment rental, storage and repair. Underground fuel storage tanks were removed in 1993. Preliminary studies at that time and in 2008 and 2010 detected contamination from petroleum products, arsenic, vinyl chloride and volatile solvents in soil and groundwater.

In the summer of 2010, Bothell conducted an interim cleanup that removed 12,000 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil.

Under the agreed order — a legal agreement under Washington’s cleanup law — the city will prepare a detailed investigation of contamination at the site and a feasibility study of cleanup options, leading to a proposed draft cleanup plan. Ecology will present each of these studies and plans to the public for review and comment.