Dept. of Ecology seeking comment on petroleum cleanup site in Bothell

November 2, 2017 5:05 pm
Dept. of Ecology seeking comment on petroleum cleanup site in Bothell

In preparation to formally adopt a cleanup plan and related report and study by the City of Bothell for a cleanup the city completed earlier this year, the Washington State Department of Ecology is seeking public comment on the documents through Nov. 20.

Even though the city removed petroleum-contaminated soil at a property it acquired for its Downtown Revitalization Plan, the state’s cleanup law requires Ecology’s formal adoption of the plan. The city’s two-acre parcel lies within the realigned State Route 522 (Woodinville Drive) at Northeast 180th Street.

According to a press release, the city removed the soil at part of the site that once contained a gas station. The city also is pumping and treating groundwater contaminated by solvents under another part of the site.

Bothell signed a cleanup agreement with Ecology, called an agreed order, in 2009 that describes the cleanup process for the site, the release states. The city has received about $500,000 in Ecology grants to offset the cleanup costs. The funding, called Remedial Action Grants, helps local governments clean up contaminated sites for redevelopment.

People can comment on:

  • A remedial investigation that evaluated the contamination under both parts of the site.
  • A feasibility study for the petroleum contamination that recommended removal of the contaminated soil.
  • A cleanup action plan that provided details of the petroleum contaminated soil removal.
  • An updated public participation plan for keeping the community informed about the site’s cleanup process and progress.

A feasibility study and cleanup action plan for solvent-contaminated groundwater at the other portion of the site are under development. Ecology will seek public comment on them at a later date.

The documents and other information about the site, called Bothell Riverside, are available at:

  • Ecology’s website
  • Bothell Branch, King County Library System, 18215 98th Ave. N.E.
  • Bothell City Hall lobby, 18415 101st Ave. N.E.
  • Ecology’s Northwest Regional Office, 3190 160th Ave. S.E. in Bellevue, by appointment: (425) 649-7190 or sally.perkins@ecy.wa.gov