OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is asking for public feedback on a newly released draft engineering design report for the Irondale Iron and Steel site cleanup in Jefferson County.
The comment period is July 20 to Aug. 19, 2011, and cleanup at the site could begin soon after.
The site is contaminated with metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons from the now-defunct smelter’s operations from 1881 to 1919. Jefferson County purchased the site in 2001 and developed it into the Irondale Beach Park. A park visitor notified Ecology in 2005 about an oily residue on the beach, and Ecology has led the cleanup investigation efforts since then.
The draft engineering design report describes the specifics of how the historic contamination will be cleaned up and property restored. The report calls for:
- Removal of contaminated soils and sediment
- Installation of a geotextile and soil cap to prevent public exposure to the contaminated soil that will remain on site
- Removal of slag from the beach
- Beach restoration
Ecology will restore the shoreline between the old plant and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Chimacum Creek restoration site. This will provide long-term benefits for salmon, other fish and birds that use the habitat provided by Irondale Beach Park.
“I’m pleased that we could bring cleanup and restoration together for the Irondale site,” said Rebecca Lawson, Ecology’s regional manager for the Toxics Cleanup Program. “Other groups have been doing significant restoration and historic preservation work nearby. We want our work to complement their efforts and ensure the park is a clean, safe and valuable community asset.”
The draft report is available locally at the Jefferson County Library in Port Hadlock and Jefferson County Public Works office in Port Townsend. It’s also available on Ecology’s website.
The public can send comments on the draft report through Aug. 19, 2011 to:
Steve Teel
Washington Dept. of Ecology
PO Box 47775
Olympia, WA 98504-7775
Ecology will respond to comments in a “responsiveness summary.” Cleanup work is slated to begin in the August-September time frame, and the engineering plans could be revised based on information received during this comment period.
Ecology’s work on this site is funded by the Puget Sound Initiative and funding from the Legislature targeted at cleanups at sites within one-quarter mile of Puget Sound shorelines. Gov. Chris Gregoire started the initiative to help restore and maintain a healthy Sound by 2020.
Work will be done to minimize impacts to fish and is expected to go until February 2012. Many areas of the park will be closed during the cleanup work.
Media Contact
Kim Schmanke
+1 360 407 6239
kim.schmanke@ecy.wa.gov
For more information: Irondale cleanup site, https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/Sitepage.aspx?csid=4484
