Swinomish
Office of Planning &
Community Development
LACONNER, WA, USA

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE & MANAGEMENT

Cleanup of Chemical Wastes at the PMNW Site on the Swinomish Reservation

The removal of refinery chemical wastes and contaminated soil from the PM Northwest, Inc. site, located at the north end of the Reservation, is currently underway. These wastes, which are mostly petroleum products and sludges, were placed in four disposal ponds by Shell and Texaco during the 1960's. When the ponds filled up in 1970, they were covered with several feet of dirt and the site was closed.

In 2001, after many years of hard work by the Tribe to get the site cleaned up, the EPA and the refineries and the Tribe signed an agreement to dig up the wastes and remove them from the Reservation. The first phase of the work was to remove not only the sludge, but also the surrounding soil that had become contaminated. According to Jeff Hegedus, an environmental engineer working for the Tribe, "Our goal is to get the area clean to the point where earth worms can live fine in it." During the summer 2001, about 40,000 tons of chemical wastes were excavated and shipped off site for proper disposal. In 2002, all remaining wastes that do not meet the cleanup standards will also be excavated and removed.

The second phase was completed in 2003, which was to further study the area to determine if any contaminants have migrated underground through the soil. Possibly due to the thick layer of clay under the site, there has not yet been any evidence of migration in any of the wells tested, or in the areas downstream of the site. Groundwater monitor wells have recently installed to sample and test groundwater below the site.

To celebrate this successful $5 million project, a Blessing of the Land Ceremony was held with Tribal members, EPA, Shell, ChevronTexaco and PM Northwest.

Anyone who would like to learn more about the cleanup, or who has any questions, may call the Planning Department at 466-7280.

Brian Cladoosby speaks at the clean up completion blessing of the land.

Aerial View after clean up.

Kevin Paul.