Lower Duwamish
Waterway Site
Community
Involvement
Plan October 2002
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E C 0 L 0 C !f
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site
Seattle, Washington
October 2002
Community Involvement Plan
The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) have developed this community involvement plan to promote meaningful
community involvement during the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sediments
at the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site. This plan identifies community concerns
about the site and outlines opportunities for the community to become involved in activities
for the site.
Ecology and EPA based this plan on interviews that they and the Washington State
Department of Health had with individuals who live or work in the community, elected
officials who represent the community, and members of organizations that work with
the community. The plan also reflects comments the agencies have heard at meetings
with community organizations. Ecology and EPA may update this plan at any time and will
update it after the final cleanup plan for the site is selected. If you have questions or need
more information about this plan or the Lower Duwamish Waterway site, please contact
EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Cindy Colgate Schuster at (206) 553-1815 or
schuster.cindy@epa.gov.
This plan contains the following sections:
Site Description and Background 2
Investigation and Cleanup Activities 2
Community Members Tell Us What They Think 4
Community Members Tell Us How to Reach Them 5
Ecology and EPA Invite the Community to Get Involved 6
Flow Diagram: The Cleanup Process 9
Appendix: Community Involvement Activities to Date 10
More Information 11
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Site Description and Background
The Lower Duwamish Waterway site lies within
King County, in the city of Seattle and a small
portion of the city of Tukwila. The area close to
this site has a mix of residential, business and
heavy industrial use. The city of Seattle neigh-
borhoods of Georgetown and South Park are
adjacent to the site. Some of the people inter-
viewed for this plan described the community
as one of the most diverse in King County,
mostly lower income working class, with many
people who have been in the community for
generations. They note that the community
includes a large population of Hispanic and
Native Americans, as well as Asians, South
Pacific Islanders and Russian-speaking groups.
The community is described as an area sand-
wiched between two freeways, and it is noted
that people from outside the community come
to the area to use the river. Interviewees also
noted that the community is changing rapidly,
with buildings being torn down and new ones
being built.
The Lower Duwamish Waterway has served as
Seattle's major industrial corridor since it was
first created by a widening and straightening of
the Lower Duwamish River, completed in 1911.
The waterway is habitat to numerous fish and
other aquatic species. It is a migratory corridor
for several species of salmon, including the
Chinook. In March of 1999, the Chinook was
listed under the Endangered Species Act as
threatened.
In 1999, EPA completed an assessment of the
Lower Duwamish Waterway sediments. The as-
sessed area of the waterway is approximately six
miles in length, and extends from the southern
tip of Harbor Island to just south of the turning
basin near the Norfolk combined sewer overflow
(see map). Contaminants found in the waterway
include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), poly-
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mercury and other
metals, and phthalates. Sources of these contami-
nants include industrial releases, sewer system
outfalls, and urban runoff.
After concurrence by the Governor of Washing-
ton State and a comment period extended due
to public request, EPA added the Lower
Duwamish Waterway site to the Superfund list
on September 13, 2001. This is EPA's list of the
nation's most contaminated hazardous waste
sites that are targeted for investigation and
cleanup. In addition, on February 26, 2002,
Ecology added the waterway to its hazardous
sites list, which is Ecology's list of the state's
most contaminated hazardous waste sites that
are targeted for investigation and cleanup.
Investigation and Cleanup Activities
In 2000, Ecology and EPA signed a legal
agreement, called an administrative order on
consent, with King County, the City of Seattle,
the Port of Seattle and The Boeing Company.
Under the agreement, Ecology and EPA are
overseeing a remedial investigation/feasibility
study being conducted by the other four parties.
The investigation/study, which is divided into two
phases, will determine the nature and extent of
sediment contamination at the site and ongoing
sources of the contamination. Phase I includes
these activities: summarize results of previous
investigations; assess risks to human health and
the environment using existing data; propose
priority areas for early cleanup; and identify
gaps in existing investigation data. Phase II
continues the process: obtain further data to fill
gaps in the investigation; further assess risks to
human health and the environment; identify
cleanup alternatives; and propose a long-term
cleanup.
The investigation is part of the process that will
lead to cleanup of contaminated sediments at
the Lower Duwamish Waterway site. The
flowchart on page 9 of this plan shows investi-
gation and cleanup activities and associated
community involvement activities.
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Duwamish/Diagonal
Way Combined
Sewer Overflow
Storm Drain
I North Boundary of
v Initial Investigation
Area
The initial investigation area
extends from the southern
tip of Harbor Island to just
south of the turning basin,
near the Norfolk combined
sewer overflow.
City of Seattle
Lower Duwamish Waterway
Georgetown
[Boeing Plant
Norfolk Combined
Sewer Overflow
South Boundary of
Initial Investigation
Area
Cityofmikwila
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Community Members Tell Us What
They Think
Are you concerned about the Lower Duwamish
Waterway site? During twenty-five Duwamish
community interviews, most of the people
interviewed expressed concerns about the site;
those concerns are summarized below. A few
people did not have concerns about the site.
Ecology and EPA will work to respond to com-
munity concerns through the cleanup process
and through coordination with other organiza-
tions, such as state and local health agencies,
and the community advisory group that has
been established for the site.
& Health: One person interviewed was confi-
dent that health risks will be addressed, but
others are concerned that living close to the
Duwamish Waterway could affect their
health. People expressed concern about
consumption of all bottomfish and parts of
other fish, as well as contamination from
chemicals, bacteria and viruses. There is
concern about exposure to contaminated
sediments through contact at public access
parks, employment at industries on the
waterway, restoration work, and Superfund
or other cleanup work. Some said that there
should be limited access to the river if there is
a health risk.
& Wildlife: Not everyone interviewed believes
that wildlife is being affected by contamina-
tion, but most expressed concern for fish and
wildlife. Sea lions, salmon, bottomfish, crabs,
mussels, clams, opossums, squirrels, ducks
and other birds were mentioned, as well as
concern about the disappearance of herons
and for herons on Kellogg Island in the
Duwamish Waterway.
# Domestic animals: There is concern about
dogs eating garbage from the river and
horses being on a greenbelt above the river.
& River and groundwater contamination:
There is concern that the river is dying and
that it contains contaminants, including PCBs
and mercury. There is concern about the
effect of septic systems near the river; sewer
overflows; surface water runoff, including oil,
antifreeze and fertilizers; unreported spills
and illegal dumping; and pumping of waste
into the river or groundwater. There is con-
cern that permits for discharges to the river
are not being enforced or will be revised to
be less strict. There is concern that sources
of PCBs are not being addressed.
# Economics: Some people interviewed are
concerned about contamination lowering
property values. Others are concerned that
businesses will leave the area due to the
designation of the Lower Duwamish Water-
way as a Superfund site.
* Lawsuits: Some people mentioned concern
about potential Superfund lawsuits.
* Cleanup: Some people are concerned that
South Park and the businesses on the water
will be affected by cleanup activities, such as
increased truck or barge traffic and potential
accidents. Some people are concerned that,
if dredging is selected as a cleanup method, it
may be costly or may stir up contamination.
There are concerns about the costs of dam-
ages to natural resources and the possibility
that parties responsible for contamination
will do some early cleanup activities and
nothing more.
* Information: Several people expressed
concern about a lack of warning signs for
fishermen and recreational users and sug-
gested that such signs should be installed.
People are concerned about whether
adequate information reaches the Spanish-
speaking and other non-English-speaking
communities and whether the average per-
son and immigrants understand the risks.
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
The community also expressed concerns that
are outside the scope of the Lower Duwamish
Waterway Superfund site investigation and
cleanup.
* Health: A number of people expressed
concern about a variety of health issues:
insufficient health care in the area; high
incidence of asthma, cancer and heart dis-
ease; smoking; air pollution; and contamina-
tion from Canada geese droppings. There is
also concern that contractors for other con-
taminated sites on the Duwamish Waterway
are not being told that they are working on
contaminated sites.
* Habitat: One person stated concern about a
lack of eelgrass and some mentioned loss of
plants along the waterway.
* Buildings: There is concern about industries
and building construction too close to the
shoreline.
* Contaminated soils: There is concern that
past construction activities have exposed oily
soils and that there may be contaminated
soils in South Park.
* Endangered Species Act: Some people
expressed concern that Endangered Species
Act requirements will not be clear.
* Airport: There is concern about the number
of planes that fly over the neighborhood and
about expansion of a runway into the com-
munity.
* Image: While some people described the
Duwamish Waterway neighborhood as an
industrial area, others are concerned that it is
perceived as an industrial area or a dumping
ground.
Community Members Tell Us How to
Reach Them
Several people interviewed requested that the
state and federal governments take a unified
approach to providing information about all
of the activities occurring in the Duwamish
Waterway. Most of these people want to
receive fact sheets when there is an upcoming
action or an opportunity for input. Fact sheets
were requested in plain English that is easy to
understand. Translations into Spanish and
possibly other languages are a necessity.
Some people suggested posting information at,
or providing video and audio tapes to, existing
organizations. There was a suggestion that
Ecology and EPA work with the community
through the community advisory group for
the site.
Most people interviewed would like to receive
information on their computers-by web sites,
electronic fact sheets, or electronic messages.
However, people also mentioned that many
members of the community around the
Duwamish Waterway do not have computers.
Most people interviewed recommended that
Duwamish community meetings be held at least
twice a year. Suggested meetings included pub-
lic meetings, community advisory group meetings,
and EPA and Ecology participation in meetings
of businesses and other community organizations.
There was some interest in receiving informa-
tion through letters, mailings of documents,
flyers, newspaper advertisements, articles in
organization newsletters, telephone calls and
public service announcements. Some people
felt that radio and newspapers were ineffective
means of communicating information about the
waterway cleanup.
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Ecology and EPA Invite the
Community to Get Involved
Ecology and EPA will continue to use a variety
of activities to facilitate community involvement
in the planning, investigation and cleanup of
the Lower Duwamish Waterway site. An appen-
dix to this plan lists community involvement
activities to date.
Ecology and EPA recognize that there are ongoing
sediment cleanup activities at Boeing Plant 2 and
the Duwamish/Diagonal Way combined sewer
overflow. Ecology and EPA intend to coordinate
public information about these cleanups. For
example, the Lower Duwamish Waterway web site
announced a public meeting on the Duwamish/
Diagonal Way combined sewer overflow.
Ecology and EPA also intend to coordinate
additional public involvement activities required
under the federal Clean Water Act.
The following describes continuing and future
involvement opportunities planned by Ecology
and EPA. The flowchart on page 9 of this plan
shows when these activities will occur during
the investigation and cleanup process.
Read Our Fact Sheets
EPA and Ecology will continue to mail fact
sheets to persons and organizations interested
in the Lower Duwamish Waterway to inform
them of public meetings and comment opportu-
nities, important site activities, and progress on
the site cleanup.
Get on Our Mailing Lists
Ecology and EPA have compiled mailing lists
of persons and organizations believed to be
interested in the site for both English- and
Spanish-language mailings. Please contact
Cindy Colgate Schuster at (206) 553-1815 or
schuster.cindy@epa.gov if you would like to
have your address added to or deleted from
either of these mailing lists.
Visit Our Web Page
Ecology and EPA have developed a web
page for the Lower Duwamish Waterway
site. To access the web page, go to
http://www.epa.gov/rlOearth. select "Index,"
then the letter "L," and then "Lower Duwamish
Waterway Site." The web page is updated
frequently with meeting announcements, fact
sheets, legal and technical site documents,
newspaper articles and links to other related
web sites.
Contact the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition
A community advisory group, the Duwamish
River Cleanup Coalition, has formed to provide
independent technical oversight of site activities
and carry out independent public outreach
tasks related to the Lower Duwamish Waterway
site.
Opportunities available through the group
include attending or hosting community brief-
ings; participating in river tours, volunteer
cleanups, and planting/restoration projects;
receiving technical assistance in understanding
site documents; helping to review and comment
on site documents; and serving as a community
representative on the coalition board.
If you are interested in joining the coalition or
would like more information about it, please
contact the group's coordinator:
BJ Cummings
Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition
5410 First Avenue N.E.
Seattle, WA 98105
(206)227-3811
info@duwamishcleanup.org
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Attend Public Meetings about the Site
Ecology and EPA will offer public meetings for
actions expected to be of particular interest to
the community, including these:
& Draft phase I remedial investigation report/
early action site identification/identification
of data gaps
& Draft phase 11 remedial investigation/feasibil-
ity study report
# Proposed plan for the final cleanup
# Any major changes to the final cleanup plan
# Final engineering design for the final cleanup
These meetings will be held at locations conve-
nient to the community.
In addition, Ecology and EPA will continue
participating in meetings held by community
organizations. Please contact Cindy Colgate
Schuster at (206) 553-1815 or schuster.cindv
@epa.gov if you would like for us to meet with
your organization.
Comment During Public Comment Periods
Comment periods are the primary method
Ecology and EPA use to get feedback from the
public on proposed cleanup decisions. Comment
periods usually last thirty days and are required
at key points during the investigation and cleanup
process before final decisions are made.
During a comment period, the public can com-
ment in writing. Oral comments are taken if a
public hearing is held. After formal comment
periods, Ecology and EPA review all comments
received and may respond in a document called
a Responsiveness Summary.
EPA and Ecology will hold formal public com-
ment periods for these actions:
* Draft phase II remedial investigation/feasibil-
ity study report
* Proposed plan for the final cleanup
* Any major changes to the final cleanup plan
* Legal agreements that are handled by a court
* Deletion of the site from the Superfund list
The agencies may hold additional formal or
informal comment periods.
Read Site Documents at an Information
Repository
Information repositories are places where the
public may read and review site information,
including documents that are the subjects of
public comment periods.
Ecology and EPA have established three reposi-
tories for the Lower Duwamish Waterway site:
# South Park Community Center, 8319 Eighth
Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98101,
(206) 684-7451
# U.S. EPA Region 10 Records Center, 1200 Sixth
Avenue, ECL-076, Seattle, WA 98101, (206) 553-
4494. Please call for an appointment.
# Washington State Department of Ecology,
Northwest Regional Office, 3190 160th
Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA 98008, (425) 649-
7190. Please call for an appointment.
The EPA and Ecology repository staff, as well as
the contacts listed at the end of this plan, can
tell community members how to get copies of
site documents.
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Read the Site Register and Federal Register
Ecology's Toxics Cleanup Program uses its
bimonthly Site Register to announce all its public
meetings and comment periods, as well as many
other activities. To receive the Site Register,
contact Sherrie Minnick at (360) 407-7200 or
by email at shan461 @ecy.wa.gov. It is also
available on Ecology's web site at http://
www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/pub inv2.html.
EPA uses the Federal Register to announce the
proposed listing, final listing and deletion of
Superfund sites, as well as certain proposed
legal agreements for Superfund cleanups.
EPA will post Federal Register notices for the
Lower Duwamish Waterway on the web page
for the site. (See 'Visit Our Web Page" on page 6.)
Look for Our Newspaper Ads and Inserts
Ecology and EPA may place ads or inserts in
The Seattle Times or the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
to announce public comment periods and
public meetings or hearings for the Lower
Duwamish Waterway site. The agencies may
also place ads or inserts in newspapers that
serve Hispanic or other groups within the
Duwamish community.
Get Information for Non-English-speaking
Communities
Ecology and EPA recognize the need to commu-
nicate with the non-English-speaking people
affected by the Lower Duwamish Waterway site.
The agencies have provided Spanish transla-
tions of several site documents, offered Spanish
interpretation for public meetings, and attended
meetings of Hispanic community members.
Ecology and EPA are considering whether
additional targeted outreach is needed for
the site.
Hispanic Community Involvement Supplement
for the Lower Duwamish Waterway Site
This plan is available at the site
repositories and on the Lower Duwamish
Waterway web site. You may also
request a copy from one of these EPA
representatives:
Lilibeth Serrano
(206) 553-1388
serrano-velez.lilibeth@epa.gov
Cindy Colgate Schuster
(206) 553-1815
schuster.cindy@epa.gov
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Cleanup Process and Community Involvement Activities
for the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site
Phase I and Phase II
Remedial Investigation/
Feasibility Study (RI/FS)
Community
Involvement
Opportunities
December 2000
Administrative Order on Consent
• EPA and Ecology enter legal agreement with
King County, City of Seattle, Port of Seattle,
and The Boeing Company.
• These parties agree to work together to
identify problem areas and to plan how to
address the cleanup.
August - October 2000
Public Comment on
Administrative Order on Consent
> 75-day Public Comment Period
> Public Hearing
> Responsiveness Summary
December 2000
January 2001 - Winter 2002/2003
Phase I RI/FS
Summarize results of previous investigations
Assess risks to humans and the environment
Propose priority areas for early cleanup
Identify cleanup alternatives
Identify gaps in existing data
Spring 2002
Public Comment on Community
Involvement Plan
> 30-day Informal Public Comment Period
July - September 2002
Public Comment on
• Priority areas for early cleanup
• Phase I draft Rl report
• Identification of gaps in existing data
> 45-day Informal Public Comment Period
> Public Meeting
(Schedule to be Determined)
Phase II RI/FS
Obtain further data to fill "gaps"
Assess risks to humans and the environment
Identify cleanup alternatives
Propose long-term cleanup plan
(Schedule to be Determined)
Public Comment on
Phase II RI/FS Report and
Proposed Cleanup Plan
> Public Comment Period
> Public Hearing
> Responsiveness Summary
Ecology and EPA may hold additional public comment periods and meetings prior to the Phase II RI/FS.
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Appendix: Community Involvement
Activities to Date
Fact Sheets
EPA and Ecology have mailed the following:
• August 2000, fact sheet
• October 2000, post card announcement
• December 2000, fact sheets
• December 2000, fact sheet in English and
Spanish
• March 2001, post card announcement in
English and Spanish
• May 2002, fact sheet
• July 2002, fact sheet in Spanish
• July 2002, fact sheet in English and Spanish
Mailing Lists
To further develop the mailing lists, one of the
English language fact sheets mailed in December
2000 went to nearly 9,000 addresses near the
Lower Duwamish Waterway site, and the Span-
ish language fact sheet of December 2000 was
mailed to about two dozen cooperating organi-
zations for distribution. These mailings resulted
in the addition of 115 new names to the English
language mailing list and the inclusion of five
names on a new Spanish language mailing list.
The mailing lists are regularly updated.
Formal Public Comment Periods and
Responsiveness Summaries
Ecology and EPA held an extended public com-
ment period for the Lower Duwamish Waterway
site from August 2 to October 16, 2000. During
this time, the community had the opportunity to
comment on the draft Administrative Order
on Consent for the Remedial Investigation/
Feasibility Study, which is a legal agreement for
an investigation of the contamination at the site.
All public comments made during the public com-
ment period are presented and addressed in the
Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Responsiveness
Summary, dated December 13, 2000.
From December 1, 2000, through March 6, 2001,
EPA held an extended formal comment period on
the proposed listing of the Lower Duwamish
Waterway as a Superfund site. EPA then pre-
pared a responsiveness summary for the listing
comments.
Informal Review Opportunities
In addition to formal comment periods, EPA
and Ecology have held these informal review
opportunities for the site:
• July - August 2002, Draft Phase I Remedial
Investigation Report
• August 2002, Draft Candidate Early Action
Site Identification Memo
• August - September 2002, Draft Identification
of Data Gaps Report
Public Meetings and Hearings
EPA and Ecology have regularly attended com-
munity and advisory group meetings to present
information about the site investigation,
cleanup plans, source control and plans for
designating partiespotentially responsible for
cleanup activities.
The agencies have held three public meetings for
the Lower Duwamish Waterway site:
• August 16, 2000, Union Hall, 9135 15th Place
South, Seattle, agencies presented information
about the site and a proposed agreement for
an investigation of the contamination. The
meeting included an opportunity to make
formal comments.
• October 4, 2000, South Park Area Redevelop-
ment Committee Building, 8201 Tenth Av-
enue South, Seattle. The Duwamish River
Cleanup Coalition hosted the meeting.
• August 6, 2002, South Park Community Cen-
ter, 8319 Eighth Avenue South, Seattle, agen-
cies presented information on draft remedial
investigation reports and answered questions.
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Lower Duwamish Waterway Site Community Involvement Plan
October 2002
Site Register and Federal Register
Ecology and EPA announced public comment peri-
ods and other activities in Ecology's Site Register and
the federal government's Federal Register. The reg-
isters have printed these announcements for the site:
• August 2000, Site Register, public comment
period for the draft administrative order for the
remedial investigation/feasibility study
• December 1, 2000, Federal Register, proposal of
the site to the Superfund list
• September 13, 2001, Federal Register, final listing
of the site on the Superfund list
• May 28, 2002 and June 11, 2002, Site Register,
public comment period on the draft Community
Involvement Plan and the draft Hispanic Com-
munity Involvement Plan
• July 23, 2002, Site Register, public meeting on
draft Phase I remedial investigation report.
Newspaper Ads and Inserts
EPA and Ecology have placed the following ads
and inserts for the site to date:
• July 31, 2000, The Seattle Times ad announcing
public comment period and meeting on
proposed administrative order on consent
• August 14, 2000, second The Seattle Times ad an-
nouncing public comment period and meeting on
proposed administrative order on consent
• August 2000, The Seattle Times flyer announcing
public comment period and meeting on pro-
posed administrative order on consent
• August 22, 2000, The Seattle Times ad
announcing extension of public comment
period and second public meeting on adminis-
trative order on consent
• January 2001, The Seattle Times ad announcing
availability of EPA technical assistance grant for
the site
• May 29, 2002, The Seattle Times ad announcing
public comment period on draft Community
Involvement Plan and draft Hispanic Commu-
nity Involvement Plan.
Ecology and EPA Grants
In May 1999, because no grants were then
available, Ecology provided a contractor to
assist the community advisory group for the
Lower Duwamish Waterway site. Subse-
quently, two of the organizations represented
in the group, now named the Duwamish
River Cleanup Coalition, have received grants
for outreach work on the site. Specifically, in
September 2001, Ecology awarded People for
Puget Sound a $60,000 public participation
grant to conduct outreach related to the site.
In August 2001, EPA awarded Waste Action
Project a $50,000 technical assistance grant
that is being used mainly to fund a technical
advisor to interpret technical information
about the site for the community.
More Information
If you have questions or need more infor-
mation about this plan or the Lower
Duwamish Waterway site, please contact
one of the following persons:
Cindy Colgate Schuster,
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-1815
schuster.cindy@epa.gov
Rick Huey, Project Manager
Washington State Department of Ecology
Northwest Regional Office
3190 160th Avenue S.E., Bellevue, WA
98008-5452
(425) 649-7256
rhue461 @ecy. wa.gov
Allison Hiltner, Project Manager
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-2140
hiltner.allison@epa.gov
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