United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 Jorgensen Forge Comment on Proposed Cleanup Seattle, WA What is Jorgensen Forge? The Jorgensen Forge facility is scheduled for cleanup as part of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund cleanup. The site is located at 8531 East Marginal Way South in Tukwila, Washington. When the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW) became a Superfund site, several "hot spot" areas of sediment contamination were found that could be cleaned up before the larger Superfund cleanup to address risks to human health and the environment. Jorgensen Forge is one of five hot spots identified. Three other hot spot cleanups are located nearby: Slip 4 and Boeing Plant 2 to the North of Jorgensen, and Terminal 117 across the Waterway. For more information on hot spot cleanups, please visit http://yosemite.epa.gov/rlO/cleanup.nsf/sites/lduwamish Originally developed in 1942 by the Navy to produce naval equipment, the property has had a variety of owners over the last seven decades. June 2011 Currently the facility is owned and operated by the Jorgensen Forge Corporation and is used as a steel and aluminum forge that produces custom steel and aluminum parts for various industrial clients. Jorgensen Forge Corporation will conduct the cleanup with EPA oversight. Legacy contaminates of concern at the facility include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, and semi-volatile organic compounds (contained in the footprint of the PCBs) found in sediments and on the shoreline adjacent to the Facility. What are the cleanup options? EPA's Draft Final Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) describes the cleanup options evaluated for the sediments and shoreline soils along 1.6 acres adjacent to Jorgensen Forge. EPA looked at four cleanup options in the EE/CA, including a "no action" alternative (Alternative 1). With the exception of the "no action" alternative, all of the cleanup options will reduce contamination and make the Duwamish Waterway safer for people and animals. --\ Boeing Plant 2 Boeing Isaacson East Marginal Way ------- What Are the Cleanup Options? Cleanup Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 propose varying degrees of sediment dredging and capping, while Alternative 4 proposes complete removal of all contaminated sediments from the site followed by backfill of clean material. Of the four cleanup alternatives evaluated, EPA proposes complete removal of all contaminated sediments from the site followed by backfill of clean material (Alternative 4). The results of dredging are most certain because you know the contamination is gone. Continued Long term monitoring and reporting of the site will also be required to measure short and long term effectiveness of the cleanup. Possible recontamina- tion of the site will be addressed under the Lower Duwamish - wide Superfund cleanup. Efforts are underway to reduce contamination from entering the waterway. Public comments will be accepted on the Draft Final EE/CA. EPA will then respond to comments and this document will become the Final Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis. Cleanup Alternative 4: Dredge and Backfill EPA prefers Alternative 4 which will: • Remove all sediment that does not meet the state standard • Replace contaminated sediment with 16,200 cubic yards o f clean backfill material • Dispose dredged material in an off-site landfill • Support the installation or construction of facilities, staging areas,drainage and erosion controls, and effective decontamination facilities prior to cleanup • Ensure stormwater,groundwater,and construction monitoring during and after removal The biggest health risk from Lower Duwamish Waterway sediments is for people, such as Tribal fishers, who eat the fish, shellfish, and crabs that live in the Duwamish all year. The fish, shellfish, and crabs are not safe to eat because they collect contaminants from the sediment in their bodies. Tribal fishers are also likely to come into contact with the contaminated sediments while fishing. Salmon do not spend much time in the Duwamish, and are safer to eat. The Washington State De- partment of Health has issued a fish consumption advisory for the Lower Duwamish Waterway. Further fish consumption advisories, public educa- tion programs, and/or limitations with respect to the Jorgensen Forge site will be re-evaluated in the Duwamish-wide remedial decision making process (Learn more at www.doh.wa.gov). The proposed cleanup alternatives will reduce human health risks associated with the consumption of resident Lower Duwamish fish and shellfish and from direct contact with the sediments and soils around the Jorgensen Forge facility. The proposed actions would also reduce risk to crabs, fish, birds, and mammals that come into contact with sediments and soils around the facility. Note: The Boeing Plant 2 facility, located to the North of Jorgensen Forge, is under an EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) order to investigate and study the cleanup options for the sediments and shorelines of Plant 2. Because the sediment contamination at Jorgensen Forge and Plant 2 are mixed in some areas, the Jorgensen and Boeing Orders require coordination to dean up the sediments in the Transition Zone between them. EPA has already received public comments for the proposed Boeing Plant 2 cleanup plan. ------- Comparing the Cleanup Options Protects the health of people and the environment Achieves the cleanup levels Complies with federal and state standards Reduces the toxicity, movement, or amount of contamination Effective in the long-term and permanent Sediment removed (cubic yards) Cost (Millions) Alternative 4: Dredge and Backfill 0 0 0 Alt 4 is more effective at reducing toxicity, movement, and amount of contamination than Alt 2 and Alt3 Alt 4 is more permanent, reliable, and certain than Alt 2 and Alt 3 21,000 7.090 Alternatives 2 and 3: Dredge and Cap 0 0 0 Alt 2 and Alt 3 are less effective at reducing toxicity, movement, and amount of contamination than Alt 4 Alt 2 and Alt 3 are less permanent, reliable, or certain than Alt 4 because caps will require long-term monitoring and maintenance Alt 2: 15,900 Alt 3: 16,800 Alt 2: 6.45 Alt 3 6.590 Comment on the Jorgensen Forge Sediment Cleanup by Thursday, June 30, 2011 Read the cleanup plan at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/rlO/cleanup.nsf/sites/Jorgensen South Park Library (8604 8th Avenue South) EPA Region 10 Library (1200 6th Avenue) Come to the public meeting: Thursday, June 16,2011 South Seattle Community College 6737 Corson Avenue S Seattle, WA 98108 © Open House: 6:00 p.m. © Presentation: 7:00 p.m. © Public Comments: 8:00 p.m. Interpretation espanol estara disponible Send your comment to EPA by June 30 ^S Email: blocker.shawn@epa.gov 0D Mail: Shawn Blocker U.S. EPA, Region 10 1200 6th Avenue, Suite 900, AWT-121 Seattle, Washington 98101 Questions? Contact Kendra Tyler, EPA community involvement coordinator at 8 (206) 553-0041 or by e-mail at ^S tyler.kendra@epa.gov TTY users please call 800-877-8339 Si desea hablar con alguien que habla espanol, llame a Michael Ortiz, EPA, (206) 553-6234 for More Information Visit the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/rlO/cleanup.nsl7sites/ Iduwamish Contact the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, the Superfund community advisory group, to find out how you can help 8 (206) 954-0218 or ^S visit www.duwamishcleanup.org Printed on 100% recycled paper ------- &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900, ETPA-081 Seattle, Washington 98101-3140 June 2011 Pre-Sorted Standard Postage and Fees Paid U.S. EPA Permit No. G-35 Seattle, WA Comment on Proposed Cleanup Read inside to learn how to comment on proposedJorgensen Forge cleanup Public Meeting June 16 ------- |