&EFK
April 1998
Superfund Fact Sheet
Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Site
Bainbridge island, Washington
Many significant developments have taken place recently associated with the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor
Superfund Site. This fact sheet is designed to update you on those developments, discuss
implications for site cleanup, and take a look back on accomplishments for 1997. We invite your
questions and comments. Please feel free to contact anyone listed on the last page.
The Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor site is divided, for program purposes, into four work areas called "operable
units." The four areas are: West Harbor Operable Unit, East Harbor Operable Unit, Wyckoff Soil
Operable Unit, and Wyckoff Groundwater Operable Unit.
Alaska
Region 10 Idaho
1200 Sixth Avenue Oregon
Seattle WA 98101 Washington
Locations of Operable Units at Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund Site
Site Background: The former Wyckoff wood-treating facility, located at the mouth of Eagle Harbor on
Bainbridge Island, forms part of the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund site. The facility operated as a wood-
treating operation from 1903 until 1988. As a result of these operations, surface and subsurface soils at the
facility, and groundwater beneath the facility, have been severely contaminated with creosote and
pentachlorophenol. Bottom sediments in much of Eagle Harbor are contaminated with chemicals from wood-
treating and shipyard operations. These sediments are toxic to marine organisms. A public health advisory is in
effect recommending against eating fish and shellfish harvested from the Harbor.
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EPA Delays Cleanup
Selection
Possible New Groundwater Remedy
Under Evaluation
Because choosing the best cleanup strategy
is top priority, EPA recently halted the
remedy selection process for Wyckoff
groundwater to evaluate a possible new
cleanup technology. The objective of this
evaluation is to decide whether this new
technology can replace the cleanup remedy
previously proposed for the site. The
previously identified remedy involves
replacing the existing groundwater treatment
system and constructing a "slurry" wall
below the ground surface around the site's
perimeter to contain contamination. EPA
collected public comments on that proposed
cleanup remedy last December.
With participation from the Washington
Department of Ecology, EPA is now
considering the potential application of
Thermal Treatment Technologies at the
Wyckoff site. One thermal technology under
consideration, Steam Injection, involves
pumping steam underground to heat and
mobilize the creosote and drive it to
extraction wells. This technology would also
involve extraction of vapor above the
groundwater surface. Once extracted, the
groundwater and vapor would be treated
and the creosote disposed or reused.
Another technology, Electrical Resistance
Heating, involves passing an electrical
current through the soil to produce heat and
steam. This process mobilizes and
vaporizes the contaminants, which are then
recovered by vacuum extraction.
With Thermal Treatment Technologies,
containment of groundwater would still be
necessary to avoid creosote release to the
harbor. As part of the evaluation, EPA is re-
evaluating alternatives to the slurry wall to
determine whether a different and less
costly barrier or control system could
contain contamination on the site during
groundwater cleanup.
Evaluation of the new technology will include
consideration of its cost and its ability to
achieve long-term effectiveness and
permanence without jeapordizing overall
protection of human health and the
environment. A decision on the
groundwater cleanup remedy is expected
this summer. If the current selected remedy
goes forward, then a Record of Decision, or
ROD—the official report describing the
chosen cleanup method and how it was
selected—can be expected by about
December 1998. If the new Thermal
Treatment Technologies remedy is selected,
then EPA will reissue a Proposed Plan for
public comment this fall, with a final ROD
targeted for early next year.
Work on the Wyckoff Soil Operable Unit is
also on hold because the soils cleanup
remedy may be modified if Thermal
Treatment Technology is employed at the
site. Additionally, the investigation to
determine if further contamination exists on
the hillside portion of the property cannot
proceed until a Record of Decision is final.
National Board to Review Wyckoff
Cleanup Strategy
On July 20-23, EPA Region 10 staff will
appear before the National Remedy Review
Board, a team of EPA experts from around
the country, to discuss cleanup strategies for
the Wyckoff Groundwater Operable Unit,
The Board reviews all proposed Superfund
cleanup decisions which involve a remedy
that costs more than $30 million, to make
sure those decisions meet regulations and
guidance. The groundwater cleanup
strategy for the Wyckoff site is expected to
cost more than $30 million—whether the
remedy is a replacement treatment plant
and a slurry wall surrounding the site, or
thermal technology with an alternative
containment barrier—so Board review is
required. The Board will make
recommendations during the review
meeting. EPA's groundwater cleanup
decision will occur after the Board review.
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Progress Report and 1997
Year in Review
Following is a status report and brief look back
at accomplishments over the past year for each
operable unit.
West Harbor Operable Unit
1997 was a big year for the portion of the site
which includes the Washington State Ferries
maintenance terminal and adjacent sediments
in Eagle Harbor. Between April and October
1997, PACCAR Inc. led the cleanup of the
former shipyard under EPA oversight. The work
included removal of underground oil tanks and
construction of hydraulic controls to keep water
from passing through a former landfill into Eagle
Harbor. In addition, PACCAR cleaned up
sediments which had been contaminated by
heavy metals from boat bottom paints. The
most contaminated sediments were placed
inside a containment facility adjacent to the
land, which has increased the ferry
maintenance facility property by an acre.
Washington State Ferries is currently using the
property, now paved, for parking, but has
committed to setting aside one acre of the
property for use by a private water-dependent
operation, such as a boatyard.
The Washington State Department of
Transportation (WSDOT) completed the
construction of the Shel-chelb estuary on South
Bainbridge Island to mitigate for the loss of
aquatic habitat as a result of the containment
facility. Additional mitigation work is planned for
1998, including the planting of eelgrass near the
ferry maintenance facility. WSDOT is also
responsible for the monitoring and maintenance
of the completed cleanup, and has installed a
groundwater monitoring well at the facility.
Sampling will be conducted quarterly during
1998.
East Harbor Operable Unit
After a summer of reviewing the sediment cap
data from the spring sampling, 1997 ended with
headlines about the creosote which EPA divers
found pooled on the harbor bottom next to the
large dock at the Wyckoff facility. Although EPA
was aware of heavy sediment contamination
and pockets of creosote in this area, the pooled
creosote was unexpected. EPA was concerned
that the material might move away from shore
and recontaminate clean areas. EPA contained
the material with a physical barrier—a plastic
"fence" on the harbor bottom—and conducted
test pumping to determine if the material can be
readily removed. EPA is planning additional
removal of the creosote in 1998.
Sediment cap sampling from 1997 showed that
the cap continues to work and that a community
of marine organisms is developing. EPA is
planning additional sampling to determine if
contaminated sediments which were not capped
in 1994 have recovered over time. Some
additional capping is anticipated after a
groundwater remedy is in place, particularly in
areas closer to the Wyckoff Facility.
1998 will see the demolition of the West Dock.
This large dock is the last in-water structure to
be removed. The dock is no longer sound and
is unlikely to be of use to future occupants of
the site. The benefits of removing the dock
include removal of a safety hazard, opening of
the under-pier area to sunlight for faster
breakdown of contaminants in the beach area,
and removing a source of creosoted wood
fragments.
In addition, EPA expects to propose anchoring
restrictions in capped areas in eastern Eagle
Harbor through the federal rulemaking process.
This effort, combined with plans for the City of
Bainbridge to lease the harbor from the State, is
intended to make protection of the cap easier.
Details regarding public comment opportunities
will be provided soon.
Wyckoff Soil and Groundwater Operable
Units
1997 marked the completion of the Remedial
Investigation and Feasibility Study for the
Wyckoff Soil and Ground Water Operable Units.
The Remedial Investigation, or Rl, focused on
assessing the nature and extent of
contamination at the site and the associated
health and environmental risks. The Feasibility
Study, or FS, evaluated the range of cleanup
alternatives, and included an analysis of
technologies and costs. These studies
contributed to the development of a Proposed
Plan, also completed in 1997. The Proposed
Plan presented the preferred cleanup
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alternatives for both the soil and groundwater
operable units (see box below). Public
comments on the plan were accepted through
December 20, 1997.
A Record of Decision (ROD) is the next
milestone in the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor project.
The ROD is the official report documenting
background information on the site and
describing the chosen cleanup method and how
it was selected. It will also include a summary
of public comments and EPA's responses to
those comments. As discussed earlier in this
fact sheet, the ROD is currently on hold due to
evaluation of a possible new groundwater
remedy and an upcoming review of the
groundwater cleanup strategy by the EPA
National Remedy Review Board. EPA expects
to make a decision by July 1998 whether to
proceed with the current selected remedy
("pump and treat" with a slurry wall) or whether
to pursue the new Thermal Treatment
Technologies. If the current selected remedy
goes forward, then a ROD can be expected by
about December 1998. If the new Thermal
Treatment Technologies remedy is selected,
then EPA will reissue a Proposed Plan for public
comment this fall, with a final ROD targeted for
early next year.
Also in 1997, building demolition work was
completed at the Wyckoff site. All structures
unrelated to the groundwater extraction system
and treatment plant have been demolished and
removed, except for concrete foundations.
The current on-site groundwater treatment plant
and extraction system continued its seventh
year of operations in 1997. Over the course of
the year, 39.5 million gallons of contaminated
groundwater were extracted from the site and
treated before being discharged to the harbor.
Over 10,000 gallons of creosote product were
recovered. To date, a cumulative total of 240
million gallons of contaminated groundwater
have been extracted and treated, and nearly
62,000 gallons of creosote product have been
recovered.
Design of a new, more efficient on-site
treatment plant progressed last year. The
replacement treatment system would consist of
physical separation of oil and water, activated
sludge for biological treatment, and carbon
polishing as a final step. The plant, designed to
treat up to 80 gallons per minute, would help
maintain groundwater at a level that could be
contained within the confines of the slurry wall.
This plant design will be modified if Thermal
Treatment Technologies is selected.
Progress associated with the slurry wall also
continued. An investigation to determine the
appropriate location of the wall to capture the
creosote in soils and groundwater under the
Wyckoff site was completed last August. In
October, a preliminary Clean Water Act
404(b)(1) Alternatives Analysis was completed
and submitted to resource agencies for review.
In this analysis, EPA evaluated options for
minimizing any harm to the marine environment
that might be associated with the wall. In
December, a determination was made that part
of the wall would need to be constructed in an
area currently under water, just north of the
facility. To support the wall, a portion of the
former lografting area would need to be filled.
Proposed Plan Identified Preferred
Cleanup Remedies
The Proposed Pian completed last year
lays out preferred cleanup alternatives
for the groundwater and soil operable
units. The remedy for the
groundwater unit involves replacement
of the groundwater treatment plant and
construction of a slurry wall below the
ground surface around the site's
perimeter. The wall would act as a
barrier to prevent contaminants from
seeping from the site into the harbor.
Also, groundwater monitoring would be
conducted outside the wall to confirm
that contaminants will not cause risks to
human health and the environment and
to determine whether future action is
needed. As noted above, further
evaluation of the groundwater cleanup
remedy is underway due to the
possibility of a new technology.
The preferred alternative for the soil
operable unit includes placing a "cap"
on the soil of the former log storage/
peeler area, as well as the former
process area. Additionally, it involves
removing contaminated soil from the
"Weil CW01" area, and replacing it with
clean fill. Soils on the hillside portion of
the Wyckoff property would be
analyzed to identify any additional
contamination.
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EPA Staff Changes In The Works
After more than ten years as a Project
Manager for the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Site,
Elly Hale is moving on to other projects at
EPA. Peter Rubenstein will take over her
responsibilities associated with the West
Harbor and East Harbor Operable Units.
Elly will be working closely with Peter during
the transition period and assures us that she
will continue to be available to share her
historical knowledge of the site. Thank you,
Elly, for all your good work over the years!
Nancy Wilson, EPA's Community Relations
Coordinator for the site, is also transitioning
to other projects at EPA. Thanks for your
contributions and good luck with your new
projects, Nancy! Andrea Lindsay, the new
Community Relations Coordinator, is very
excited about joining the EPA Wyckoff
Team.
For more information...
Contact:
Peter Rubenstein, EPA Project Manager (Soil,
West and East Harbor), 206/553-1067
Christina Ngo, EPA Project Manager
(Groundwater), 206/553-0171
Andrea Lindsay, EPA Community Involvement
Coordinator, 206/553-1896
Toil-Free Telephone Number:
1-800-424-4372
Those with impaired hearing or speech can contact
EPA's telecommunications device for the hearing
impaired (TDD) * at 206/553-1215.
EPA Region 10 Internet Homepage:
http://www.epa.gov/r1 Oearth/
Wyckoff /Eagle Harbor Homepage:
http://epainotes1.rtpnc.epa.gov.7777/r10/
cleanup nsf./webpage/wyckoff-Eagle+Harbor
Documents: The Administrative Record is a file
that contains all information used by EPA to
make decisions on cleanup actions from the
beginning of the site's history. The
Administrative Record can be reviewed at the
EPA Records Center, 7th Floor, 1200 Sixth
Avenue, Seattle. Call 206/553-4494 to make an
appointment. Select documents can also be
viewed at the Information Repository located at
the Bainbridge Island Public Library, 1270
Madison Avenue North. If the library does not
have the document you seek, feel free to call
Andrea Lindsay at 206/553-1896.
*Additional services can be made available
to persons with disabilities by contacting one
of the EPA staff listed on this page or call
toll-free 1-800-424-4372.
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SEFft
United States Region 10 (ECO-081)
Environmental Protection 1200 Sixth Avenue
Agency Seattle WA 98101
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
U S EPA
Permit No. G-35
SUPERFUND FACT SHEET
WYCKOFF/EAGLE HARBOR SITE
Bainbridge Island, Washington
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