Reuse and the Benefit to Community FMC Corp Yakima Pit Superfund Site Executive Summary


o-EPA

www.epa.gov

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Reuse and the Benefit to Community
FMC Corp. (Yakima Pit) Superfund Site

Executive Summary

The 4-acre FMC Corp. (Yakima Pit) Superfund site in Yakima, Washington, was once home to a pesticide-making
facility. Collaboration and cooperation among EPA, the Washington State Department of Ecology, FMC
Corporation (FMC) and later site owners led to the successful cleanup, redevelopment and reuse of the site.
Today, a home-and-garden business and a recreational vehicle (RV) repair facility occupy the area. This case
study explores the site's cleanup and reuse, illustrating the positive impacts of Superfund redevelopment in
action.

Positive Impacts

•	There are two businesses on site. They employ about 14 people and provide an estimated
$540,000 in annual income to the local community.

•	On-site businesses generate over $1.2 million in annual sales.

•	The estimated value of on-site properties is over $1.5 million.

•	In 2013, site properties generated over $20,000 in property tax revenues.

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FMC Corp. (Yakima)

Superfund Site ^

Yakima

Yakima,
Washington

Figure 1: The site's location in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington

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Introduction

The successful cleanup of a
Superfurid site can result in
restored value to the site and
surrounding communities. Once a
site property is ready for reuse, it
can revitalize a local economy
with jobs, new businesses, tax
revenues and local spending. This
case study captures the on-site
and some community impacts of
redevelopment at the FMC Corp.
(Yakima Pit) Superfund site.

The site is located at 4 West
Washington Avenue in Yakima,
Washington. It includes four
property parcels. The site is about
one mile east of Yakima
Municipal Airport and one mile
west of Interstate 82. Mostly
industrial land uses surround the
site to the north, south and east.
Single- and multi-family homes
are located west of the site, along
Longfibre Road.

Key:

Parcel boundaries Figure 2: Site reuses and FMC's former fl

Site boundary warehouse

Site History

FMC leased the site from Union Pacific Land Resources Corporation (Upland) and produced agricultural pesticide
dusts from 1951 until 1986, when the plant closed. Structures on site included a warehouse with a loading dock,
an office building and a parking lot. Contamination resulted from the disposal of pesticides in a pit from 1952 to
1969. Beginning in 1969, FMC disposed of pesticides at Yakima Valley Disposal in Yakima and at a permitted
hazardous waste disposal facility in Arlington, Oregon. An EPA contractor conducted preliminary investigations
in 1982. Findings indicated that pit soil and underlying ground water was contaminated. Primary contaminants
of concern included pesticides, pesticide-related compounds and some metals. EPA placed the site on the
Superfund program's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983.

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Property Cleanup and Transformation

Preliminary cleanup began in 1986. FMC removed all the contents from the main facility warehouse and surface
tanks and washed the floors and walls of the warehouse. Between 1988 and 1989, FMC disposed of 850 tons of
contaminated soil at the permitted hazardous waste facility in Oregon. EPA selected the final remedy in 1990. It
focused on cleaning up remaining contaminated soils and structures.

FMC undertook final cleanup actions in 1992 and 1993. FMC dug up 5,600 cubic yards of contaminated material,
stockpiled it on site, and then incinerated the material. FMC disposed of an additional 1,000 cubic yards of
contaminated soil from beneath the soil stockpile liner after discovering the liner was faulty. FMC also scarified
the concrete floor of the warehouse to remove contamination. The company then restored the floor so the
warehouse could be reused in the future. In December 1993, EPA determined that FMC had completed soil
cleanup activities appropriately. Ground water monitoring is ongoing.

In the mid-1990s, current owners acquired
the site properties and new businesses
opened. Stephens Metal Products, one of
the first businesses to locate there,
operated out of FMC's former warehouse.

Country Farm & Garden True Value
Hardware and Butler's Welding & RV
Accessories built their facilities west and
southwest of the warehouse.

In 2011, EPA required the placement of
institutional controls to prevent contact
with hazardous substances remaining deep
underground in the southeast corner of the
site, known as the land use control area.

Implemented by FMC in 2012 in accordance
with the Washington Uniform
Environmental Covenant Act, the
restrictions prevent the use of shallow
ground water as drinking water. They also prevent unauthorized digging below ground.

Local Impacts

Today, Country Farm & Garden True Value Hardware and Butler's Welding & RV Accessories remain on site,
providing jobs and employment income for the community. Stephens Metal Products operated there until
relocating for expansion. In 2013, the company leased its property to another business that is expected to move
into the warehouse.

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Figure 3: FMC's former warehouse, occupied until recently by
Stephens Metal Products

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Country Farm & Garden True Value Hardware

The store provides lawn care and home
improvement products. The business also sells
flowers, vegetables, herbs and mason bees in
its outdoor nursery. It employs 11 people and
contributes an estimated $460,000 in annual
income to the local economy.

Butler's Welding & RV Accessories

The business repairs RVs and sells RV parts and
accessories. It employs three people and
contributes an estimated $78,000 in annual
income to the local economy.

Property Value and Tax Revenue
Impacts

In 2013, the site's property parcels generated
over $20,000 in property taxes for Yakima
County. The total county-estimated value of
the properties in 2013, including
redevelopment improvements, was over $1.5
million. The two on-site businesses also
produce annual retail sales and services that
generate state and local tax revenues through
the collection of sales taxes.1 Together, the two
businesses produce over $1.2 million in annual
sales.

Figure 4: Country Farm & Garden True Value Hardware
and Butler's Welding & RV Accessories

Conclusion

Cooperation among EPA, the Washington State Department of Ecology, FMC and later site owners has led to
successful cleanup and reuse of the FMC Corp. (Yakima Pit) Superfund site. As part of the cleanup, FMC also
removed contamination from the warehouse floor and then restored it so the warehouse so it could be available
for reuse by other businesses. Once FMC completed soil and warehouse cleanup in 1993, businesses began
locating on the site, including a metal fabricating company that established operations inside the warehouse.
Two of the original businesses that located on site continue to operate, providing job opportunities, income, and
services for the community. With a third business planning to relocate to the site in the near future, the site will
likely continue serving as an important source of jobs for the community.

For more information about EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI), visit:

http://www. eDa.gov/suDerfund/Droarams/recvcle/.

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The combined sales tax rate in Yakima is 7.9 percent. This includes the 6.5 percent state rate, the local rate and the Regional Transit
Authority rate. See the Washington State Department of Revenue sales tax page for more information:

http://dor.wa.gov/Content/GetAFormOrPublication/FormBvSubiect/forms sale.aspx#Annual.

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