Brownfield Assessment of the Old Harlan Mill Site,

Harlan, Oregon

Project Overview

Under a Cooperative Agreement with U.S. EPA Region 10, the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) conducted a Brownfield Assessment at the Old Harlan Mill site in
the rural community of Harlan (eastern Lincoln County, Oregon - see map below). In April 1998,
Lincoln County asked DEQ and EPA to determine whether past uses had contaminated this 45-
acre site, and if so, what further actions might be needed to prepare it for sale and/or industrial
redevelopment. Free of charge to the county, DEQ's Site Assessment Program completed the
investigation in December 1998. DEQ's main recommendations included the removal of four
abandoned underground storage tanks and associated petroleum-contaminated soil, as well as
further investigation of inorganic contamination in soil and groundwater from this same area.

DEQ completed the assessment in the third year of a Brownfield Pilot Project funded by EPA.
The pilot is designed to determine the demand for, and potential effectiveness of, an expanded
Brownfield evaluation program and to assist local redevelopment efforts. (Brownfields are
usually defined as vacant or under-utilized commercial/industrial sites with known or perceived
contamination that has affected their sale or redevelopment.)

Site Background

About 35 acres of the site consist of undeveloped, forested uplands typical of Oregon's Coast
Range, and a residence. The remaining central portion of the site is where 3-G Lumber Company
operated a raw-lumber sawmill (no chemical treatment of wood) from the 1940s until 1986. In
1986, 3-G sold the property, and the new owner began salvaging mill equipment and lumber.

Until September 1997, when Lincoln County acquired the site through tax foreclosure, several



Site Location - Old Harlan Mill

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resident tenants used the site for dismantling automobiles, salvaging recreational vehicle trailers,
and related activities. The property is vacant, but retains several old mill buildings, as well as four
abandoned underground storage tanks (USTs) and large quantities of miscellaneous solid wastes,
which have accumulated since the mill shut down. There are also several containers with
unknown contents.

Spout Creek, which provides habitat for salmonids and other fish and wildlife species, flows
through the property. The active portion of the site straddles the creek and includes an artificial
log pond. The entire property is zoned industrial.

What We Did

The project began with a scoping meeting in June 1998, attended by representatives of Lincoln
County, DEQ, and EPA Region 10. In August 1998, after Lincoln County had removed solid
wastes from desired sampling locations, DEQ collected 26 samples from the developed portion of
the site, as follows: surface soils (7), including one background location; subsurface soils (11);
sediments and surface water (3 each); and groundwater (2), including one from an on-site well
that at one time supplied drinking water to site workers and residents. DEQ used a hydraulic
probing device to collect the subsurface soil samples and the groundwater sample not taken from
the well.

What We Found

Laboratories participating in EPA's Contract Laboratory Program analyzed the soil, sediment,
and water samples for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, pesticides, polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), and metals. A diesel-like petroleum product was found floating on a
groundwater sample collected below several USTs near Spout Creek. This same sample also
contained elevated levels of barium, beryllium, chromium, manganese, and nickel. While organic
and inorganic contaminants were detected in some of the other samples, concentrations either
were below levels of concern or represented local background conditions.

The Next Steps

Lincoln County wishes to sell the property and/or prepare it for industrial redevelopment. As part
of this process, DEQ recommends that the county take the following steps: 1) decommission all
four USTs, and remove petroleum product and related soil and groundwater contamination
around the USTs near Spout Creek; 2) characterize inorganics in soil and groundwater in this
same area; 3) determine if hazardous substances are present in containers and drums remaining
on-site; 4) remove accumulated solid wastes and debris; and 5) to protect Spout Creek, design
appropriate infrastructure (water, wastewater, and other utilities) for future industrial activities.

For more information or for a copy of the Brownfield Assessment report, contact:

Rob Bovett, Lincoln County - Newport: (541) 265-4108, or
Gil Wistar, Oregon DEQ - Portland: (503) 229-5512

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