Region 10 1200 Sixth Avenue Seattle WA 98101 Regi 120C Alaska Idaho Oregon Washington May 19, 1997 Superfund Fact Sheet Commencement Bay Nearshore/Tideflats Tacoma, Washington Sediments in Commencement Bay are contaminated with hazardous waste due to industrial activities dating to the 1800's. The U, S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Washington Department of Ecology are working with the parties potentially responsible for the contamination toward sediment cleanup, A series of public forums began last summer to talk about options for disposal of contaminated sediments, including the Asarco shoreline. r \ At the meeting, we will share with yon updates on cleanup progress at several of the Commencement Bay waterways. Our main focus will be the Hylebos Waterway. The Hylebos Cleanup Committee will present an evaluation of potential cleanup areas, a preliminary estimate of the volume of dredged material which will require disposal, and an evaluation of potential disposal sites. This information is available in the information repositories in draft, reports called the "Round 1 Data Report" and the "Preliminary Disposal Site Evaluation" (May 19, 1997). EPA invites your comments on these draft reports through June 23rd. We will consider all comments before submitting our comments to the Hylebos Cleanup Committee on their reports. Please send your comments to Allison Hiltner, EPA Project Manager, 1200 Sixth Avenue MS/ECL 116, Seattle, WA 98101, (206) 553-2140. At the last public meeting of the Sediment Disposal Forum on December 12, 1996, the City of Tacoma presented an evaluation of possible cleanup alternatives and possible disposal locations for Thea Foss sediments. The City's report was also put out for public review. EPA received comments on this proposal and considered them all before sending the City its comments on their report. A copy of our comments was also sent to individuals who commented on the City's proposal. Many of the comments received caused EPA to reconsider certain cleanup proposals, including appropriate natural recovery areas in the Wheeler-Osgood Waterway and the City's preferred cleanup option that would require a change to the navigational status of the waterway. Due to changes in the possible cleanup alternatives, the cleanup schedule for the Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood Waterways has been revised. The new cleanup schedule will be available at the public meeting. You Are Invited to a Public Meeting (Continuing the Sediment Disposal Forum Series) Wednesday, June 4, 1997 - 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the World Trade Center 3600 Port of Tacoma Road Tacoma, Washington ------- Information Repositories Tacoma Public Library 1102 Tacoma Avenue, Northwest Room Tacoma, WA Citizens for a Healthy Bay 771 Broadway Tacoma, WA Questions If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact the representative listed in this fact sheet or the following representative: Jeanne O'Dell, Community Relations Coordinator (206) 553-6919 or call EPA's toll free number 1-800-424-4372. For those with impaired hearing or speech, please contact EPA's telecommunication device for the hearing impaired (TDD) at (206) 553-1698. To ensure effective communication with everyone, additional services can be made available to persons with disabilities by contacting one of the EPA numbers above. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Sixth Avenue 7th Floor Records Room Seattle, WA &EFA United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 10(ECO-081) 1200 Sixth Avenue Seattle WA 98101 Superfund Fact Sheet Commencement Bay/Nearshore Tideflats ------- |