For More Information
See the Department of Ecology Web page on the cleanup project
The Department of Ecology will host an open house Tuesday night about soil contamination in downtown Ridgefield before more testing begins this spring.
Investigators recently found dioxins — highly toxic carcinogens — in a residential area next to the former site of Pacific Wood Treating, just up the street from the Lake River waterfront. The waterfront became home to one of the largest cleanup projects in Washington after the company filed for bankruptcy and vacated in 1993.
In the latest stage of the long-running cleanup, Ecology has zeroed in on an eight-block section between Maple and Mill streets. Thirty-eight homes lie within the affected area, and crews will need to conduct more tests in the coming months to gage the severity of the contamination.
From 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Ecology staff will be on hand at the Ridgefield Community Center to pass along information about how the next round of the testing will proceed.
Pacific Wood Treating held a 24-acre parcel of the waterfront for 30 years. The company used a variety of chemicals to pressure treat railroad ties and telephone poles at the plant, leaving behind in the soil and water large quantities of hazardous substances – including arsenic, chromium and pentachlorophenol.
Ingesting dioxins at high levels can cause cancer. That said, Chase Gallager, a spokesman for Ecology’s Southwest Region office, cautioned that the situation doesn’t pose any urgent health threats.
“The levels are not high enough to pose an immediate health risk,” Gallagher said, in an email to The Columbian, “but more investigation is needed to define the extent of contamination in yards and what cleanup work is needed.”
Cleanup continues
In the past couple of years, the Port of Ridgefield has touted the cleanup efforts as nearing completion, marketing the land for major development. The site, known to the city as Miller’s Landing, is slated to become an extension of downtown Ridgefield, juxtaposing the quaint old shopping area with a new mixed commercial-residential site in the county’s fastest growing city.
As the cleanup continues, the port is attempting to recoup some of its losses in a project that has cost nearly $90 million. In December, the port filed a suit against Union Pacific to cover some of the costs.
The railroad company owned a two-acre portion of the site when Pacific Wood Treating was in business. The case remains open, as each side has taken shots at the other this winter.
For those interested in attending Ecology’s Tuesday night meeting, the community center is located at 210 N. Main Ave, in Ridgefield. More information on the project is available at Ecology’s website.
