Yard cleanup program

We are using a large part of a $94 million settlement from Asarco to sample and replace soil in residential yards. We offer soil replacement through the Residential Yard Sampling and Cleanup Program (Yard Program). The Yard Program includes the most contaminated areas of the Tacoma Smelter Plume. The program is free to all residential properties that qualify within the service area and is completely voluntary.

We identify yards that may qualify by reviewing soil sampling results and assessing the property at the initial visit. We send a letter in the mail inviting qualifying properties to participate.

A house during soil replacement. The entire yard is exposed dirt, protected with tarps.

Find information about your property

See if your property is in the Yard Program service area and find sampling and soil replacement information by searching for your address with our online map tool.
Learn about the sampling or replacement schedule for your property on the updates page.

How does soil sampling work?

The soil sampling webpage explains how sampling works in different areas. If you live in the Yard Program service area, your property has probably already been sampled. To check if your property was sampled, use our searchable online map.

How does my property qualify for soil replacement?

We recommend soil replacement for yards with arsenic above 100 parts per million (ppm) or lead above 500 ppm. For properties inside the study area, we look at the parcel average for both arsenic and lead.
Sampling results are from the EPA or Ecology’s Yard Program (Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department) sampling.
The property must be inside the Yard Program service area (see map below).
You choose to participate. The program is voluntary.

Properties or parts of yards may not qualify for soil replacement if:

There are steep slopes.
There is no access or limited access.
There is a large retaining wall or permanent structure.
There are lots of trees.

To learn more about the areas that don’t qualify, read our excluded areas handout. Not all properties qualify for soil replacement.

The soil replacement webpage explains how soil replacement works. You can also view this three-part video.

To create the Yard Program service area, we included areas where we predicted at least 10 percent of yards have arsenic over our threshold of 90 parts per million (ppm). We used past sampling data, distance from the former smelter, wind direction, and other factors to predict these areas.

The Yard Program Service Area covers the southern tips of Vashon-Maury island and areas around Ruston in North Tacoma. — The Yard Program service area includes areas in north Tacoma and the southern end of Vashon-Maury Island.

The service area also includes the area closest to the former smelter, where the EPA worked with ASARCO to address soil contamination in residential yards in the early 1990s to 2000. The EPA continues their involvement in addressing soil contamination through their Superfund cleanup program.

Contact information

Justin Zakoren
Tacoma Smelter Plume Outreach Coordinator
Justin.Zakoren@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6790

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Yard cleanup program

Find information about your property

How does soil sampling work?

How does my property qualify for soil replacement?

Related links

Contact information