Cleaning Up: Getting ready to clean up Duwamish Waterway Park

The Duwamish Waterway Park is a quiet spot along the banks of the Duwamish River, located at 7900 10^th Ave S. in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. Operated by the City of Seattle’s Department of Parks and Recreation since 1975, the property was purchased by the City of Seattle from King County in 2019.

The 1.7-acre cleanup site is adjacent to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site. In 2014 and 2019, sampling detected lead and arsenic in the soil. We were notified of the contamination in 2019. Our initial investigation that year determined that the contamination posed a risk to human health and the environment and that it needed to be cleaned up.

Initially, Seattle Parks planned to clean up the site under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. As they began investigating the site and considering possible cleanup actions, it became clear that the cleanup would be more complex than originally expected.

In 2022, we decided to move the site from the Voluntary Cleanup Program into our formal cleanup process. This gives us more oversight over the cleanup and provides for specific and consistent ways for the public to provide feedback.

We’d like your input on two documents:

• Agreed Order. This is a legal agreement we’ve negotiated with the potentially liable person, the City of Seattle. They will be required to investigate environmental conditions, identify alternatives for cleaning up the site, and write a draft Cleanup Action Plan.
• Public Participation Plan. This is the plan for informing and involving the community during the cleanup process.

The public comment period is Jan. 30 – March 15, 2023. During that time, you’ll be able to submit comments either through an online form or by email to LDW@ecy.wa.gov.

We’re also holding two public meetings:

Online: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023

• Register for the Zoom meeting
• Presentation:  Noon
• Questions and answers: 1 p.m.
• Interpretation available:
  Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Khmer, Somali, and Amharic

In-person: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023

• Location: South Seattle College, Olympic Hall, Room 120, 6000 16^th Ave SW, Seattle
  (See campus map.)
• Presentation: 6:30 p.m.
• Questions and answers: 7:30 p.m.
• Interpretation available with a smartphone and headphones: Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Khmer, Somali, and Amharic