Cleanup continues at Budd Inlet

We invite you to comment on legal documents and attend an open house about the Hardel Mutual Plywood site on the western shore of Budd Inlet.

This cleanup site in Olympia was used for wood milling since the late 1800s. Hardel Mutual Plywood operated at this site from 1951 to 1996, and wood milling activities released hazardous substances into the environment.

Hardel signed a legal agreement with us in 2007 and cleaned up the site in 2010. In 2012, we listed the cleanup as complete.

In 2021, West Bay Development Group bought the property from Hardel. They discovered areas of contamination in soil and groundwater that were not found in the earlier cleanup work.

Contaminants found include metals, total petroleum hydrocarbons (gasoline, oil, diesel), and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds.

Because of this new information, we are requiring more cleanup at this site and negotiated a new legal agreement with West Bay, who is now responsible for the cleanup under Washington’s environmental cleanup law.

Two documents for your review and comment

Ecology is inviting you to review and comment on two documents during the comment period starting 8 a.m., May 1, and ending 11:59 p.m., June 2. Please note that this comment period is about cleanup, not development of the site.

Agreed Order — a legal agreement between Ecology and West Bay. It requires West Bay to:

• Conduct a supplemental remedial investigation. This study will build on previous sampling work to find out what contaminants remain in soil, groundwater, and marine sediment.
• Analyze and compare different options for how to clean up the site in a feasibility study. After that, West Bay will suggest an option to clean up the site up in a preliminary draft Cleanup Action Plan.

Public Participation Plan — Ecology’s outreach plan. It describes how we will contact the public about this site and opportunities for public input.

How to access and comment on the documents

To access the documents online, go to the Hardel Mutual Plywood webpage (scroll down to “Documents” and open the drop-down menu).

You can also read them in person at Olympia Timberland Library (313 8th Ave SE Olympia, WA 98501) or the Department of Ecology Lacey office by appointment (300 Desmond Drive SE Lacey, WA 98503). To make an appointment email our public disclosure office or call 360-407-6365.

Submit your comments online (preferred) or by mail or email to Steve Teel, Toxics Cleanup Program, P.O. Box 47775, Olympia, WA, 98504-7775.

Join us at the open house

We will also hold an open house 3-5:30 p.m., May 12, at the Olympia Timberland Library meeting room, 313 8th Avenue SE, Olympia. We invite you to come meet our staff, look at posters about the site, and ask questions. This event is drop-in, so you can come anytime between 3-5:30 p.m. All are welcome, including kids!

What happens next?

After the comment period, we will:

• Respond to all comments received in the comment period. We may change documents based on public input. We will then sign the Agreed Order.
• Hold public comment periods as the site continues moving forward in the cleanup process. To be notified about future comment periods, please contact Carolyn Subramaniam.