Anacortes Former Water Treatment Plant, Anacortes

The Anacortes Former Water Treatment Plant is next to the Skagit River in Mount Vernon and is next to the current water treatment plant, which provides drinking water for the City of Anacortes and the surrounding communities.

Background

Ecology has determined that no further action is needed to clean up contamination at the site under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), the state’s cleanup law. Ecology has also determined that no post-cleanup controls or monitoring are necessary under MTCA. There are two legal agreements currently in place. One will be satisfied at the end of this comment period (Agreed Order), and the other will be dismissed in court in the future (Consent Decree).

Cleanup construction is complete. The cleanup actions selected in the 2021 Cleanup Action Plan have been completed. These included:

• Excavation and off-site disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)-contaminated soil above 1 mg/kg (MTCA Method A standard).
• Demolition of the former water treatment structures, including the Sedimentation and Filtration basins, and removal of PCB-contaminated building materials.
• Removal of regulated materials (e.g., asbestos, lead paint, residual chemicals).
• Confirmation sampling to make sure cleanup levels were met.
• Site restoration, including backfilling, grading, hydroseeding, and gravel surfacing.

Cleanup construction began in July 2023 and concluded in April 2024. Waste disposal and confirmation sampling met applicable state and federal regulations. Remaining backfill with lagoon soil will be completed under a separate city project. For full explanations and details, see the Construction Completion Report and its Appendices.

What happens next?

After the public comment period ends, we will review and respond to comments received during the comment period. We will hold a public meeting if  10 or more people request it. If no changes are necessary, we will move the site from the Contaminated Sites List to the No Further Action Sites List.