Orchard Middle School, Wenatchee

We are providing an opportunity for public review and comment on the periodic review of the Orchard Middle School site, at 1024 Orchard Avenue in Wenatchee.

Based on this review, Ecology found that no additional cleanup actions are required at this time.

We review sites about every five years after a cleanup action when institutional controls are used as part of the cleanup. Institutional controls can be fences, signs, or restrictions on how the property is used. For instance, an institutional control may prohibit installing drinking water wells or disturbing a protective cap that isolates contamination. These restrictions keep the contamination contained and keep people from being exposed to the contamination.

The purpose of the periodic review is to evaluate current site conditions and to ensure continued protection of human health and the envirionment. 

Site background

During the summer of 2008, Ecology conducted a cleanup and placed all contaminated soils under a geotextile fabric barrier. Then, workers placed six inches of clean topsoil on top on the barrier fabric. This cleanup method, referred to as capping, is cost-effective and prevents human exposure to contaminated soil.

Following cleanup, an environmental covenant was recorded for the property with the Chelan County Assessor. The purpose of the environmental covenant is to provide a permanent legal record of the contamination that remains on the property, and to prevent activities at the site that might disturb or damage the soil cap.

Cleanup complete

Based on the cleanup completed and the recording of the environmental covenant, Ecology has determined the site does not pose a threat to human health or the environment. Ecology issued a no further action determination in April 2011 and moved the site from the Contaminated Sites List to the No Further Action List.

We will review all comments received during the comment period. We finalize the periodic review if no significant changes are made.