Facility Site ID: 1080 Cleanup Site ID: 3685

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Aerial photo of the former International Paper Facility
Aerial photo of the former International Paper Facility
Last Updated May 17, 2021

On March 8, 2021 the public comment period ended for International Paper at the Port of Longview's draft cleanup action plan and draft public participation plan. We did receive comments from the Port of Longview. These comments as well as Ecology's response to these comments can be found in the "View Electronic Documents" section under the "Site Information" tab on this site. Ecology has reviewed the Port's comments and the documents were not changed based on these comments. The documents have now been finalized.

 The next stage in this process is the cleanup action plan (CAP). 

The draft Cleanup Action Plan (dCAP) describes the following approach to cleanup:

∙ Remove clean surface soil and stockpile on site for grading.

∙ Excavate contaminated soil from 3 to 4.5 feet (except for the utility corridor, which is 3–5 feet).

∙ Remove contaminated soil and send it to a specialized landfill.

∙ Solidify remaining soil from 4.5 to 9 feet in place to prevent spreading contamination.

∙ Regrade to maintain current topography.

· Treatment of groundwater by chemical oxidation to reduce contamination and monitored natural attenuation.

Site Background

Between 1937 and 1982, International Paper treated wood in the Treated Wood Products (TWP) Area. Between 1947 and 1953, wastewater from the wood-treatment process was moved through a ditch to a nearby impoundment located in the area now called the MFA. In 1953, International Paper stopped discharging liquid wastes to the MFA and switched to two ponds within the TWP Area. In 1982, International Paper stopped treating wood. In 1985, International Paper excavated some of the contaminated soils in the TWP Area. In 1989, the remaining contaminated soils were capped.

The last public comment period was from August 17 - October 2, 2017 about the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and related documents.

There were ten soil cleanup options outlined in the RI/FS prepared by International Paper as well as another alternative proposed by the Port of Longview. The options included a variety of excavation, disposal, and treatment activities. All soil cleanup options included:

- An environmental covenant that places conditions on future excavation at the site until soil cleanup levels are achieved.

- An asphalt pavement to prevent direct contact with soil because some contaminated soil will remain on site.

- Groundwater monitoring to make sure contamination is not spreading.

There were four groundwater cleanup options outlined in the draft RI/FS, including using chemical oxidation treatment to degrade contamination and monitored natural attenuation.

During the 45-day comment period, Ecology had an open house and public hearing in Longview. About 30 people came and 10 people gave oral comments. In total, we received 24 comments about this cleanup site. In addition to our public open house and hearing, we met with interested people, including environmental staff from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region X, The Cowlitz Indian Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Tribe.

Our responses to public comments are available in our Responsiveness Summary

Cleanup options were evaluated in the final Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study report.

Cleanup In The Treated Wood Products Area

Operations at the TWP Area were discontinued in 1982, and International Paper dismantled the wood treatment operations, with the exception of the boiler house and the treatment building foundation. They submitted a closure plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ecology in 1985. In 1985, International Paper excavated contaminated soils from several locations in the TWP Area, including two surface impoundments - ponds designed to hold liquid waste materials.

The excavated soil was disposed of at a permitted treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSD). International Paper capped remaining contaminated soils in the former ponds and process areas with a low permeability cover in 1989. Nearly all structures in the TWP Area (buildings, tanks, and related hardware) were removed or capped as part of closure activities.

In 1997, the Department of Ecology requested additional cleanup in the TWP Area to ensure long-term protection of human health and the environment.
 
In 1997 and 1998, International Paper: 
  • Constructed a subsurface barrier wall around the TWP Area to contain contaminated soil and groundwater.
  • Capped the area with an additional low permeability cover.
  • Installed systems to remove floating light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) within the contained area.
  • Installed a treatment system that added oxygen to contaminated soil to increase the rate that microorganisms consumed contaminants.
  • Installed groundwater monitoring wells to monitor the subsurface barrier wall.  

Site use restrictions called institutional controls are in effect

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 controls are usually listed in environmental covenants recorded with the county.

Periodic reviews are required when institutional controls are required at a site. Ecology conducts reviews to make sure the controls remain effective and the cleanup still protects human health and the environment. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years.

Environmental Covenant

County Recording #:
County Recording Date:

Restrictions/Requirements

  • Prohibit Soil Disturbance
  • Restrict Access
  • Restrict All Ground Water Extraction/Well Installation
  • Restrict Land Use
Legal 2
Document Title Document Date Document Type
International Paper Consent Decree 8/18/1997 Consent Decree
International Paper Inc Agreed Order March 1997 3/12/1997 Agreed Order
Public Information 7
Document Title Document Date Document Type
International Paper Public Notice 2021 1/18/2021 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
International Paper Public Participation Plan 12/28/2020 Public Participation Plan
International Paper and Port of Longview Public Participation Plan 7/1/2018 Public Participation Plan
International Paper MFA Responsiveness Summary 6/30/2018 Responsiveness Summary
Public Presentation - MFA RI/FS Public Meeting and Hearing 9/28/2017 Multimedia
Factsheet for MFA RI/FS 7/31/2017 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
Public Notice - International Paper Draft Cleanup Documents MFA 7/31/2017 Fact Sheet\Public Notices
State Environmental Policy Act 2
Technical Reports 17
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Final Cleanup Action Plan - Maintenance Facility Area 2021 5/5/2021 Cleanup Action Plan
Ecology's Response to Port of Longview's Comments on Draft Cleanup Action Plan 5/5/2021 Cleanup Action Plan
Port of Longview Comments on Draft Cleanup Action Plan 3/8/2021 Cleanup Action Plan
2020 Annual Remedial Operations and Groundwater Monitoring Report 1/29/2021 Groundwater Monitoring Report
Draft Cleanup Action Plan- Maintenance Facility Area 2020 5/1/2020 Cleanup Action Plan
Conditional Approval Letter for MFA RI/FS Report 8/1/2018 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Public Comments on MFA draft RI/FS 6/27/2018 Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence)
Final MFA RI/FS Report with Addendum 6/27/2018 Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study
In Situ Soil Remediation Treatability Study Report MFA 6/28/2013 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Vapor Intrusion Assessment Report MFA 2/5/2010 Human Health and/or Eco Risk Assessment
Offsite Investigation Report and Additional Action Feasibility Study MFA 9/1/2000 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Soil and Groundwater Investigation of Western Area 2/21/2000 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Soil and Groundwater Investigation of Eastern Area 2/7/2000 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Additional Perimeter Boring Investigation and Maintenance Facility Work Plan 1/10/2000 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Investigation of Areas of Soil Impact Outside the Containment Area 12/17/1998 Site Specific Technical Document - other
Treated Wood Products Area Cleanup Action Plan 7/1/1997 Cleanup Action Plan
Closure Certification - Former Waste Management Areas 1990 5/11/1990 Site Specific Technical Document - other
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Longview Public Library
    1600 Louisiana Street
    Longview, 98632
    This location may only have print documents available during open comment periods.

Contaminants 8

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants C S
Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Phenolic Compounds C C
Non-Halogenated Organics - Non-Halogenated Solvents S C
Halogenated Organics - Dioxins/Furans S S
Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons C C
Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Organic S S
Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Inorganic S S
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.