DNRP > SWD > Brownfields > Success Stories

Success Stories

• North Coast Chemical
• Rainier Court
• Kwik Cleaners
• Mid-Fork Snoqualmie River

North Coast Chemical

This former chemical manufacturing plant located in Georgetown had been abandoned and stood vacant for many years. In 1999, the owner contacted the Environmental Extension Service (EES) (external link) for assistance when it was discovered that soil and groundwater on the site were contaminated with solvents, petroleum and metals.

EES staff conducted a site visit and reviewed existing environmental reports to advise the owner on the next steps for assessment and cleanup. At the request of the Brownfields Program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a study of groundwater treatment options for this and similar sites in the Duwamish/Tukwila Industrial Manufacturing Center, and the owner used the report to develop a plan for cleaning up the site. In 2000, the owner removed the dilapidated buildings, cleaned up the contaminated soil and resurfaced the site.

EES staff subsequently introduced the owner to a businessman who was looking for a site in the Duwamish industrial area for his cement recycling business. The company leased the property and is producing recycled concrete landscaping blocks. The site is now a productive business that is generating new jobs and tax revenues and supporting an enterprise with environmental benefits.

North Coast Site: Former Chemical Plant

During Cleanup

Successful Redevelopment: Ultra Block Inc.

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Rainier Court

SouthEast Effective Development (SEED), a nonprofit organization, purchased seven blighted acres in the Rainier Valley for redevelopment into affordable housing and commercial space. The site was an unregulated landfill in the 1930s and '40s and had a number of subsequent uses, including vehicle storage and maintenance, electrical contracting, manufacturing, welding, offices and a mortuary. The site also had been used for illegal dumping and other criminal activities. Soil and groundwater contamination on the site included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), petroleum, solvents and metals.

Between 1999 and 2003, the Brownfields Program assisted the project in several important ways.

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) (PDF, external) that included three phases of soil and groundwater sampling at the site (valued at over $300,000) at no cost to SEED.
• The King County/City of Seattle-funded Environmental Extension Service (EES) (external) provided extensive technical assistance to the project, including advising on EPA sampling activities, overseeing the removal of an underground storage tank and reviewing cleanup plans.
• The Brownfields Program provided $25,000 for supplemental groundwater sampling and analysis.
• The Washington State Department of Ecology, through the Brownfields Program, provided $25,000 in EPA funds to remove the underground storage tank.
• The Brownfields Program provided a $440,000 loan at 1 percent interest to finance site cleanup.

The site is being redeveloped into a mixed-use housing and commercial project in four phases. Phase 1 will result in 208 units of low- and moderate-income elderly housing and 9,000 square feet of new commercial space, and will create approximately 150 construction jobs and 25 to 50 permanent jobs. Subsequent phases will result in a combination of market-rate and affordable housing and another 9,000 square feet of commercial space, creating additional temporary and permanent jobs.

Rainier Court: Blighted Lots

During Cleanup

Successful Redevelopment: Senior Housing and Retail

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Kwik Cleaners

The Kwik Cleaners site is a former dry cleaners on Beacon Hill. In 1998, the owner of the nearby Delite Bakery purchased the site with the hope of moving and expanding her business there. Meanwhile, Sound Transit expressed interest in the site for possible use in construction of the Beacon Hill light rail station. However, when they conducted environmental sampling, they discovered that the soil and groundwater were highly contaminated with dry cleaning solvents and decided to find another site.

The owner was at a loss as to how to deal with the environmental problems, but at the suggestion of Sound Transit, she contacted the King County/City of Seattle-funded Environmental Extension Service (EES) (external). As a result, between 2001 and 2003, she received extensive help in understanding and navigating the assessment and cleanup process. EES staff reviewed existing environmental reports and referred her to an environmental attorney who was able to secure funds for assessment and cleanup from the insurance company of the former dry cleaners. The attorney and EES staff also assisted the owner in hiring an environmental consultant to design and perform the cleanup.

The site was cleaned up in 2003, and a groundbreaking was held with the King County Executive and the Mayor of Seattle on September 8, 2003. The new bakery opened for business on June 2, 2004, and held a grand opening (external) on July 16, 2004.

Kwik Clean: Former Dry Cleaner

During Cleanup

Successful Redevelopment: Delite Bakery

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Mid-Fork Snoqualmie River

This 22-acre property, located in rural King County along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, is the site of a former methamphetamine lab and illegal auto body chop shop. In 1996, the site was subject to a regional narcotics team bust and a Washington State Department of Ecology emergency cleanup; however, considerable debris remained, along with the threat of environmental contamination.

King County wished to purchase the site for open space preservation but needed the site to be clean prior to purchase. Between 2000 and 2002, the county assessed and cleaned up the site, removing 190 tons of debris, 55 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 400 gallons of hazardous waste. Contaminants on the site included petroleum and solvents. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessment grant funds were provided via the Brownfields Program to conduct environmental sampling, and the cleanup was conducted by King County.

King County Waterways 2000 Program funds were used to purchase the site, and the cost of the cleanup was deducted from the purchase price. The site is now a part of a 150-acre wildlife habitat that is being preserved through public ownership.

Mid-Fork: Former Meth Lab

During Cleanup

Successful Restoration: Snoqualmie River

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