Asarco smelter yard program design available for review

Reposting as a courtesy for DuPont residents. Our community was affected by the smelter plume.

Areas in Powderworks Park and other parks contain high levels of arsenic. Signs have been posted.

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Washington State Department of Ecology
News Release
For Immediate Release 13-073
March 13, 2013
www.ecy.wa.gov

Media Contacts:
Hannah Aoyagi, Toxics Cleanup Program, 360-407-6790, Hannah.Aoyagi@ecy.wa.gov
Seth Preston, media relations, 360-407-6848; 360-584-5744 cell; Seth.Preston@ecy.wa.gov

Asarco smelter yard program design available for review

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has released a draft plan for cleaning up residential yards polluted by the former Asarco smelter in Tacoma. The public is invited to review and comment on the plan through April 29.

Starting this year, the Residential Yard Sampling and Cleanup Program (Yard Program) will provide soil sampling within the service area, and clean up homeowners’ yards that have levels of arsenic at or more than 100 parts per million (ppm) or lead at or more than 500 ppm.

The Yard Program service area covers three regions:

· The one-square-mile Ruston/North Tacoma Study Area (Superfund site).
· About 3,900 homes in west Tacoma outside the Superfund site.
· More than 700 homes on southern Vashon-Maury Island.

Ecology is using funding from a $94.6 million bankruptcy settlement with Asarco to sample 4,600 yards and clean up the 1,200 that may qualify for cleanup. This is a voluntary program, so some homeowners may choose not to participate.

More than half of the cleanups will happen inside the Superfund site. Over the past 20 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversaw the Superfund cleanup of yards with 230 ppm arsenic or higher. Ecology will now offer cleanup for about 700 yards that did not qualify for EPA’s program.

“Our first cleanups will happen inside the Superfund site because we already have EPA’s soil sampling data for those yards,” said Ecology cleanup manager Amy Hargrove. “This area still has some of the highest arsenic levels we know of, making cleanup a high priority.”

Later this year, Ecology will begin soil sampling on southern Vashon-Maury Island and possibly in west Tacoma. Cleanup will follow at least a year behind sampling and will likely take until 2021 to complete.
“Over the next few years, we will go neighborhood by neighborhood to contact homeowners eligible for soil sampling or cleanup. However, we encourage people to contact us and sign up now,” noted Hargrove.

The former Asarco copper smelter sat on the border of Ruston and north Tacoma. Emissions from the facility contaminated a 1,000-square-mile area of surface soils with arsenic and lead. Arsenic and lead are toxic metals and can pose a health risk, especially to children.

Cleanup will mostly involve removing contaminated soils to a depth of 12 to 18 inches and replacing it with clean fill and new landscaping. Where soil cannot be removed, Ecology may provide a protective covering of soil or landscaping material.

Ecology is also promoting environmentally friendly landscaping options that reduce water, pesticide, and fertilizer use.

For more information about the Yard Program, a service area map and public comment period documents, visit http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites_brochure/tacoma_smelter/2011/ts-hp.htm. Comments can be sent to Amy Hargrove, Toxics Cleanup Program, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47775, Olympia, WA 98504-7775 or Amy.Hargrove@ecy.wa.gov.

Residents of the Ruston/North Tacoma Superfund area can find soil sampling data and whether their yard was already cleaned up at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/areispublic/.

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For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites_brochure/tacoma_smelter/2011/ts-hp.htm

Toxics Cleanup Program

Ecology's social media

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TBD Is Hosting Its First Social Mixer

TAKE BACK DUPONT

Is Hosting Its First

Social Mixer

It Is Time To Spring Forward!

Saturday @ 8 PM, March 9, 2013

DuPont Registered Voters:

 We are citizens working together for a better community.  Please join us to share your ideas and concerns for our growing city. 

We will be serving beer, wine, and appetizers.  Please bring a snack or dessert item to share with your fellow neighbors.    

 POC:  Laurie Fait  253-441-1421

POC:  Shawna Gasak 253-255-6905

POC:  David Bungert 253-227-6390

Location:  2702 MacArthur Street

DuPont WA 98327

Directions:  From McNeil Street turn South onto Jensen Ave.

 Jensen curves to the left and becomes MacArthur Street.

Please Note: All Take Back DuPont (TBD) meetings are open to all members of the DuPont community. This Social Mixer is only for DuPont registered voters. No City of DuPont employees or DuPont elected officials or their extended family members please. TBD will be planning future mixers for Businesses owners, City of DuPont employees and DuPont elected officials.

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We are citizens of DuPont working together to ensure our city maintains its high standards of living, is run in a cost effective manner and to strive to achieve our vision of the DuPont of tomorrow.

TBD Meeting Agenda, January 3, 2013

Agenda
Take Back DuPont
Thursday, January 3, 2013, 7:00 PM
2228 Anderson Avenue, DuPont

--New Member Introductions

--Discussion Items
​Candidates for upcoming election
​Timelines for filing
​Which issues will be part of their platform?
​
--Community project update –Tom Colegrove, Laurie Fait


--Ongoing Business:

1. How do we decide how to make a group statement on issues within the city.

Fall off fiscal cliff could cause major impact on city of DuPont

As reported by King 5 News today, the potential fall of the "fiscal cliff" could cause major impacts to DuPont and all around Pierce County.  Read the full story, here.

TBD Takes a Holiday Break

Take Back DuPont is taking a break!

Based on the feedback we've received, we're postponing our next meeting until the New Year.

So, please plan to meet at Shawna's home on January 3, 2013 at 7 p.m.  Hope to see you there! An event reminder will be posted. Bring your ideas, tasks, to-do lists, etc. and let's start working again for a better DuPont.  See you then!

Until then,

Warmest wishes for a happy holiday from TBD!

Du Pont 2013 Revised Budget passes

Du Pont city council approved the revised 2013 budget, tonight. Great news, no cuts in police dept staff. Full report is available here: http://www.ci.dupont.wa.us/files/library/110011cf2d0fb1b6_o.pdf

TBD 11-29 Meeting Postponed

Due to so many members being out for other commitments we will reschedule Nov 29 TBD for next Thursday, December 5; same time and location. Thanks.