Brownfields Assessment Pilots

PILOT SNAPSHOT
	Date of Announcement: May 2002 Amount: $200,000
Target Area: Port of Shelton, Washington Profile: The Pilot targets the John's Prairie Industrial Park where potential contamination is hampering development in an region hurt by the decline in forest product manufacturing.

BACKGROUND

EPA has selected the Port of Shelton for a Brownfields Assessment Pilot. The Port of Shelton (population 49,405) is located in Mason County on the eastern part of the Olympic Peninsula, approximately 60 miles southwest of Seattle. The Port is targeting the 408-acre John's Prairie Industrial Park for this Pilot. The 270 acres of developed land in the industrial park have been used for over 40 years by forest product businesses, such as saw mills and utility pole manufacturers. Degreasing solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, and oxygen-demanding pollutants, which are typical of log yard operations, are suspected to be present and could threaten the underlying Class I aquifer. The potential for pre-existing environmental contamination at John's Prairie has hampered the Port's ability to attract new businesses to the property.

The economic health of Mason County has long been tied to the forest products industry. As a result of the sharp decline of forest product manufacturing in the county, employment in the forest industry dropped from 84 percent in 1992 to 71 percent in 1999. A third of the county's workforce travels to work at urban centers outside the county. The economic decline of the region is reflected in the county's unemployment rate of 8.1 percent, which is nearly 50 percent higher than the state unemployment rate and nearly double the national rate. The county's median household income is nearly 28 percent below the state average.

OBJECTIVES

The Port of Shelton's primary objective is to develop the John Prairie Industrial Park into a vibrant property supporting mixed commercial use and heavy industrial land tenants. To accomplish this objective, the Pilot will fund a baseline environmental assessment and characterize buried wood waste on the industrial park's 270 developed acres as a first step in cleaning up the park and attracting new businesses. The Pilot also will assist with cleanup planning and community involvement activities.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Conducting a Phase I environmental site assessment;
• Gathering and analyzing published hydrogeological reports and well logs to determine the regional groundwater flow direction and identify nearby groundwater users;
• Preparing a work plan and health and safety plan for environmental sampling investigations; and
• Evaluating cleanup options.

The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.

CONTACTS

Port of Shelton
(360) 426-1151

Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA Region 10
(206) 553-2709

Visit the EPA Region 10 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/r10earth, click on "Superfund", scroll down and click on "Brownfields"

For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields