Efforts by the state Department of Ecology are continuing to deal with soil contaminated in the Highline area and elsewhere by arsenic and lead blown for over a 100 years from a smoke stack at the ASARCO copper smelter in Ruston.

The smelter shut down in 1986 but the contaminated soil will continue to be a health risk for years, according to DOE officials.

Vashon and Maury Islands as well as the Tacoma area received the heaviest doses but Des Moines, SeaTac, Normandy Park, Burien and Tukwila were also among the King County communities most affected. Hillsides sloped toward the smelter received a heavier dose than inland areas.

The soil contamination is also worse in undisturbed forested areas. Landscaped land was less affected. On beaches, the arsenic didn’t bind to the sand and tended to wash away, according to DOE staffers.

The state cleanup standard is 20 parts arsenic per million parts (ppm) of soil. However, some properties registered over 100 ppm.

DOE’s soil safety program began in 2005 to clean up play areas at schools, licensed childcare facilities, parks, camps and multi-family housing units. Arsenic is most dangerous to children. Children under six are at greatest risk because they tend to put things into their mouths.

The agency has sampled over 1,000 sites and performed cleanup at more than 100 locations,

The state of Washington recently received $94 million in a lawsuit over the plume so has entered the next phase of the cleanup.

Several DOE officials involved in the cleanup along with a state Public Health staffer held an open house in Des Moines Dec. 6 to seek public comment. Residents may also submit written comments by Dec. 20. The comments should be addressed to Cynthia Walker, Project Manager, Southwest Regional Office, P.O. Box 47775, Olympia WA 98406-7775. Emailed comments should be sent to Cynthia.Walker@ecy.wa.gov.

Arsenic, because it stays in the ground, is more of a concern than lead, Hannah Aoyagi, DOE public involvement coordinator, said at the open house.

She noted arsenic can contribute to heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

People are exposed to arsenic by eating or breathing in the contaminated dirt. Gardening and construction work causes added exposure. Pets and humans also track the dirt into homes, Aoyagi noted.

Aoyagi said DOE is encouraging people to take healthy actions around the home, such as hand washing, removal of shoes, cleaning toys, damp dusting and vacuuming and washing fruits and vegetables. Cleaning pets’ feet when they come inside has also been suggested, she noted.

Aoyagi reported the agency offers brochures and advice for sampling soil, tips on how to make yards safer, furnishes nailbrushes and magnets as well as providing classroom curriculums.

Some of the gardening tips are basics, such as grow vegetables in raised beds and cover the soil with bark or wood chips.

Amy Hargrove, soil safety program coordinator, said the agency is encouraging voluntary cleanup efforts. She noted this could be done during construction. The DOE can provide guidance and is working with local permit offices. Help is also available on how to sample soil. Cost to sample soil is $20-$50, Hargrove reported.
There are several cleanup options, though none are inexpensive, Hargrove said. The contaminated dirt can be dug up and removed, capped with clean soil or concrete or mixed with clean soil.

About $64 million of the $94 million lawsuit settlement is slated for a yard sampling and cleanup program. However, for now, it is restricted to Vashon/Maury islands and the Tacoma area where some sampled properties registered 100 ppm or more.

Hargrove said some isolated sites in the Highline area tested at 100 ppm but Highline is not as contaminated as the islands and Tacoma.

By 2014, Aoyagi said, DOE hopes to begin education programs for new homebuyers and real estate agents as well as encouraging soil sampling as part of the real estate sales.

Those wishing more information may contact Aoyagi at 360-407-6790 or log into www.dirtalert.info.