ASARCO Settlement Speeds Washington Arsenic Cleanup

By: Duane Craig

Washington state is moving ahead with the cleanup of hundreds of parcels of land in Everett, where smelter operations more than 100 years ago contaminated the soil with arsenic, according to an article in seattlepi.

The Asarco smelter operated from 1894 to 1912, right near the intersection of current day E. Marine View Drive and Highway 529. Besides dangerously high levels of arsenic, there was also lead and cadmium contamination, and none of it was discovered until 1990. The smelter also contaminated the Snohomish River, two parks, and Legion and Wiggums Hollow. There were 100 parcels cleaned up between 1999 and 2007, and in 2009 the state received $34 million in a settlement from Grupo Mexico, the current owners of Asarco.

In 2009, the bankruptcy and environmental settlement agreements with Asarco netted the EPA, federal agencies and states a little more than $1.79 billion to address contamination at over 80 sites in 20 states. The settlement was termed the largest bankruptcy settlement ever under the Superfund program, and it included full payment of the EPA’s claims plus interest. Washington state received $188 million of that settlement money to repair environmental damage across the state.

Dioxin Questions Rise Along the Duwamish

May 19, 2010 - The poisons surfaced first along the city streets, and later were found in yards and gardens, too.

For two years, residents of a small cluster of houses in Seattle's South Park neighborhood have known they were living with elevated levels of a toxic compound known as dioxin/furans. And for two years they've watched Seattle City Light and the federal government tussle over what to do about it.

Next month City Light and the Environmental Protection Agency plan to outline options for cleaning up one of the most polluted spots along the Duwamish River — the few blocks around an old asphalt plant not far from the South Park Bridge.

But those plans are expected to put off most decisions about dioxin, raising more questions in a neighborhood long frustrated by a lack of answers.

More...

Despite years of EPA urging military won't test for dangerous vapors in Fort Lewis housing

If true, this story is completely outragious. If there is any chance at all (which there clearly is) that our soldiers and their families are being exposed to toxic vapors, then why wouldn't they test the air quality? With all the money being spent on other things, you would think protecting these families who are already sacrificing so much would be a priority.

Here's the article:

April 9, 2007
Plumes of contaminated underground water could be releasing dangerous vapors into family homes at Fort Lewis. But despite years of urging from the Environmental Protection Agency, the military has not tested the housing for toxic gas, nor has it warned the hundreds of soldiers, spouses and children who have occupied the dwellings that they could be at risk.

For at least five years, military officials have known of the possible seepage of trichloroethylene vapors from groundwater near and under the homes in the fort's Madigan Army Medical Center housing area, according to interviews and government documents obtained by the Seattle P-I. More . . .