The Environmental Protection Agency says it's targeting a former creosote plant in the Seattle suburb of Renton for "immediate attention."
The Quendall Terminals, on the southern shore of Lake Washington, joins Oregon's Portland Harbor on the EPA's list of 21 Superfund sites across the country for expedited cleanup and redevelopment.
The EPA announcement calls for choosing a cleanup plan for the Quendall Terminals, on the southeast shore of Lake Washington. It currently is considering several options, including containing, treating, or removing the contaminated soil and water.
Prior to this announcement, the EPA was already on track to choose a plan for the Quendall site by spring 2018.
“I’m initially skeptical when I see they’re going to expedite it,” says Chris Wilke, with the environmental organization Puget Soundkeeper. “You know, this is our one chance to get it right. When we have highly toxic, contaminated sediments, it needs to happen in such a way that it doesn’t make the problem worse.”
The current owners of the Quendall Terminals have approval from the city of Renton to build a park, retail and restaurant space, and nearly 700 residential units on the site.