Port of Seattle set to clean up Duwamish River sites

The Seattle Port Authority will soon begin an environmental investigation and cleanup of two sites along the Lower Duwamish Waterway as part of ongoing efforts to stop or reduce contamination from entering the river system.

The Duwamish River is the name of the lower 12 miles (19 kilometres) of Washington State’s Green River. Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway. The project supports the port’s commitment to environmental stewardship in its community and contributes to its ongoing efforts to protect community health, restore habitat, and improve water quality.

The Port of Seattle Commission recently approved an order with the Washington State Department of Ecology for the port to begin work with the South Park Marina and the City of Seattle to investigate the level of contamination at the marina located next to the port’s Terminal 117 and along the Duwamish Waterway. The three entities will share in the costs and efforts to perform the site investigation.

At the Terminal 30 site along the East Waterway, the port has already performed an environmental investigation and some of the cleanup. The cleanup plan approved by the Department of Ecology includes the installation and operation of a groundwater treatment system designed to remove old diesel fuel from the shallow groundwater and soil. The remedy also includes removal of floating product from a small area at the site. Construction is set to begin in late summer or fall with a completion date of winter 2019.