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Alcoa Vancouver Site

SITE UPDATE (December 16, 2008)

East Landfill

Ecology is still actively negotiating a cleanup strategy with Alcoa to address the TCE contamination in the groundwater beneath the landfill. The current negotiations are focused on a Consent Decree amendment and Cleanup Action Plan for the East Landfill. When an agreement is reached, the public will be invited to comment on the proposal.

Columbia River Work

In late November 2008, the Army Corps of Engineers approved Alcoa’s permit application to work in the Columbia River. Alcoa began dredging contaminated sediments on December 1, 2008. Within the first week, the majority of high level PCB-contaminated sediment was removed. Alcoa began removing contaminated sediment from the clam beds the week of December 4. Dredging of low level PCB-contaminated sediment will continue into January 2009.

Water quality monitoring downstream from the dredge project shows the project is within the turbidity standard established for this project.

Upland soil removal and bank stabilization work is proceeding along the river bank in front of the dredged areas. All of the upland aluminum manufacturing and fabrication buildings have been removed. Demolition of the ore storage silos that remain along the Columbia River will occur in early 2009 unless the Port of Vancouver requests that the silos remain on the site.

The river cleanup addresses: 1) PCB-impacted sediments found in the Columbia River, 2) petroleum impacted soils found in buried lagoons called the Crowley Parcel, 3) petroleum impacted soils found near four underground storage tanks on the river dike, and 4) PCB impacted soils found in an area known as the Soluble Oil Area on the east side of the Site.

You can find copies of the documents at these locations:

• Fort Vancouver Regional Library, 1007 East Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA
• Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, WA
• Click here to read:

Please be aware that RI/FS Appendix G is over 600 MB. To download the Draft RI/FS, its Appendices and Figures, and Draft CAP ftp zip files, click on the link above then:

1. Double click on the files labeled "Alcoa Vancouver RIFS.zip", “RIFS Appendices A-B.zip”, “RIFS Appendices C-I (no G).zip”, “RIFS Appendix G – WARNING – LARGE FILE.zip”, “RIFS Figures.zip” and "Alcoa Vancouver CAP.zip"
2. Click “Save as”
3. Choose the location on your computer to save it to
4. Click Save
5. Go to the location on your computer you chose to save the file to
6. Double click on the file

SITE HISTORY AND CLEANUP ACTIONS TO 2007

The Alcoa Vancouver site is located in Clark County on the north bank of the Columbia River approximately three miles northwest of downtown Vancouver, Washington. Alcoa constructed an aluminum smelter on the western portion of the site in 1940. Between 1944 and 1970, a number of fabrication operations were added to the facility to form aluminum into finished goods such as wire, rod, and extrusions. Alcoa operated the entire facility for approximately 45 years, until its closure in 1985.

In 1985, Alcoa sold the aluminum smelter to VANALCO. VANALCO has since been sold to Evergreen Aluminum (Glencore). While Alcoa has sold or discontinued all operations and divested much of the smelter property, the company has retained ownership of certain parcels, including the dock and alumina unloading facilities. Industrial and solid wastes from construction and operation of the aluminum smelter were stored in waste piles and consolidated in landfills onsite over the years. Hazardous contaminants in these wastes include petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), cyanide, fluoride, trichloroethylene (TCE), low-level organic chemicals, and metals.

Since 1990, Ecology has worked with Alcoa to determine the nature and extent of contamination within and resulting from the operation of the waste piles and landfills. An extensive investigation consisting of soil and groundwater monitoring was performed at the site. Feasibility studies were conducted to determine the best cleanup option for each waste pile, landfill, or other sub-site.

Evergreen Aluminum worked with Ecology in 2007 and 2008 to characterize and clean up the smelter portion of the Site. Evergreen has since completed the removal of approximately 62,500 tons of contaminated soil and waste to an off-site landfill.

To date, Alcoa has spent approximately $42 million on cleanup at the Vancouver site, including $34 million on cleanup of PCBs.

PCB Cleanup and Source Control Actions to Date

Other Site Cleanup Actions to Date

Related Information

• Watershed Information for Salmon-Washougal Watershed (WRIA 28)
• Clark County Health Department shellfish advisory
• EPA Superfund site description

Additional Resources

• Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership