United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region X
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The Salt Creek Recreation Area County Park is a 196 acre park in Clallam County with upland forests, rocky bluffs, tide pools, campsites and RV sites near Port Angeles. The site overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca and surface water from the site drains toward the Strait. A portion of the park was once a 500 yard military firing range during World War II. Later it was turned into a Sportsman’s 200 yard shooting range, which was finally closed in 1998 when the Park opened.  A EPA Removal Assessment in August 2009 determined the impact area of the firing range was highly contaminated with mobile lead.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe's cultural resource monitor, Bill White, inspected the proposed excavation area and determined it was unlikely to have tribal cultural significance.  He provided guidance on what would constitute evidence of historical findings for the Tribe. START and ERRS were informed of the visual clues and looked for them whenever excavation occurred.

The historical target pulley systems located on the east side of the target berm were not damaged by site work so no SHPO reports were prepared.

Over the weekend, START completed marking the perimeter of 120 mg/kg lead in soil to define the excavation area.  A diagram was completed of the site using measurements and the perimeter boundaries.  

ERRS excavated soil in the marked area while START conducted XRF readings of excavated areas to confirm each excavated area was at or below action levels of 120 mg/kg lead in soil.  

This week seventeen 15-ton trucks were loaded with excavated soil which they transported to Waste Management in Arlington, Oregon.

Continue XRF confirmation of excavated areas action levels of 120 mg/kg lead in soil.
Excavate contaminated soil.
Transport contaminated soil off-site for disposal.
Upon removal of all contaminated soil, conduct final XRF and analytical samples for confirmation of site action levels of 120 mg/kg lead in soil.
Restore affected areas.

The previous cost estimate for the removal action estimated 600 of the 700 tons of excavated soil could be disposed of as non-hazardous waste. After the weekend work with the XRF, the estimate was revised when it was determined that at least 600 tons would need to go to a hazardous waste disposal facility.  The action memo was amended and signed on October 21, 2010 to authorize raising the removal action ceiling to $500,000.

Difficulty was encountered getting enough trucks for timely transport of excavated material. ERRS established a new sub contract with a different trucking company which started sending more trucks.

225 tons of waste have been removed from site as of October 21, 2010.