Data regarding the nature and extent of the contaminants of concern found at the Site are summarized below. A more thorough discussion of the Site investigations and data is found in the project Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) document.

Between September 1991 and June 1999, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) received six pollution complaints alleging that ongoing work at the SCBW were contaminating the Columbia River and nearby properties. The nature of each of the complaints and follow-up by ODEQ are as follows:

September 1991: ODEQ received a complaint that SCBW was improperly disposing of waste chemicals. A visit to the property by ODEQ staff revealed that paint thinner wastes were improperly placed in a dumpster for disposal. ODEQ personnel advised SCBW personnel to discontinue this practice.

October 1992: ODEQ received a complaint alleging that SCBW was pressure washing and stripping cuprous oxide-containing paint from a boat hull directly into the Columbia River. A second complaint received in October 1992 alleged that primer paint and putter being sanded from the hull of a boat was being discharged directly to the Columbia River; however, SCBW claimed the paint primer contained no toxic products once dry. These complaints resulted in SCBW receiving two Notices of Non-Compliance for discharging waste to the river.

June 1999: ODEQ received a complaint alleging that SCBW was spray-painting boat hulls outdoors without a spray booth. The owner of SCBW indicated painting activities only involved a few boats and would likely not happen again. No enforcement action was taken regarding this complaint.

April 2002: ODEQ received two complaints from Mermaid Marine, Inc. that SCBW had left behind sufficient wastes to hinder further use of the Site. Fiberglass dust was alleged to cover much of the Site, the river bank was alleged to be littered with painting debris and old hull paint wastes, and crankcase oil from a site crane was alleged to have been drained directly into the river embankment. Oil-saturated soils along the embankment were alleged to be producing an active petroleum seep to the river, site sewage and storm water were alleged to drain directly into the river. The Site was forwarded to the ODEQ Site Assessment Section for resolution.

In 2003, Mr. Brown, at the request of ODEQ, conducted an Expanded Preliminary Assessment (XPA). During the XPA, petroleum and lead contamination were encountered near a crane located on-Site. These findings appeared to verify previous reports that during oil changes of the crane crank case, the oil was allowed to drain onto the ground and run down the embankment into the river. Based on the findings of the XPA, an excavation of contaminated soil was recommended and conducted. Approximately 21.5 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed from the area immediately surrounding the crane. After the soil excavation, three samples were collected from the bottom of the excavation. These samples, taken from roughly 7 feet below ground surface, were still contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons and lead but at concentrations below the Site-specific risk-based concentrations (RBCs), which were calculated by ODEQ. 

In July 2007, ODEQ referred the Site to EPA for further investigation under the federal Superfund program. In 2009, the EPA Site Assessment Program completed a Site Inspection (SI) for the Site. Surface soil samples were collected from the upland area beneath the crane, the waste storage area, the embankment, and the Columbia River. The samples were submitted to an analytical laboratory and tested for a comprehensive list of contaminants of potential concern including SVOCs, VOCs, Target Analyte List (TAL) metals, pesticides/ polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organotins. Soil sample results have been compared to Oregon RBCs and EPA regional soil screening levels for soil ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation and soil samples were also compared to Oregon sediment bioaccumulation screening level. Sample results for the SI investigation are provided in Tables 1 through 3 in the EECA document. The surface soil sample results indicate that organotins (dibutyltin, monobutyltin, and tributyltin), pesticides (4,4-DDD and heptachlor epoxide), PCBs (Aroclor-1248 and Aroclor-1254) and TAL metals (antimony, arsenic, chromium, copper, and lead) were detected at concentrations that exceeded regulatory criteria. Based on the findings in the report, further action under CERCLA was recommended. The Site was then referred to the EPA Superfund Removal Program for evaluation.

Work at Pier 99 site consisted primarily of grubbing/brush removal.  Terra Hydr was hired to conduct the grubbing.  Grubbing work started in the area east of the shop building, and west of the Interstate Bridge utilizing four workers using weed-eaters.  In the afternoon grubbing occurred in the area just below the shop building. Terra Hydr has utilized weed-cutters and a small excavator for vegetation removal.  
A fuel tank was discovered on the slope below the shop building.  It was covered in plastic sheeting.  The tank has an approximate 35 gallon capacity.  A PID was used to check for VOC’s, none were detected. The tank will be disposed off toward the end of the removal.

Continue to remove vegetation along the bank.
All 5 concrete slabs from the bank area were removed with an excavator and the eastern staircase was removed as well to stop people from entering the exclusion zone.
The surveyor came back to the site to mark the high water line. He was on site sometime before the removal started and marked a line which accuracy was questionable and had to come back to the site to make it clear.