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Latest Duwamish Cleanup Agreement Gives “Wings” to Museum of Flight Expansion

Release Date: 03/01/2007
Contact Information: Christy Brown/EPA Seattle, 206-553-8506, [email protected] Mark MacIntyre/EPA, Seattle 206-553-7302, [email protected]

(Seattle, Wash. – March 1, 2007) The former Rhone-Poulenc industrial site in South Seattle, (9229 East Marginal Way South, Tukwila) will soon become part of an expanded Museum of Flight, thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Boeing’s Museum of Flight Foundation and the landowners, Container Properties LLC.

According to Rick Albright, Director of EPA’s Office of Air Waste & Toxics in Seattle, today’s announcement represents a “breakthrough” in site redevelopment.

“A key parcel like this part of the Rhone-Poulenc facility is a perfect candidate for re-use,” said EPA’s Albright. “By becoming both an extension of the Museum and part of an innovative high school program for high achievers, this will serve as a prime example for other redevelopment projects both locally here in Seattle and across our region.”

According to Museum officials, current plans include building a new Space Gallery on the property, erection of a covered structure for our numerous large aircraft stored outdoors, and provide space for future use by Aviation High School.

In its contract to purchase the property, the Museum specified that the land be cleaned up to allow unrestricted use. EPA worked with Container Properties to ensure that the clean up was completed before the sale occurred. The site is considered a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act( RCRA) cleanup under an Order on Consent, and is located along/within the greater Lower Duwamish Superfund Site.

Divided into two parcels (East and West), the Museum’s new property lies on the East Parcel. According to site research, the majority of the contamination and cleanup activities are located on the West Parcel, where most of the manufacturing and chemical storage was located. Cleanup work on the West Parcel is continuing under a separate timeline. A voluntary removal action was completed on the East Parcel in the fall of 2006. Approximately 5,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed from the parcel. Contaminants were mostly copper and PCBs.

EPA has recently determined that human health and ecological risks have been appropriately addressed and that corrective action activities are no longer necessary on most of the East Parcel. This determination confirms that the property is suitable for any future use, and may be redeveloped and/or transferred without restrictions.