Slip 4 Early Action Area

Site Summary

The Slip 4 Early Action Area is part of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site in Seattle, Washington. The site is located on the east side of the waterway - just north of the Boeing Plant 2 site - and covers about 6.4 acres. Sediments in about 3.6 acres of Slip 4 were contaminated with PCBs.

In 2006, EPA selected a cleanup plan that required sediments with the highest contamination to be removed, and remaining sediments would be "capped" in place. In 2007, Ecology determined that sources of PCBs to the storm drain system that discharge to Slip 4 were not adequately controlled to protect the proposed cleanup. After EPA and The Boeing Company implemented treatment for contaminated stormwater from North Boeing Field - which drains to Slip 4 - Ecology determined that sources of PCBs were adequately controlled and the cleanup could proceed.

What is an early action area? Early actions are parts of a larger Superfund cleanup that EPA has determined may become a threat to people or the environment before the long-term cleanup for the site is completed.

Construction is complete

The City of Seattle has cleaned up the contaminated sediments and banks of Slip 4. With EPA oversight, the City’s contractor dredged and removed contaminated sediments, including the eroding banks, and placed engineered caps of clean sand and gravel over the remaining sediments. An aging pier was demolished, two beaches were created, and more shallow-water areas were created to improve habitat in Slip 4. Construction started on October 3, 2011, and was completed on February 7, 2012. Total project costs were about $8 million. The cleanup was funded by The Boeing Company and the City of Seattle, and used Model Toxics Control Act matching grant funds from the Washington Department of Ecology.

The cleanup work included:

• Dredged and removed approximately 9,800 cubic yards of bottom sediment and bank soils
• Capped approximately 3.6 acres to isolate sediments not removed
• Removed and disposed of an estimated 130 tons of creosote-treated timbers and piles and other debris
• Removed and recycled an estimated 3,278 tons of concrete and 78 tons of steel from a pier
• Excavated the banks in a manner so as to create stable slopes and expand habitat

Overall, the cleanup will include a net gain of over an acre of shallow and riparian habitat for threatened Puget Sound Chinook and Coastal/Puget Sound bull trout.

Water quality monitoring was performed throughout the duration of the project, and only one brief exceedance of turbidity criteria was observed (during placement of clean cap material). The City of Seattle will establish monitoring and controls to protect the sediment cap over the long-term. Upland plantings occurred late in 2012.

The removal action completion report (PDF) (192 pp, 18.2MB) is now available to read with most appendices, for all appendices or to ask questions, please contact Karen Keeley via email with keeley.karen@epa.gov or by calling (206) 553-2141.

North Boeing Field

The North Boeing Field storm drain system carries stormwater to Slip 4 through more than seven miles of catch basins, drains, inlets, and oil-water separators. Studies by Ecology, City of Seattle, and Boeing showed the North Boeing Field storm drain system was the biggest source of PCBs to river sediments in Slip 4.

Construction complete at North Boeing Field: In September 2010, under an agreement with EPA, Boeing installed a new interim stormwater treatment system at North Boeing Field. With the installation of this stormwater treatment system (using chitosan-enhanced sand filtration), approval was given for the cleanup of sediments in Slip 4 to proceed in 2011. This system, which treated approximately 35 million gallons of stormwater between September 2010 and October 2011, reduced the amount of toxic PCBs and other chemicals in stormwater discharged to Slip 4.

In October 2011, Boeing upgraded the stormwater treatment system from 500 gallons per minute to 1,500 gallons per minute. In the first year of operation, approximately 176 million gallons of water were treated and discharged.  All water samples of the system effluent have been non-detect for PCBs, and performance standards and goals for the project have been achieved.

Boeing continues to perform source control actions to reduce PCB concentrations in storm drain solids.

Georgetown Steam Plant Flume

Construction complete at Georgetown Steam Flume: In summer 2009, the City of Seattle cleaned up and replaced the Georgetown Flume, which discharges stormwater to Slip 4. Since the early 1900’s, the Flume operated as a 2,450-foot long system of wood-fortified and concrete-lined open ditches and buried piped segments that connected the Georgetown Steam Plant to the Duwamish Waterway at Slip 4. The City of Seattle demolished the existing structure, removed contaminated sediment from within the flume, removed contaminated soil from areas adjacent to the flume, eliminated all unauthorized drains into the flume, and constructed a new drainage system with a new outfall and tide valve at Slip 4. All cleanup levels were met, and the work was completed ahead of schedule.

Review the Removal Action Completion Report (PDF) (685pp, 89MB) - February 2010.

Background: The demolition and removal of the 2,450-foot long system (built in the early 1900’s) of wood-fortified and concrete-lined open ditches and buried piped segments that connected the Georgetown Steam Plant to the Lower Duwamish Waterway at Slip 4 was completed in September 2009. The project goal was to remove contaminated sediments from within the flume and to construct controls so it no longer served as a potential conveyance for contamination to reach Slip 4. Part of the work was conducted as an Independent Remedial Action and part was conducted under EPA oversight for the Slip 4 Early Action cleanup Order.

Technical Documents

Sediment Cleanup Documents

• Long-Term Monitoring and Reporting Plan (PDF) (40 pp, 2.3MB) - March 21 2013
  • Appendix A -Quality Assurance Project Plan (PDF) (375 pp, 15MB)
  • Appendix B -Health and Safety Plan (PDF) (69 pp, 2.4MB)
• Removal Action Completion Report (PDF) (192 pp, 18.2MB) - July 26, 2012. For more appendices, please contact Karen Keeley (keeley.karen@epa.gov).
• Final Water Quality Certification (PDF) (11 pp, 202K) - May 2011
• Interim Source Control Status Report (PDF) (30 pp, 2.2MB) - March 2011
• Lower Duwamish Waterway Slip 4 Interim Source Control Status Report (PDF) (3 pp, 180K) - March 2011
• Lower Duwamish Waterway Slip 4 Early Action Area Biological Assessment (PDF) (94 pp, 13.1MB) - February 9, 2007 (Revised by EPA on October 7, 2010)

100% Design Analysis - Appendices are available for review at each of our Information Repository locations, or contact Renee Dagseth, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at (206) 553-1889.

• Slip 4 100% Design Analysis Report 1 - Main Text (PDF) (131 pp, 2.5MB) - revised August 2010
• Slip 4 100% Design Analysis Report 2 - Figures (PDF) (12 pp, 17MB) - revised August 2010
• Slip 4 100% Design Analysis Report 3 - Tables (PDF) (12 pp, 168K) - revised August 2010
• Slip 4 100% Design - Technical Drawings (PDF) (24 pp, 4.9MB) - August 2010
• Slip 4 100% Design - Water Quality Monitoring Plan (PDF) (186 pp, 3.5MB) - revised August 2010

Sampling and Analysis Plan for Boundary Definition; Addendum: Pre-Design Investigations Sampling (PDF) (43 pp, 3.9 MB) - June 2006

• Appendix B (PDF) (4 pp, 210K)
• Appendix C (PDF) (31 pp, 1.39MB)
• Appendix D (PDF) (7 pp, 200K)

Action Memo for Non-Time-Critical Removal Action - May 5, 2006

• Text (PDF) (19 pp, 359K)
• Figures 1, 2, 3 (PDF) (3 pp, 1.5MB)
• Attachment B Responsiveness Summary (PDF) (23 pp, 99K)
• Attachment A & C (Executive Summary & ARARs) (PDF) (13 pp, 245K)

Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis - February 10, 2006

• Text (PDF) (1 70pp, 1.2MB)
• Figures (PDF) (38 pp, 12MB)
• Tables (PDF) (31 pp, 177K)
• Appendix A (PDF) (39 pp, 2MB)
• Appendix B (PDF) (22 pp, 1MB)
• Appendix C (PDF) (6 pp, 1.7MB)

Revised Draft Technical Memorandum Proposed Boundary of the Early Action (PDF) (38 pp, 2.1MB) - January 2005

Source Control Documents

North Boeing Field stormwater treatment

• Annual Performance Evaluation Report (PDF) (141 pp, 5.8MB)- March 28, 2013
• Removal Action / Stormwater Treatment Completion Report (PDF) (1292 pp, 36.5MB) - March 23, 2012. Note: This document is large and may take more time than normal to download.
• Sampling and Analysis Plan: Long-Term Stormwater Treatment (PDF) (74 pp, 2.3MB) - March 21, 2012.
• Amended Monitoring Approach Recommendations for North Boeing Field Long-Term Stormwater Treatment System (PDF) (16 pp, 846K) - January 2012
• Alternative Interim Goal Recommendations for Protection of Slip 4 Sediment Recontamination (PDF) (27pp, 315K) - January 2012
• Bed Load Sampling and Analysis Results (PDF) (11 pp, 1MB) - June 2011
• Draft Biofilter Media Bed Pilot Study for North Boeing Field (PDF) (9 pp, 358K) - June 2011
• 100% Design Report for Long-term Treatment System (PDF) (489 pp, 23MB) - June 2011
• Slip 4 Salinity Data Report (PDF) (38 pp, 2MB) - June 2011
• North Boeing Field Pre-Design Technical Memorandum: Long-Term Stormwater Treatment (PDF) (53 pp, 6MB) - April 2011
• Addendum to North Boeing Field's Long-Term Stormwater Treatment Work Plan (PDF) (29 pp, 1.5MB) - March 2011
• North Boeing Field Short-Term Stormwater Treatment Work Plan (PDF) (399 pp, 15.8MB) - January 2011
• North Boeing Field Long-Term Stormwater Treatment Work Plan (PDF) (135 pp, 9.9MB) - January 2011
• North Boeing Field Slip 4 Salinity Monitoring Plan (PDF) (32 pp, 2.7MB) - January 2011
• Short-Term Treatment Facility Compliance Assessment (PDF) (47 pp, 3,2MB) - November 2010
• North Boeing Field Action Memorandum (PDF) (18 pp, 612K) - September 2010

Georgetown Steam Plant Flume

• Removal Action Completion Report (PDF) (685 pp, 90MB) - February 2010
• Slip 4 Georgetown Steam Plant Flume Outfall removal memo (PDF) (8 pp, 216K) - October 8, 2008
• Slip 4 Georgetown Steam Plant Flume Removal 100% design (PDF) (76 pp, 3.4MB) - March 2008