2014 CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO — Workers remove pieces of a probing drill as they bore 45 feet into the ground along Berwick Creek and Hamilton Road south of Chehalis in 2014. The companies were sub-contracted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to sample soil and groundwater at the Hamilton Road Impacted Area which is part of the EPA's Hamilton/Labree Superfund Site. The EPA hoped to find the worst contamination in the area's soil so they can focus on the best ways to proceed with cleanup of the area.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin cleanup work at the Hamilton Labree Superfund Site, approximately two miles southwest of Chehalis.
According to a release, parts of the soil and surface water in the area was contaminated by tetrachloroethene, or PCE, which is used for dry cleaning, metal degreasing and other industrial processes.
Early cleanup was completed to eliminate any imminent threats, but more clean up is needed to contain the contamination.
While the cleanup is underway, peak periods could cause reroutes and slowdowns and is expected to be more noticeable between July and November 2020, then again in the spring of 2021.
“As we continue to adjust to the evolving COVID-19 situation, EPA is taking steps to ensure that decisions about cleanup activities at Superfund sites are made with the health and safety of communities, EPA staff, partners, and contractors as the priority,” the release reads. “Therefore, decisions about continuing on-site activities will be made on a case-by-case basis.”
Anyone with questions or concerns can participate in a Q&A over the phone between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on July 30. To offer input, dial 866-299-3188, access code 206 553 1838# at the time listed.
