SEATTLE — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed plan to clean up the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site, the city’s chief industrial waterway located on the south end of Elliott Bay, according to a press release.
The release of the sediment cleanup plan marks the beginning of a public comment period.
“The Duwamish is Seattle’s river. This plan is the product of our close coordination among the governments and businesses responsible for cleanup, and the communities and tribes who use the river for their food and livelihood,” said Dennis McLerran, regional administrator for EPA Region 10. “This cleanup will ensure that the Duwamish will be healthier and safer for the people and communities who rely on it, while also keeping the river open for business.”
[Related content: EPA proposes cleanup plan to remove contaminated sediment from canal in New York]
The proposed plan calls for cleanup of the most contaminated sediment and would reduce PCB contamination in the Duwamish River by at least 90 percent in conjunction with cleanups already underway at early action sites, stated the release.
The plan also includes an environmental justice analysis that examines the impacts of contamination on minority and low-income populations around the Superfund site.
In addition, the plan has a source control strategy to minimize the release of pollutants that could re-contaminate waterway sediments.
Read the entire press release here.
