Welcome to Skagit County

November 25, 2014

Environmental agreement readied for future jail site
Comments sought on Skagit County’s proposed cleanup at truck stop

MOUNT VERNON – Skagit County would clean up contaminated soil and groundwater as it takes possession of and develops the Truck City Truck Stop property in southern Mount Vernon for a new jail site under a legal agreement with the state Department of Ecology (DOE).

DOE seeks public comment on the agreement, called a prospective purchaser consent decree, and other related documents through Dec. 31, 2014. Comments should be sent to Dale Myers, site manager, 3190 160th Ave. SE, Bellevue WA 98008 or to dale.myers@ecy.wa.gov.

DOE and Skagit County jail project representatives will present information, answer questions and conduct a public hearing on the cleanup proposal on Dec. 11, 2014, at the Skagit County Administration Building, 1800 Continental Place, Suite 100, Mount Vernon:

Open house: 5:30 p.m.
Presentation and question-and-answer session: 6 p.m.
Public hearing: 7 p.m.

Under a prior owner and name, Truck City opened in 1953. Several releases of gasoline and diesel fuel have been documented over the site’s history. A proposed cleanup plan includes:

Groundwater sampling at existing monitoring wells, prior to cleanup.
Removal of all structures on the site, including the concrete pad, truck scale, and underground storage tanks.
Excavation and removal of contaminated soil in four areas of known contamination.
Soil testing at least 15 feet deep in all areas excavated for the project and removal of all soil with contamination above state cleanup standards.
Application of materials that increase naturally present bacteria that consume petroleum products that may continue to contaminate groundwater.
Installation of new monitoring wells and ongoing monitoring to verify compliance.

The County plans to take legal possession of the site in January 2015, with cleanup in the summer and fall of 2015, followed by construction of the jail facility.

In addition to the legal agreement, DOE seeks comments on:

Determination of non-significance: DOE has reviewed the proposed cleanup under the State Environmental Policy Act and has determined that it will cause no significant harm to the environment.
Public participation plan: A requirement under the state’s cleanup law, the plan ensures that community members receive information about the cleanup and have opportunities to be involved in key decisions.
Remedial investigation and feasibility study: Skagit County conducted a study to determine what contamination is at the site, its quantity and location. The County evaluated and estimated costs for cleanup options.
Cleanup action plan: DOE proposes to adopt a plan that outlines detailed steps the county would take to complete the cleanup.

The legal agreement and all associated documents are available on DOE’s website. The same materials also are available in printed form at:

Mount Vernon Public Library, 315 Snoqualmie St.
Mount Vernon City Hall, 910 Cleveland, Ave., Community and Economic Development Department
Skagit County Commissioners Office, 1800 Continental Place, Suite 100, Mount Vernon
Department of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. SE, Bellevue, by appointment: sally.perkins@ecy.wa.gov or 425- 649-7190

An Ecology fact sheet describes the site’s contamination and proposed cleanup actions.