Item No.:                    6b_supp 
The Duwamish   Meeting Date:   September 22 , 2015 
Cleaning Up and Restoring an Urban Waterway

Lower Duwamish Waterway Cleanup
Briefing 
Brief refresh on Lower Duwamish Waterway
(LDW) Cleanup 
Update on the current status of clean up
activities 
Update on POS commitments and recent
cleanup activities 
Motion supporting ongoing and future
activities 
2

History of Lower Duwamish Waterway 
Significance to the Region's Economy, Neighborhoods, and Environment 
1860                        2011 






In The Early 1900s, The U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Straightened 9 Miles
Of River Into A 5-mile Industrial Waterway                        3

Lower Duwamish Today 
Home to 100,000 jobs and
38,000 residents 
Cargo traffic is 7.2 million
tons/year, valued at $7.5 billion 
Home to diverse aquatic and
wildlife communities 
Tribal and community interests 
Three primary land uses: 
58%  Commercial and
industrial 
23%  Warehousing 
19%  Residential and open
space 
Source: Puget Sound Regional Council 
Economic Engine For King County 
4

Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site 




EPA Diagram Of The 3 Part Approach To Cleanup 
5

Regulatory
Agencies 



Sampling 
Lower Duwamish                         Studies 
Waterway Group
Plans 
(LDWG) 
Analyses 

LDW Roles and Responsibilities 
6

Record of Decision and
Technology Assignments 
177 acres of active cleanup 
105 acres Dredged 
~960,000 cubic yards
removed 
235 acres Monitored Natural
Recovery
EPA Estimated cost- $348M 


Technology Assignments Complicated and Dynamic 
7

Lower Duwamish Waterway - Early Action Sites 
Lower Duwamish Working Group
(LDWG) developed strategy to
target known cleanup areas to
expedite cleanup 
Five Early Action sites all
completed by LDWG 
Completion of LDWG Early
Actions predicted to reduce
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
sediment concentrations by ~50% 

Early Actions Reduce PCB Concentration By 50% 
8

Status of Early Actions 
$150M invested in cleanup of 29 acres 
Completed 
Duwamish/Diagonal sedimentation remediation
(King County) 
Norfolk CSO sediment remediation (King County) 
Slip 4 remediation (City of Seattle) 
T117 (Port of Seattle/City of Seattle) 
Boeing Plant 2 (Boeing) 
Jorgensen Forge (Jorgensen) 

Early Actions Reduce PCB Concentration By 50% 
9

Source Control 



Source Control Required Before Cleanup Can Begin 
10

Port Recent Source Control Activities 
Terminal 108 bank stabilization pilot 
Storm line cleanouts on LDW Port Properties 
Ecology provided $3M to Port to perform 



Port Actively Involved in Source Control 
11

Environmental Justice 



Community Health Concerns To Be Addressed Before,
During And After Implementation 
12

LDW Studies by LDWG Underway 
Task 2: Identify
Task 1: Prepare a                                 Task 3: Develop
Populations and
Fisher Study     Work Plan                   Implementation Plan 
Develop Questions 

Enhance Natural Recovery                        Task 4: Conduct Pilot
Task 6: Analyze Data         Task 5: Implement
Test and Finalize
Carbon Pilot Study   and Generate Report        Survey 
Implementation Plan 


Progress Continues on Critical Path items 
13

Community Involvement Actions 
Duwamish River 101
boat tour 
Duwamish Alive!
restoration event at
Terminal 107 
Duwamish Revealed art
celebration / River
Festival 
Ongoing community
outreach and
communications 
Port Committed to Community Involvement 
14

Other Port of Seattle Actions 
Reducing health impacts to communities in the
Duwamish corridor by reducing diesel particulate
emissions through Northwest Ports Clean Air
Strategy 
Created, restored and enhanced over 30 acres of
habitat in the Lower Duwamish Elliott Bay 
Lower Duwamish River Habitat Restoration Plan
include 70 additional acres 
Port committed to reducing its environmental footprint 
15

Next Steps 
Complete Fisher and Carbon
Amendment Studies 
Monitor early action cleanups 
Support upland source control work
through State and Local programs 
Continue working with EPA and
LDWG on community outreach 
Working with EPA to determine
next steps to move to cleanup 

Work Continues 
16