AMEC Geomatrix provided consulting services to the City of Anacortes and a private yacht manufacturer for two separate parcels that comprise the Custom Plywood site. The site is the location of a burned out plywood mill situated on the waterfront of Fidalgo Bay in Anacortes, Washington.

Cleanup work on the smaller portion of the site, which was purchased by the City about 10 years earlier, was conducted in 1999 using Washington State remedial grant funds. Approximately 2000 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed and disposed, and long term groundwater monitoring was conducted for 3 years. A no further action letter for the soils and groundwater was received from the Washington Department of Ecology for that portion of the site.

For the main portion of the plywood facility owned by the plant shareholders, AMEC Geomatrix staff managed the site investigation phase, which included the upland and offshore areas. The uplands soil and groundwater were impacted from two underground storage tanks, hydraulic presses that had leaked extensively, a hog fuel burner, and PCB transformers that were damaged during the fire and later vandalism. More tha  5,000 cubic yards of soil were delineated that are contaminated by petroleum, heavy metals, and PCBs.

The offshore areas were impacted by high concentrations of wood waste (a deleterious substance under Washington State regulations), PCBs, and petroleum hydrocarbons. In addition, a derelict tugboat was shipwrecked near shore and released fuel. AMEC Geomatrix personnel completed an Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis of the remedial options with oversight of the process by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology.

Remediation planning and permitting is in progress for redevelopment of the site as a yacht-manufacturing and launching facility. AMEC Geomatrix is in the process of obtaining permits for the implementation of the upland and sediment remediation. The project will require the following permit approvals: Section 404/10, Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA), Section 401, and Shorelines Substantial development from the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Ecology, the City of Anacortes, and the Skagit County Health Department. Upland cleanup work will involve soil removal, groundwater treatment, sheet pile wall installation, and bank stabilization. Remediation of contaminants and wood waste in the sediments will be conducted in connection with construction of boat ramps, docks, and the dredging of a waterway. Residual hydrocarbons in the soil will be managed using engineering and institutional controls including adding fill, capping, fencing, and construction of an engineered, low permeability bulkhead. AMEC Geomatrix will manage the demolition of hundreds of creosote piles, building foundations, and removal of a partially sunken boat in the subtidal area. In addition to construction management of the demolition and remediation, we will prepare the site for the new yacht manufacturing facility, including dredging for the boat launches and channel access.

The remaining work will be conducted with a combination of EPA Brownfields grants, HUD BEDI grant, Section 108 loan, and other state grants and low interest loans. AMEC Geomatrix is assisting the site owner, the City of Anacortes, and the Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development in obtaining the grants and loans.