“Oeser plans to clean-up part Squalicum Park due to contamination found in the creek and soil”

"Plans are being set as Oeser and E.P.A set up plans to clean-up Squalicum Park"

During an Oct. 30, 2009 cleaning at Squalicum park, the Department of Ecology found that parts of the creek in the Squalicum had multiple contaminations in the water that were related to Oeser Co. Squalicum Park is an underdeveloped 21-acre area on the northwest end of Bellingham, located in the Birchwood neighborhood. It is a local spot and well known park to residents of the Birchwood neighborhood.

Substance food in the Creek

One of the hazardous substances found in the water and soil was creosote, a substance that is used in wood products. Oeser, which has line poles on Squalicum Park, uses this substance as a preservative in their products. Over the years the preservative that Oeser used for their products flowed into the creek and accumulated into the creeks path that turns in a “U” shape. “The contamination accumulated over 40-50 years, where there was little risk and contamination found in Squalicum in 1991” said Howard Orlean, EPA Project Manager.

Oeser, took a look at the E.P.A (Environmental Protection Agency) report and acknowledged that the contamination was in fact related to Oeser and Superfund. Superfund is the federal counterpart to the states’ toxic clean-up law and is with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Oeser has been around since the 1940s.

Oeser Plans to change its substances in Products

Oeser plans at this time to now think of an alternative substance other than creosote, “Which they have now found is hazardous and dangerous to the environment in their location sites” said Mary O’Herron, Department of Ecology. Other toxic substances that were found in Squalicum but were not related to the Superfund and Oeser site included pentrachlorophenol, dioxin, copper,zinc and polycyclic aromactic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds.

These which are found in some wood products and others which are carried in oil, coal, and products of fuel burning substances. Other parts of the creek and surrounding soil which need clean-up will be carried out by the Department of Ecology.

Investigation at Squalicum Park first began in 2007 when City of Bellingham, planned on extending Squalicum and making it a larger park, findings and drafts of remedial investigation have been put together and was first publically announced during a meeting held June 10, 2009. The park is owned by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County, due to the contamination Superfund and Oeser will now be responsible of a part of the creek where they will work on the clean-up. Efforts of clean up alternatives have been presented with the March 18 clean-up public comment by Orlean, EPA Project Manager.

EPA and Superfund take the lead

EPA and Superfund are now working on drafting reports and alternatives to the clean-up that will be done at Squalicum Park, a final decision has not been made yet. “There have been five alternatives presented on the clean-up at Squalicum, but they are still being worked out by the two parties [EPA and Superfund]” said, Gina Gobo, Parks Project Engineer.
EPA will now work on the alternative and final draft of the project clean-up. When this is finalized clean-up will begin in summer 2010 with all organizations working on site. Oeser will pay millions on the cleanup at Superfund site located in Squalicum. The alternative costs range all the way up to $7.5 million. Oeser is not fully responsible for the cost but they will be paying a majority of these costs.