Allied Plating, Inc. is a 12-acre former chrome-plating facility in northeast Portland, Oregon. It operated from 1957 to the late 1980s and discharged untreated plating waste into an unlined pond for more than 25 years. EPA added it to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1990 and deleted it in November 1994 after cleanup was finished.
The contamination affected groundwater, surface water, soil, and sludge. Groundwater contained lead, nickel, and chromium. Soils and sludge held high concentrations of metals including antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, mercury, and nickel, as well as cyanide. The main health risks came from people ingesting or touching these contaminants in soil, sludge, or groundwater.
Between October and November 1992, EPA excavated and disposed of 1,100 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sludge from the impoundment area. A 1993 risk assessment found the site no longer posed unacceptable risk. EPA issued a "no further action" Record of Decision in June 1993 and included institutional controls restricting shallow groundwater use. A Consent Decree followed in September 1997. The 2013 Five-Year Review found soils safe for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure, and EPA determined no further groundwater cleanup or monitoring was needed. However, groundwater restrictions were kept in place as a precaution.
Today the site supports active commercial and industrial operations. Basic Fire Protection occupies one portion, and another area is used for heavy equipment storage. As of December 2024, three businesses on the site employed 46 people and generated about $7.45 million in annual sales. EPA has confirmed that human exposure is under control and that groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The most recent Five-Year Review was completed in July 2023, and the next is estimated between July and September 2028.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA Remedial Project Manager. Public records related to the site can be viewed at Portland State University Library in Portland or at the EPA Region 10 Superfund Record Center in Seattle.
