Wyckoff Co./Eagle Harbor

Overview

The Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor site sits on Bainbridge Island along Puget Sound. It was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987. Contamination came from a wood treating facility that ran from 1903 to 1988, a former shipyard, and related industrial operations. The site covers soil, groundwater, and marine sediments in Eagle Harbor.

The main contaminants are creosote, pentachlorophenol (PCP), mercury, and other metals. Creosote can cause chemical burns on bare skin. It also contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which may cause cancer. These contaminants affect soil, groundwater, and the sediments of Eagle Harbor.

Cleanup work has addressed much of the harbor floor. About 100 acres of Eagle Harbor sediment have been capped with clean sand to block contact with contamination below. A groundwater extraction and treatment system at the former Wyckoff facility keeps contaminants from migrating into the harbor. Even so, contamination continues to seep into intertidal sediments along East Beach and North Shoal. Those areas remain closed to public access and shellfish harvesting. The facility itself is fenced to prevent contact with contaminated soils.

The current focus is replacing a deteriorating sheet pile wall around the facility perimeter. The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers began this work in 2025. It is expected to finish by March 2027. Parts of the site are closed to the public during construction. Nearby residents have reported odors from the work. The agencies are responding by covering stockpiles, applying odor-suppressing foam, and limiting the size of the active work area. Daily air quality monitoring is in place to confirm the community is not exposed to harmful contaminant levels.